Bread and cheese are my love languages. Hot, crisp focaccia stuffed with oozy Crescenza? I would travel for that. Alas, I still haven’t made it to the birthplace of the fabled focaccia di Recco, but the dish was born again in my kitchen last week thanks to recipe assistance from Lidia Bastianich. After watching a couple of YouTube videos of bakers making this Ligurian specialty on its home turf, I wasn’t convinced I could even get close. But take a look. I’m pretty proud of what came out of my oven, and you won’t be surprised that it vanished immediatemente. If you can track down some Crescenza or Stracchino, you’ve got this.
Read moreLove Mozzarella? Meet Crescenza
Nothing against mozzarella, but as we enter insalata caprese season, maybe you want to switch up your game. Crescenza—from Italy or the U.S.—is a worthy alternative with sliced summer tomatoes (coming soon!) or on a pizza. And it’s a much more compelling cheese on its own. Mozzarella is springy; Crescenza slumps on a plate and feels like custard on your tongue.
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