Past Newsletters - July 2009
Distinct World Class Gourmet Cheeses
Once again we've managed to nab three world class cheeses from three different countries: Italy, Cyprus and Holland. Italian cheeses have some of the best reputations in the world, surpassed perhaps, only by those made in France. You’re about to discover the flagship cheese of Cyprus, the third largest island in the Mediterranean. Members are among the select few Americans to enjoy this wonderfully versatile cheese. The cheeses of Holland are lesser known but equally delicious. This month’s ensemble of flavorful, hard to find cheeses is one of which we're particularly proud. Hopefully, you'll agree that as a group, these three finds constitute a truly unique combo of world-class gourmet cheeses. Salut!
Provolone – Italy’s 2nd Most Popular Cheese
Like the cheese most associated with Italy, Mozzarella, Provolone is pasta filata, an Italian term meaning “spun paste”. It refers to a technique in the manufacture of a family of Italian cheeses which we know in English as a stretched-curd or pulled-curd or plastic-curd cheeses. Pasta filata cheese making begins in the normal way. The milk is warmed and curdled and allowed to rest for an hour. Then the curds are cut into small pieces and the whey drained off. The curds are allowed to rest for several hours.
Then follows the filatura. The curds are steeped for some hours in a bath of very hot whey or water. When they begin to float most of the liquid is removed and the curd is then mixed and kneaded until the desired soft, elastic, stringy texture is obtained. The mass of curd is divided and shaped into individual cheeses. In the case of mozzarella the process is now essentially complete but for other formaggi a pasta filata—such as Provolone, aging is required. There are two kinds of Provolone. Dolce (soft) Provolone is a young, semisoft and smooth table cheese that has typically been aged for two to three months. It's mild in flavor and smoothly velvety on the tongue. Then there is what you are about to taste—a Piccante (piquant) Provolone which can be curdled using the rennet (an enzyme used in cheese making) from a goat, lamb or calf. These rennets contribute to Piccante’s stronger flavor as does the aging process. Typically, Piccante is aged for six to twelve months, though we've known a few Italian Provolones that have been aged as long as two years.
Italian-style Provolone can be made with buffalo or cows' milk, or a mixture of the two, either of which may or may not be pasteurized. Sometimes it's lightly smoked using the branches of applewood. Clearly, there's plenty of room for variation in the ingredients and the process of making this cheese, which is why this is one that definitely bears the mark of each individual artisan. Basically, if you take Mozzarella, hand-rub the surface with brine, bind it with rope and hang it up in a room with the proper temperature and humidity, in time it will turn into an entirely different cheese—something very close to Provolone.
But here's how they do it in Italy. After using his unique combination of rennets to coagulate the milk, the cheesemaker cuts the newly formed curd into leaf-like slices, which are first scaled and then kneaded like dough. He works the dough until it spins and becomes elastic, and then it is pressed and molded to prepare it for aging. Each one of these fine Italian cheeses is individually hand shaped by an artisan cheesemaker. He has the delicate task of molding the cheese in such a way as to avoid formation of air bubbles or liquid in the paste, thereby achieving a smooth and uniform surface. Next the cheeses are immersed in a salt bath, and the length of time may vary. When they are removed from the brine they are washed with cold water, wrapped and secured in rope. Only then are they ready to be aged, or smoked and then aged. As they are suspended from the rope and slowly cured in the aging chamber, they become clearly recognized as Provolone. Provolone was the traditional cheese of Southern Italy. By the end of the nineteenth century, production had already spread to the Po Valley and the area between Brescia and Cremona in particular. Its name derives from the Neapolitan words "prova" or "provola," which mean globe shaped. Provolones are created in a variety of globe-like shapes, in a range of sizes from half pound melons to torpedo shapes weighing two hundred pounds.
Tasting Notes: Your authentic Italian-style Provolone is a grating cheese, full-bodied and buttery with a slight snap. Aged Italian Provolones are much more flavorful than standard issue sandwich provolone. Made into huge "salamis" and then aged for over a year, this succulent, sharp, buttery flavor will be the star of your antipasto plate. If you've only tried the soft, supermarket "deli" version of Provolone, this cheese will be a revelation. Serve it with Italian olives and thin slices of Prosciutto di Parma, and your friends will feel like they've discovered a whole new Provolone persona—Provolone as they eat it in Italy! What you received today is a harder cheese that is easy to grate over pizzas and pastas—or anything that calls for a cheese topping (which is just about everything if you ask us)! It melts best when shredded first. For a succulent treat, try it with some red grapes, pears, figs, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, olives or hearty breads drizzled with olive oil. A favorite of ours is provolone melted over fresh bruschetta. Delicious!
