Six Cheeses to Step Up Your Dairy Game

June 18 is National Cheese Makers Day, and the month of June is known as National Dairy Month. Artisan cheese making is a part of the culinary heritage of many cultures. For a large number of Italians and Italian Americans, cheese making was a skill passed down through the generations.  Quality cheese production, in addition to maintaining culinary traditions, also provides a sense of community to those involved in making it, and when promoted properly, can be a strong boost to local economies.

Those who weren't raised with an affinity for cheese, or the understanding of what goes in to making an honest product, often choose sub-par products in order to save money. This trend, paired with the widespread availability of non-authentic cheeses on the market today, has made it increasingly difficult for small producers all over the world to stay in business. Luckily, educational efforts of organizations like Slow Food, nutritionists, and promotional campaigns led by major cheese producing nations, this is beginning to change. Educated consumers are now seeking out the best quality cheeses - not only for the taste and tradition that they offer, but for their nutritional benefits, and to support honest producers as well.

Fortunately, artisan cheese making is on the rise in the United States. We enjoy promoting artisan cheese in our work as much as possible. Luigi grew up on a farm where cheese making was a regular activity. He supports and upholds time honored traditions like the transumanza in order to keep these important and sustainable customs from becoming extinct. To me, good cheese is an essential part of daily living. It represents family, memories, and the sweetest nostalgia.

Before it was available in the US, our family used to send us chunks of cheese from Crotone, Italy, and I could never wait to dig in to experience the smell that would immediately transport me to our ancestral homeland. 

In The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook, I stated that the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid recommends eating cheese and other dairy in moderate portions, daily to weekly. When purchasing Italian cheeses, look for a Denominazione d'Origine Protetta, or DOP seal as a guarantee of authenticity. One of Luigi's signature recipes is his Ravioli al Caciocavallo (left) from The Al Tiramisu Restaurant Cookbook. 

Here are some of our favorites:

• Pecorino - We once gave a lecture for The Culinary Historians of Washington on The History of Cheese and Pasta Making in Southern Italy. Pecorino, a sheep's milk cheese is an important part of many regions' cuisines. In Basilicata, for example, the Pecorino di Moliterno and Pecorino di Filano are well known. In Calabria, the Pecorino Crotonese which is the most coveted. Rome's Lazio is known for Pecorino Romano, and the Sardinians have Pecorino Sardo. Each one has its own distinct taste and texture (depending on the breed of sheep, what they graze on, and the local terroir) and is worth exploring.  
• Caciocavallo Podoloco - Named one of the “5 highest
  
  priced cheeses in the world” in 2013, authentic caciocavallo podolico is a craft cheese made exclusively from the milk of the Podolico cow found only in the Appenine Mountains between Basilicata and Calabria, which are  now at risk of extinction. Traditional methods of caring for these cows includes the ancient process of taking them to cooler pastures in the summer.  Though they have a smaller milk yield than other cows, it is higher in flavor and nutrients. Imitation caciocavallo cheese is made from other cows’ milk using non traditional techniques. It has a very different flavor, and is lower in nutrients.
• Goat's Milk Cheeses - A few years ago, we discussed
  
  "The Goodness of Goat" for the International Association of Culinary Professionals in Chicago. In addition to discussing goat meat, we discussed the benefits of cheeses made from goats milk which has a similar composition to cow's milk – yet possesses less lactose and has more elastic fibers than other dairy products, which is helps with muscle recovery making it a great choice for athletes in training. Milk, cultured milk, buttermilk, ricotta, yogurt, yogurt cheese all made from goat's milk  - and wonderful varieties are available in many U.S. farmers markets, which we have demonstrated goat-cheese based recipes in the past.
• Mozzarella di bufala - Luckily, we don't have to try too
  
  hard to get people to like buffalo milk mozzarella - it's creamier, richer, and much more flavorful than the version made from cow's milk. A few years ago, though, I was really surprised to hear a very prominent food editor pronounce that there was very little difference between the two cheeses and that people shouldn't spend extra on buffalo milk mozzarella. Of course, the decision is yours, but here is a little bit of information that is important to  note.
  The most typical and well-known food in the Italian south is buffalo mozzarella. Since antiquity, when Southern Italy was known as Magna Grecia, making buffalo mozzarella has been synonymous with history, tradition, authenticity and craftsmanship.  Recently, at the factory, near Caserta in the Campania region arrests were made for cutting the buffalo milk with cheaper cow’s milk and non-adherence to other standards. The protected term for true Buffalo Milk Mozzarella is Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP. Since 2008, the legislations surrounding the cheese determine where the buffalo themselves come from and the region in which the cheese is made. The race of buffalos and their feed are also determining factors. The cheese must be made of fresh, whole buffalo's milk with a minimum of 7.2 % fat content. The milk must be filtered in traditional methods within 60 hours of milking, natural veal rennet must be used and additives omitted. The cooking temperatures, shapes, taste, fat content, and humidity levels present in the cheese are all per-determined. See more authentic Italian cheeses and products on our Pinterest board.

• Toma -
  
  
  Luigi loves making stuffed eggplant involtini with toma, an Italian-style cow’s milk cheese which he sources from a Pennsylvania cheese maker at Al Tiramisu.   “To me, toma represents that cheese-making process and reminds me of those special times spent with my mother, ” he says. Read the Washington Post article discussing chefs using local cheeses here.
• Feta -Did you know that the average Greek consumes
  
  approximately 22 pounds of feta cheese a year? While leading the Two Chefs Culinary Cruise, we enjoyed witnessing feta being made in the same time honored manner that it has been for centuries. Unlike what is available elsewhere, in Greece, feta consists of predominately sheep’s milk and up to 30% goat’s milk, the creamy concoction is a local favorite. Here is a great way to enjoy it this summer: