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Parmigiano Reggiano Pecorino Romano Italian Cheese

Parmigiano Reggiano

“Explained”

While we often use the name “Parmesan” to refer to all of Italy’s grateable hard cheeses, there are a number of different styles within the category. Parmesan is one of them, though that particular cheese isn’t necessarily as closely linked to Italy as you might imagine.

Grana Padano, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and Pecorino Romano are others to consider. Each has “Protected Designation of Origin” (DOP) status under E.U. law, and their producers have strict geographical boundaries and aging guidelines to follow, impacting the flavor and price of their products.

So before you head out to the grocery store, or even think about picking up that grater, get to know the different styles of Italian hard cheeses.

PARMESAN

According to FDA laws, any cow’s milk cheese that has a hard, brittle rind and granular texture, and grates easily, can be labeled parmesan in the U.S. The cheese’s origin plays no part in labeling laws, so producers from Idaho are just as free to use the term Parmesan as those importing cheese from Italy.

Not only does a hard cheese not need to come from Italy to be classified as parmesan, it doesn’t even need to be made from fresh whole milk. Instead, reconstituted dry milk, skim milk, and/or cream are also all acceptable.

PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO

Parmigiano-Reggiano is the style most of us think we’re referring to when using the name parmesan. It’s the highest quality of all Italian hard cheeses, and the one locals refer to as “The King of Cheeses” — just don’t tell the Roquefort-loving French.

To comply with DOP guidelines, Parmigiano-Reggiano has to be made in one of two northern Italian regions: Emilia-Romagna, which is home to Parma (hence the name), or the Mantova province of Lombardy.

The 100-percent cow’s milk cheese must age for a minimum of one year, though periods regularly extend to 18, 24, and even 36 months. At this point, Parmigiano-Reggiano is ready for official inspection. If it passes, the cheese’s name, production date, and a DOP seal are stamped into its hard, umami-rich rind.

GRANA PADANO

Like Parmigiano-Reggiano, Grana Padano is a golden, hard-rind cheese made using cow’s milk. The production region is much larger than that of the King of Cheeses, and, at nine months, the minimum aging requirement is more relaxed.

As a result, Grana Padano has a slightly sweeter, less-concentrated flavor than Parmigiano-Reggiano. It is also more affordable.

PECORINO ROMANO

Pecorino Romano is texturally similar to the other three kinds of cheese, but that’s where their similarities end.

Rather than cows, it’s sheep that provide milk for Pecorino Romano. Aging ranges between five months and eight months, and Pecorino Romano production must occur either on the island of Sardinia (where the majority takes place), in the central region of Lazio, or in the Tuscan province of Grosseto.

Although it ages for shorter periods, Pecorino Romano carries a stronger flavor profile and is saltier and tangier than Parmigiano-Reggiano. These bold flavors come from the sheep’s milk base, which also provides a milky white cheese and a dark black rind, compared to the yellow-golden cow’s milk alternatives.

RECIPES

The WORLDS TASTIEST RECIPE of ALL !!!

RAGU BOLOGNESE

The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK

by Danny Bolognese

aka Daniel Bellino Zwicke

IT REALLY is The WORLDS GREATEST RECIPE

Positano The Amalfi Coast

Positano

The Amalfi Coast, Italy

Visit Positano-Amalfi-Coast.com for the Ultimate Ravel Guide to one of the Worlds most beloved vacation destinations of all, the gorgeous little town of Positano on The Amalfi Coast, Italy.

Positano and the Amalfi Coast pf Italy has made its way in to the top most-prized vacation spots in the entire world. Once not so well known, as the result of being featured in a couple Hollywood movies, and with the advent of Instagram and the internet, Positano has been discovered by the masses. I myself started going to this gorgeous spot in Southern Italy, long before the crowds discovered it, and it basically known just to those in-the-know. It’s not that way anymore. So you need to know the best times of the year to go, the times to avoid, how to get there, where to stay, where to eat, and how to get around once you’re there.

Check out the Top Website on the subject for all your Positano – Amalfi Coast needs, at Positano-Amalfi-Coast.com , where you will find the Ultimate Travel Guide to Positano, The AMalfi Coast, Naples, Capri, Pompeii, and the surround area.

And don’t miss, POSITANO The AMALFI COAST – Cookbook / Travel Guide coming out soon, by Best Selling Italian COokbook author Daniel Bellino Zwicke (book pictured below).

CLICK HERE to READ The GUIDE

POSITANO is COMING SOON

by Daniel Bellino Zwicke

COOKBOOK / TRAVEL GUIDE

To The AMALFI COAST ITALY

Expected for March 2020 Publication Release

More BOOKS by DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE

AMAZON.com

Sunday Sauce alla Scorsese

Catherine Scorsese makes Sunday Sauce Italian Gravy in her apartment

on Elizabeth Street, Little Italy, New York …

“This is what my mother in-law taught me. You take a few tablespoons of tomato sauce, and put in here (with the chopped meat).”

“It keeps the meatballs soft. Not like some people. You get invited to some peoples house, and the Meatballs are hard. I better be careful. I have a lot of friends. If they see this.”

At The Home of Catherine and Charles Scorsese

Elizabeth Street, New York NY

1974

The Filming of “ITALIAN AMERICAN”

by Martin Scorsese

Starring : Catherine Scorsese and Charles Scorsese

with Martin Scorsese

Dialogue

Charlie : “I remember the first Radio we got. It was in the shape of a Church.”

Charlie : “Sometimes it’s been known, that a man is a better cook than a woman. It’s the truth.”

Catherine : “Then, why don’t you cook?”

Charlie : “It’s not my thing.”

Catherine : “We didn’t have our Honeymoon, so went to Italy years later”

“This is us in Palermo. That’s my aunt. She’s 80 years old. That’s me standing.”