Halloumi – A Unique and Treasured Cheese from the Island of Cyprus
If you’ve never heard of Halloumi, it’s not surprising. It has been the cheese of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus for centuries and authentic Halloumi has only recently been exported to the U.S. (in an attempt to please Cypriot immigrants to the States, unimpressive industrial versions have been here longer). Some vociferous Cypriots living in Ann Arbor, Michigan convinced the award-winning, Zagat-rated Zingerman’s Deli that Halloumi was worth pursuing. Their passion for this special cheese—combined with Zingerman’s passion for pleasing customers—is our good fortune.
So what exactly is Halloumi? It's made with sheep's and goat's milk just as it has been for centuries. Fresh curd is submerged in hot whey to soften and stretch it pasta filata style as in mozzarella making. The young cheese is then aged in baskets and folded into wedges about the size of a small purse. On the ever-sunny island of Cyprus, Halloumi is part of every meal—breakfast, lunch and dinner. A day without wine may be like a day without sunshine for the French but for Cypriots a day without Halloumi would be a dark day, indeed!
Tasting Notes: What is special about it is that it has a very appealing flavor that's unlike any other cheese: mellow, but not in the least boring, mildly feta-like, notably tangy, and never too strong. Halloumi can be enjoyed almost any of the ways you'd eat other cheeses: sliced up as is for a simple snack, cube it in salads or melted it in or on casseroles. But the best way to eat this unique cheese is to fry it or grill it—briefly—until its exterior is a lovely golden brown. No other cheese grills up as nicely as Halloumi. The light, golden-brown crust bubbles up on the outside of the cheese; the interior gets soft, not quite runny, but very delicious. Grilling Halloumi is easy. Simply slice the cheese into half-inch thick pieces, lay them on a hot skillet that's been lightly brushed with olive oil. (You can go without any oil, if that's your preference). Leave the cheese in the pan about two to three minutes, until it's lightly browned on its down side. Carefully flip the slices and fry the other side. When the cheese is golden brown on both sides, serve them one of many ways. Enjoy them solo as an appetizer with a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a grind of fresh black pepper. Or try them with wedges of ripe melon. Top the fried Halloumi with a caper sauce consisting of salted capers, soaked for a few minutes to remove the salt, (then drained) and mixed with olive oil, vinegar, a bit of lemon, some crushed coriander seeds, chopped fresh cilantro leaves, chopped garlic, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Slices of grilled Halloumi are wonderful in a green salad. On Cyprus, the salad green of choice is arugula which, fortunately for us, is a green now widely available in the U.S. Consider adding a few grilled ripe fig halves or sliced apples or pears. Again, vinaigrette made with a high quality extra virgin olive oil works wonderfully. Consider having Halloumi for breakfast. Cypriots enjoy it with wedges of ripe watermelon. You can enjoy it with your melon of choice. For a more familiar morning format, serve it grilled with a few slices of toast, wedges of tomato, eggs (cooked in olive oil, of course) and a good cup of java.
Leyden—Rich in Heritage—Short on History
Extraordinary quality goes into each step of Leyden cheesemaking. Leyden, like Edam, originates from the Dutch homeland in the farming area outside the city of Leiden (in Holland it is spelled Leiden, but everywhere else you'll find it carrying the name Leyden). This cheese, like its cousin Edam, has a rich heritage. Just like Edam, it is made from rich, skimmed milk, but this is where the similarities end. Leyden cheese has the additional ingredient of creamy buttermilk and the result is a deliciously firm, subtly-spicy taste. The addition of cumin and caraway seeds give Leyden its truly unique flavor. As Leyden ages, the cumin seeds draw whey from the curds—think of the way salt draws water out of eggplant—resulting in a cheese with a drier and firmer texture than Edam. In Holland, Leyden is known as Cumin Cheese but because its production is centered around the city of Leiden it is exported under the name of Leyden. Its history is rather mysterious; no one seems to know how this cheese first came about. One popular theory is that an apprentice cheesemaker was munching on some cumin seeds —a very popular spice in Holland—and accidentally dropped a handful into the cheese vat. In fear of being fired, he didn't tell the cheesemaker and when the cheese was tasted, they all loved it! It's may not be how it happened but it is as good an explanation as any!
Tasting Notes: Flavored with caraway and cumin seeds, this unique cheese has an aromatic flavor that contrasts well with its creamy, nutty character. Its spicy tang makes it a delicious snack. Leyden is an excellent cheese to serve with dark bread, crackers, ham, a hearty red wine or beer! Go to www.beermonthclub.com and check out all of marvelous microbrews you could enjoy with your Leyden cheese!
Culture Corner |
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Cheese |
Pronunciation |
Recommended Wine/Beer |
Provolone |
PROH-vuh-LOH-nuh OR PROH-vuh-LONE |
Merlot, Chianti, light-bodied Pinot Noir, Chardonnay or Syrah |
Halloumi |
ha-loo-mee |
A crisp white wine such as sauvignon blanc or pinot gris |
Leyden |
LIE-dehn |
German Schwarzbier, Pacific Northwestern India Pale Ale |
