ITALY, SHEEP’S MILK
PERSONALITY: A gentleman dandy in a tweed suit, thoughtfully Proustian.
If you were going to eat a cheese in Central Park, it should probably be Foja de Noce. Wrapped in walnut leaves and aged in mountain caves, it’s the sort of cheese you want everyone to see that you’re eating. The moist paste is halo-gold, the rind bark-like. You will certainly attract the attention of squirrels and probably a few candy-colored ladies who have been to Le Marche.
Foja de Noce is a Pecorino, so it has all the primal whomp of a nutty, aged sheep’s milk cheese, and yet there is so much more going on: a lazy kind of sweetness, a buttery stealth that lingers, a dreamy, woodsy depth. You can’t help but lean back on your elbows and stare at all of the people talking over smoke rings, without wondering, “Why, world, are you eating hotdogs and popsicles when you could be eating Foja de Noce?”
Good matches: Set out a wedge of Foja de Noce with a small jar of truffle honey and some nuts. Then, forget about everything. If you need to appear more personable, prepare Sicilian Olive and Smoked Almond Tapenade (page 183).
Wine/beer: Drink a glass of Barolo, or pour a pint of amber or Scotch ale. Roasty notes and maltiness are encouraged here. Mead would also be appropriate.
ITALY, RAW COW’S MILK
PERSONALITY: Parmigiano’s understudy—lovely, but less celebrated.
The recipe for Grana Padano predates Parmigiano, and yet it’s considered a less-refined substitute. That’s because this mild, fruity cheese from Emilia-Romagna has fewer regulations placed on its production, so it’s usually younger when it leaves the ageing caves—usually around six months, whereas Parm is required to mature for at least eighteen. Sample them side-by-side, and you’ll notice that they taste pretty similar, but if Parm is an acrobat, Grana Padano is a waify gymnast. This cheese just can’t perform as many tricks, flavor-wise.
In Italy, Grana Padano is a household cheese, used in recipes and for snacking. In the United States, it became known as a cheaper alternative to Parm, but increased demand has changed that, alas. The best wheels hail from Trentino, and when it’s well-aged, this Grana is magnificent. Seek it out, and like Boccaccio, you may find yourself envisioning a mountain of grated cheese for a Decameron-esque feast of ravioli boiled in capon’s broth. Grana, it should be noted, refers to any “granular” hard cheese that can be grated; Padano refers to the Po River region, where this cheese originated.
Good matches: Grate Grana Padano over pasta, or stir it into risotto. For a snack, try breaking off chunks of this cheese and dipping them into aged balsamic. For pesto, this is an excellent choice.
Wine/beer: You can’t go wrong with Prosecco or a rough ’n’ tumble Chianti or Barolo—choose the latter if you’re also serving cured meats. Otherwise, grab an amber lager. For something special, try Dogfish Head’s Aprihop, a cheesemonger favorite.