Marty has Dinner with his parents Catherine & Charlie, at their home on Elizabeth Street

1991

Marty : “It’s California Wine, it’s not Italian.”

Charlie : “There’s more Maccheroni coming out”

Catherine : “I made a pound of maccheroni. And there’s some meat they can have.”

Marty : “You want some cheese”

Charlie : You want some Mozzarell Cheese?”

“I get it from my sisters, They have a garden, and they give it to me. It last all year.”

Marty : “You have some Cheese? The kind I like”

Marty : “That’s it. That’s the kind I like. What is it”

Catherine : “Cheese in a Basket”

Marty : “No what do you call it?”

Charlie : “That’s what we call it. Cheese in a Basket”

Marty : “No what is its name?”

Charlie : “Cheese in a basket. It’s Special Cheese”

Marty : “No, isn’t that Ricotta?”

On Filming – It Not You Murray

Catherine “He got my up 5 O’Clock in the morning to make Spaghetti. He had to have a scene with hot Spaghetti. It was up in the Bronx. It was freezing up there.”

RECIPES

Charlie “Yeah Ricotta. It’s special cheese.”

Catherine: “Come on, the Raviolis are getting cold!”

Marty : “Where is that Mozzarella from?”

“That’s DiPalo, it’s famous”

SUNDAY SAUCE

WHEN ITALIAN-AMERICANS COOK

RECIPES

SUNDAY SAUCE alla SINTARA

GOODFELLAS PRIGIONE SAUCE

SCORSESE SUNDAY GRAVY

And More …

Amazon.com

Italian Americans Make Sunday Sauce on Black Friday

An Italian American Family in New York

CLEMENZA with His SAUSAGE & MEATBALLS “He’s gonna Shove them in The SAUCE” He Shows Michael (AL Pacino) how to make SAUCE for 20 GUYS (Mobsters) From Francis Ford Coppola’s “The GODFATHER” Based on the Novel by Mario Puzo FAICCO’S PORK STORE Greenwich Village, New York We’re making Clemenza’s Mob War #Godfather Sunday Sauce (Gravy) on Black Friday. We’re not gonna waste our time waiting on lines, getting all “Bent Out of Shaped,” and stressed out like those people who shop on Thanksgiving and Black Friday. No, our day is going to be a whole lot better and more fulfilling than fight traffic and crowds. We go down early in the morning to our local Italian pork Store Faicco’s on Bleecker Street to get all our stuff for our tasty Sunday Sauce. I pick up all the meats I need to make the my Sunday Sauce alla Clemenza. I need Italian Sweet Sausages, Braciole, San Marzano Tomatoes, and Maccheroni. We go home, to get the Sauce started. RECIPE alla CLEMENZA Making the MEATBALLS Ready to COOK Here’s our Ingredients Sausages, Pork Neck, Braciole Tomatoes and Ground Meat for our Meatballs Notice our fine nottle of Italian Wine. Barbi Brunello di Montalcino A special wine for some special sauce. RECIPES in The BOOK GODFATHER SUNDAY SAUCE alla CLEMENZA CHARLIE SCORSESE’S GOODFELLAS SAUCE alla PRIGIONE SUNDAY SAUCE alla BELLINO JOE DiMAGGIO’S MOTHER’S SUNDAY GRAVY And More … Amazon.com The BELLINO’S Make SUNDAY SAUCE ITALIAN GRAVY In LODI, NEW JERSEY SUNDAY SAUCE on FRIDAY Cousins Daniel and Anthony Bellino make their family’s famed Sunday Sauce Gravy at Anthony’s fathers house in Lodi, NJ .. They are keeping up a family tradition that they’ve been partaking in since they were young boys in the early 1960’s America. Daniel even wrote a couple books that are themed around this most important subject of SUNDAY SAUCE Italian Gravy. Daniel likes to put Pork Spare Ribs in his sauce, which he says, “Oh my God, the Ribs in the Sauce? When you cook Spare Ribs in the Gravy, you just can’t believe how tasty they are. The are so succulent and juice. They taste so Dam Good. Even better than BBQ Ribs, which I love as well. But the Ribs in the Sunday Sauce taste even better, believe it or not? I kid you not.” Our Thanksgiving Turkey “We had this yesterday. It came out Dam Good.” Like all Good Italians, we started our Thanksgiving Dinner with a little Antipasto Misti of Salami, Provolone, Olives, Celery and Roast Peppers. The we sat down for a portion of Rigatoni Bolognese, made with my Famous ragu Bolognese Sauce. The we take an hour break, before sitting down for the Turkey with all the trimmings. Our Turkey came out so good. We take another hour break before sitting down for all our desserts, which included; Pumpkin Pie, Coconut Custard Pie, Pecan Pie, “Wow, that’s a lot of Pies?” We have Espresso, Cannolis, and Italian Cookies, and a couple shots of Amaro to finish it all off, and another Thanksgiving has come and gone. Yes, many families will go shopping on Black Friday, and Cyber Monday, but not us. We’ll be eating Sunday Sauce on Friday and having Meatball Parmigiano Sandwiches on Meatball Parm Mondays. Now that’s Italian! What would you rather do? Fight Traffic and crowds and lines at the shopping malls, or eat Sunday Sauce and Meatballs? I know what I’ll be doing. Me, my family and friends. We Mangia Bene Tutto! Basta!

Author Daniel Bellino Zwicke on Italian Thanksgiving and eating Sunday Sauce on Black Friday …. Vecchio Amaro del Capo Amaro from Calabria A favorite Amaro for those “In the Know” We drank this and Montenegro on Thanksgiving RECIPE for The WORLDS BEST RAGU BOLOGNESE .

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