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The Romance Language of Italian Cheese
Enjoy Flavor of the Season
with Nancy K. Weimer, New Leaf’s Food Service Director
Amore Italian-style? One word says it all CHEESE. What can I say? I am in love with Italian cheeses. I fell at an early age, and it wasn’t puppy love. This is a love that has lasted. Sharp provolone on my salami sandwich, salty ricotta salada on my salad, parmesan
on my raviolis — my love for the Italian cheeses I grew up on has only continued to blossom. The story behind my favorite Italian
cheesemaker is as good as the cheeses they make. In the farming town of Mugello, near Florence and Tuscany, Il Forteto makes some of Italy’s finest specialty sheep and cow’s milk cheeses. Il Forteto was established in 1977 by a group of young Italians seeking to
build a cooperative. Knowing nothing about agriculture, they began to build their communal lifestyle, starting with 40 sheep, 3 cows and 3 pigs. Over the years, the Il Forteto co-op has welcomed many abused, orphaned, homeless or troubled young people, offering them a home on the farm. They are paid for their work, educated, fed and cared for in a family environment. Every day cooperative members and young workers — about 120 people in all — gather in a giant dining room for a full-scale Italian meal.
Il Forteto Pecorino Stagionato DOP Pecorino signifies sheep’s
milk and Stagionato indicates that this specialty is aged for three months. The aging gives the cheese a firm texture and a nutty and slightly herbaceous flavor.
Il Forteto Caciotta Degli Angeli This soft ripened cheese is made
from 80% sheep milk and 20% cows milk with a fresh milk flavor that
delights everyone.
Il Forteto Cacio di Bosco al Tartufo Aged for a minimum of five
months, this lovely sheep’s milk cheese is stuffed with pieces of white truffle. It has a beautiful marriage of flavors — nutty, sweet and earthy.
Amalattea Tenerina This goat’s milk ricotta salata is seasoned with
fine salt once it is removed from the mold. The seasoning takes place in fresh airy rooms for a period of 10 days. It has an aromatic savory flavor and is ideal in small cubes for salads.
Arnoldi Taleggio DOP This washed rind cow’s milk cheese is cave
aged for 60 days and comes from the Taleggio Valley in Lombardy, Italy. It has a soft and pale yellow center with edible thin red rind, aromatic with a slightly tangy taste.
What is DOP?
DOP An Italian cheese awarded the DOP is of optimal quality and the highest standards. DOP stands for “Denominazione di Origine Protetta,” which means Protected Designation of Origin. The DOP guarantees that the milk of the cheese and traditional production and correct aging are from a certain location in Italy.
Learn more about Italian Cheese by attending our upcoming Cheese to Please class:
Cheese to Please: Italian Cheeses — The Romance Cheese
Join Nancy Weimer and special guest Richard Armanino from Ital Foods. Enjoy an evening of Italian Cheese, focusing on cheeses from Il Forteto.
Thursday, Feb. 18
6pm - 8pm, $5
To register visit www.newleaf.com or call 466.9060 x 126
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