Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts

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.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Wild Mushroom and Riesling Stuffing



This is one of my all-time favorite dishes. I never really liked stuffing before I started making this. (Sorry Mom! No likey-likey necks, gizzards, and hearts...) Besides...this stuffing calls for one cup of Riesling! The quick public math easily estimates there will be several glasses of wine left over to drink while you cook. BONUS. (Side note...Italians don't make very good Riesling. Lucky for us, the region that does make ok Riesling is right here. Other side note...going to Germany next week for a work trip, wil buy several bottles of Riesling...hope they last)

The next best thing about this stuffing is the bread and mushroom. It calls for peasent bread and wild mushrooms. Not sure what peasent bread is. I always buy a heavy bread and go for it. In Italy there a ton of differnt breads. Fresh! So, of course Shelly and I eat a little and use a little. She is a good taster. The wild mushrooms were also a blast finding. The local market where I found a mix. Never before have I found a mix of mushrooms. I've always had to buy differnt kinds. I'll let you know how it turns out this year.



The hardest part about cooking this Wild Mushroom and Riesling Stuffing...is well! Cooking it! It smells so good. Earthy, fresh, seasonal, Thanksgivingly YUMMY! The prepwork and pre-cooking take about an hour. (I have slow knife work!) During this time you're fighting your temptations...your urges...your plight in life.

OH Wait! There is one more cool thing about this stuffing! I always make too much...which means left-overs. Who is coming?

This is uncooked. The real picture comes later!