What do you want to eat with your cheese? Italy has a few choice options to offer-Part 2
I am not sure how many parts this post will ultimately have but here is part 2 of my previous post of what to eat with your cheese that comes from Italy. These items, of course, went with me to another Second Chance Brewery Sunday with friends. Every last morsel was consumed. Italy really does have some choice options to eat with cheese (and I did already mention that cheese solves all problems-yes?).
Culatello
I learned a funny Italian saying “avere il prosciutto sugli occhi” which means to have ham over your eyes. The idea is the same as having your head in the sand. If you have ham over your eyes you can’t see anything else. I get what this is supposed to mean but to me it means something far different. If you have ham-in this case culatello-in front of your eyes you can’t see anything else because the culatello is so delicious you don’t want to see anything else. Culatello is made from the hind quarters of a pig or the culo (butt). It is similar to prosciutto but it is considered an even larger delicacy. Trying to figure out what this was all about, I ordered ¼ pound from Formaggio Kitchen that is a mail order store for wonderful meats and cheeses. My culatello arrived in a nicely refrigerated package. I really do not want to even try to describe this as I am afraid you will all order from the Formaggio Kitchen and I will be left w/out culatello. This really is one meat where trying (or seeing) is believing. Of course, culatello is in the 1000 Foods to Eat Before you Die book by Mimi Sheraton. It is really in my “Top 10 Foods to Eat Each Week in Case you Die” list.
Mortadella
I guess I had always lumped mortadella into that unfortunate baloney category that is tasteless and without merit. I broke down and bought some just to honor the 1000 Foods to Eat Before you Die list. I made sure I bought an Italian version which was not difficult as my local Ralphs carried that, and bought the one with pistachio nuts, figuring that nuts make all things better. What I came away with was a moist, flavorful pork product that has absolutely nothing in common with the crappy baloney we were served as kids. Give this one a try. It is worth the gamble.
Giardiniera
So this is the store-bought version of the pickled veggies my mother made us as kids. What is great about this is that they sell it at my Ralphs, it is not expensive, and it GOES GREAT WITH CHEESE. I bought the mild version-and wussed out and bought the version made in Pennsylvania rather than the imported one from Italy. Either way, the tang goes great with cheese and crackers AND you are eating your vegetables.
