Sunday, September 19, 2010

A Tale of Two Cheeses...How Yoga Enables Me

I've been a yoga guide (teacher) here in Italy for the past three years. Jokingly in the class I tell all of the students I only practice yoga so I can eat more Italian food. This past month, we've been working on a sequence I call "Twist and Flow." A detoxifying vinyasa sequence, which I tell the class not only brings fresh blood and oxygen to our internal organs...but it also whittles away inches from our mid-section thus allowing us to eat more Mozzarella di Bufala. Three weeks ago a couple of my Italian students pulled me aside and began to rave about a cheese they claim is MUCH BETTER than my beloved Bufala.(Above) It's called Burrata. The expression on their face while describing this Italian delight from the Puglia region of Italy, was one of overwhelming delight. My class ends at 6:30pm and I was already hungry before they started talking of this creamy cheese from the heavens. They kept repeating..."It's just like Bufala, but better!" As the name would suggest, this cheese is made with butter. Well...I like Bufala...and I like butter...so this immediately became a "must find, must have" Italian food. I asked several of my Italian friends. They'd never seen the cheese in the Vento. Well...I found it! At the Camisano market, where I have been buying my cheese for the past three years. There it sat right next to the Bufula. The price was much higher than my beloved milk of buffalo cheese. As I stood in line, my mouth began to water. Were the two ladies in my class right...could there be a cheese that is better than what I have been coveting for the past three years?
When I cut into the Burrato, I could easily see the difference between the two cheeses. Burrato has a more pronounced crust than Bufula does. Also, you can quickly tell this cheese uses "butter." It almost looks as if someone stuffed bufula with even more delicious cheese. While cutting this wonderful piece of cheese, I noticed it was "sticky." What I mean is, it stuck to my fingers. Quickly, I began to smell the butter. I was ready to get this stuff in my belly and quick! I prepared a couple of plates, each with both Burrata and Bufula on them. I dressed them like I always do and then of course poured some wine. The Burrata lived up to it's "butter" taste. Although it was very creamy, it had a ton of texture too. It looked fantastic, smelled fantastic....BUT, I'm not converted. Not by a long shot! Don't get me wrong, the Burrata was very good, but no where close to as good as Bufula. I might have to put some of this cheese on a pizza to see how it tastes there. Here is a pic of my lunch.

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