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34 MYROUSESEVERYDAY SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2016
the Italian issue
T raditional Italian dry-cured
sausages aren’t cooked; instead,
they are air dried then aged in a
cool, humid place. Calabrese is a ruby red,
spicy, southern Italian salami made from
whole cuts of pork, crushed red pepper and
red bell peppers. Rougher textured, chewy
soppressata is made with a coarser grind
and a variety of seasonings depending on
the region. Soppressata made with garlic,
fennel, oregano and basil has a pepperoni-
like flavor. Try it on pizza. Genoa salami is
an American creation.The meat and fat are
finely ground, and there are fewer flecks
of fat. Cotto, a northwest Italian salami, is
unusual in that it is cooked or smoked after
curing (cotto means cooked). It is a great
substitute for prosciutto . Cotto is mild in
flavor, made with chopped pork, cracked
peppercorns, garlic and spices.
Italian prosciutto is the most famous cured
ham in the world. There are two types of
prosciutto, crudo (raw) and cotto, which has
been cooked after drying. Every region
in Italy makes prosciutto, but Parma is
the most famous. Prosciutto di Parma, or
Parma ham, is salted and air-dried for 8 to
24 months. Like prosciutto, speck is made
from the hind of the leg, though the leg is
boned before curing. Speck is deeply red
and has a firmer texture than prosciutto.
Mortadella, a must-have for muffalettas, is
made with finely ground lean pork shoulder,
leg and is slow roasted with pork jowl,
which gives it those white specks, nutmeg,
cinnamon and whole black peppercorns.
CHARCUTERIE
Charcuterie (pronounced shar-koot-er-
ee) is a common antipasto in Italy. When
building your charcuterie plate, use a
mixture of cooked and dry-cured meats
and cheese. Provide something briny and
tangy like pickled vegetables, olives or
pepperoncinis, which pair well with bold
meats. Add spreadable chutneys, candied
fruit, fresh fruit or sweet jams to balance
the dry and salty meat and cheese. Include
softer options like pâté, terrines and rillettes
(shredded, cooked pork mixed with pork
fat) as counterpoints to harder sausages,
and mustard as an accompaniment. Serve
with crusty bread, crackers, crostini or
breadsticks. Look for Columbus premium
Italian-style meats in our Deli.
CHEESE
Asiago is a mild cow’s milk cheese made
in the Italian province of Vicenza. It has a
light yellow butter coloring with tiny round
holes, or “eyes.” Fresh Asiago cheese is a
smooth “table cheese,” meaning it’s meant
to be eaten raw, not cooked. Aged asiago
(Asiago d’Allevo) is hard and sharp and
primarily used for grating.
Fontina, also called Fontina Val d’Aosta after
the Italian valley from which it comes, is a
semi-soft cow’s milk cheese ideal for melting.
Gorgonzola is a blue-vein cow’s milk cheese
with a lightly pungent flavor named after a
village outside Milan where it was originally
produced. Young gorgonzola is creamy and
has a soft-ripened texture similar to Brie or
Camembert; aged gorgonzola is harder and
crumblier.
Mozzarella is a fresh semi-soft Italian
cheese made from cow’s milk. Authentic
buffalo mozzarella is made from the milk
of the Italian water buffalo. Burrata is
mozzarella cheese filled with cream and
soft, stringy mozzarella curds. Break the
shell, and the filling pours out.
Parmesan is a hard, sharp, dry Italian grating
cheese made from skimmed or partially
skimmed cow’s milk. Parmigiano-Reggiano,
often called Parmesan, is Italy’s preeminent
version. It takes its name from the cities
Stocking the
italian pantry