18 REAL ITALIAN 2017
Rich and nutty, Fontina cheese is a semi-so cow’s
milk variety from Italy. Fontina is pale cream and
features holes known as “eyes.” This cheese is equally
delicious served on a cheese platter or when melted in a
cooked dish. Try Fontina in gratins, on tarts, and featured
in sandwiches.
When shopping for Fontina, look for cheeses with even color.
Depending on how aged the cheese is, there may be a strong aroma.
Semi-so cheeses like Fontina should be eaten within 10 to 14 days.
TRY IT: Grilled Prosciutto, Fontina, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes,
Finecooking.comFontina
cow’s
milk variety from Italy. Fontina is pale cream and
features holes known as “eyes.” This cheese is equally
delicious served on a cheese platter or when melted in a
cooked dish. Try Fontina in gratins, on tarts, and featuredlook for cheeses with even color.
Depending on how aged the cheese is, there may be a strong aroma.
so cheeses like Fontina should be eaten within 10 to 14 days.
Fontina, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes,Mascarpone is a thick and buttery double- to triple-
cream cow’s milk cheese (containing over 60% and
o en over 75% milk fat). It’s slightly sweet with a faint
yellow hue and spans dishes from starters to sweets.
Try mixing mascarpone into pasta with asparagus and
mushrooms, or fold it into polenta. For simple desserts,
serve mascarpone with fresh fi gs, pears, or berries, or
dollop a spoonful alongside fruit pies or tarts. Keep
mascarpone tightly covered in the refrigerator.
TRY IT: Tiramisù, p. 83Mascarpone
Mascarpone is a thick and buttery double- to triple-
cream cow’s milk cheese (containing over 60% and
o en over 75% milk fat). It’s slightly sweet with a faint
yellow hue and spans dishes from starters to sweets.
Try mixing mascarpone into pasta with asparagus and
mushrooms, or fold it into polenta. For simple desserts,
serve mascarpone with fresh fi gs, pears, or berries, or
dollop a spoonful alongside fruit pies or tarts. Keep
mascarpone tightly covered in the refrigerator.
TRY IT: Tiramisù, p. 83Mascarpone
ITALIAN CHEESES
Gorgonzola
There are two varieties of Gorgonzola: Mountain
(aged) and Dolce (sweet). Both are made from cow’s
milk. Mountain Gorgonzola has a crumbly, dry texture
and a potent blue fl avor that’s best if le unheated and
served with fruits like pears and apples or with nuts and sweet
wine to o set its intensity. Dolce Gorgonzola is sweet and mild
with a rich, creamy interior that makes it an excellent choice for
cooking. It has an ivory-colored interior that can be lightly or thickly
streaked with bluish-green veins in layers. When aged more than six months,
the fl avor and aroma of Gorgonzola can be quite strong—sometimes downright
stinky because of its brine-washed rind. Because of this tendency, pay particular
attention to the quality of any Gorgonzola you buy (an interior that’s more yellow
than ivory is another sign of excessive aging). Wrap Gorgonzola in parchment and store
in the refrigerator.
TRY IT: Porcini Mushroom and Gorgonzola Risotto, p. 7218 REAL ITALIAN 2017
There are two varieties of Gorgonzola: Mountain
(aged) and Dolce (sweet). Both are made from cow’s
milk. Mountain Gorgonzola has a crumbly, dry texture
and a potent blue fl avor that’s best if le unheated and
served with fruits like pears and apples or with nuts and sweet
wine to o set its intensity. Dolce Gorgonzola is sweet and mild
with a rich, creamy interior that makes it an excellent choice for
cooking. It has an ivory-colored interior that can be lightly or thickly
streaked with bluish-green veins in layers. When aged more than six months,
the fl avor and aroma of Gorgonzola can be quite strong—sometimes downright
stinky because of its brine-washed rind. Because of this tendency, pay particular
attention to the quality of any Gorgonzola you buy (an interior that’s more yellow
than ivory is another sign of excessive aging). Wrap Gorgonzola in parchment and store
in the refrigerator.
TRY IT: Porcini Mushroom and Gorgonzola Risotto, p. 72