I only recently learned that the most famous lines in The Godfather (“Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.”) were not in the script. Actor Richard Castellano ad-libbed them. Movie critics have debated the meaning, but to me it’s obvious. What kind of Italian-American would leave cannoli behind, even fleeing a crime scene?
Read moreWhat’s Ahead for Cheese Counters
The Cheese Board, Berkeley
Have you noticed changes at your favorite cheese counters? I have. So many cheeses are now pre-sliced and vacuum-sealed—cheeses that merchants used to cut to order, so you could have just the amount you wanted. The selection has narrowed. There are gaps on the shelves. All these changes are pandemic related, but how long will they last? Will cheese counters eventually be as robust as they used to be and cheese shopping as interactive as before?
Read moreThis is What Leadership Looks Like
For the fourth time in 16 years, a cheese from Vermont’s Jasper Hill Farm took Best of Show at the American Cheese Society’s recent competition. This time it’s Whitney, a new creation, in the winner’s circle. A raclette-style wheel made from raw cow’s milk, it topped 1,400 entries of all types. You can view all the category winners by reading the post.
Read moreMake Dad’s Day with Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes
My dad couldn’t cook but he could at least follow the recipe on the Bisquick box. So Bisquick pancakes are the pancakes of my childhood. These aren’t those. My made-from-scratch hotcakes are likely the fluffiest you’ll ever have. Fresh ricotta keeps them moist and beaten egg whites make them airy. It’s blueberry season so I sprinkled a few plump berries into the batter on the griddle and made a blueberry-maple sauce to serve on the side.
Read moreFour-Star Farmer Cheese
I hadn’t thought of farmer cheese as craveable, the sort of cheese you keep devouring after you’ve clearly had enough, but that’s before I met this one. “Six of us inhaled essentially the whole pound with honey and toasted walnuts,” a friend texted me. “I am obsessed.” And now I’m in the cult, too. Farmer cheese this tasty would make an awesome bagel schmear, but it really deserves to be the center of attention.
Read moreRobiola Rave
Wow. Just wow. I am so impressed with this cheese. I tasted it when it first debuted about five years ago, but it is off-the-charts delicious now. Did I change or did the cheese? “It’s the same recipe,” says the cheesemaker, “but we have some really awesome milk now.” Hugely aromatic, supple and beautiful to boot. Put this on your summer cheese boards and wait for the raves.
Read moreSpring Look for Insalata Caprese
My friend Joanne Weir, the television personality, came up with this genius idea for a spring riff on tomato and mozzarella salad. After all, it’s not tomato season. It’s asparagus, fava bean and pea season. So leave those mealy, flavorless red orbs for someone else and give your Caprese salad a fresh look for spring. What a light, simple salad for Easter and spring dinner parties to come. Thank you, Joanne!
Read moreCheese Cake for Wine Fans
Maybe it’s because my culinary roots are in France, but so many dishes sound better to me in French, or even Franglais. That’s certainly true of cake salé, my new favorite appetizer. I doubt I could interest you in a slice of salted cake, but you definitely want to try this warm, savory, crumbly, utterly addictive hors d’oeuvre. With the fresh rosés from last year’s harvest showing up in stores, this tender loaf makes an irresistible nibble.
Read moreAll Aboard for Cheeselandia
If you want a break from current events, imagine a peaceful nation whose citizens just want to get along, make friends and eat cheese. Such a place exists, if you can believe it, and it’s called Cheeselandia. I just learned about it and I have a passport already. If you like Wisconsin cheese, or at least want to know more about it, the border patrol will let you in.
Read moreRaclette Your Way
When I asked Swiss cheese importer Caroline Hostettler whether she ate raclette as a child in Switzerland, she had no trouble resurrecting a memory. “Everyone had raclette machines at home but us,” recalled Hostettler, sounding still a bit aggrieved several decades later. Her mother refused to make it (she preferred fondue), so the annual raclette at an aunt’s house was the highlight of the year. Hostettler still remembers being almost overcome with excitement.
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