Bufala Mozzarella - Like a Perfect Snowball

Since I have a little bit of time between the holidays to relax, I’ll continue sharing my summer journey in Italy. I came across some interesting photos (and video!) to the mozzarella factory, La Fenice, in Vico Equense, near Sorrento, in Lazio. It is a small company owned by Salvatore de Gennaro. They get fresh buffalo milk (hearty, concentrated and dense) daily, from a farm near Caserta. According to Italian law, the milk must be delivered to the dairy before the 16th hour after milking. La Fenice also produces Bresaola di Bufala, Ricotta di Bufala, Caciocavallo di Bufala and Burro di Bufala.
Bufala mozzarella was born in Italy. The word mozzarella derives from the Italian verb mozzare (to tear), explaining the production of the cheese, which is cropped by hand. Italy produces 33,000 tons of mozzarella every year and 16% of that is sold abroad. There is a legend of how water buffalo were brought to Italy. One theory is that the Goths brought the Asian water buffalo to Italy during the early medieval ages. But the Consorzio per la Tutela del Formaggio Mozzarella di Bufala Campana believes that they were introduced to the Normas of Sicily to the rest of Italy in 1000, after the Arabs introduced them.

Buffalo Mozzarella became widespread in the south of Italy during the last half of 18th Century. According to the Mozzarella di Bufula di Campagna DOP: "The richness of buffalo milk makes it highly suitable for processing and to produce 1 kg of cheese, a cheese maker requires 8 kg of cow's milk but only 5 kg of buffalo milk. To produce 1 kg of butter requires 14 kg of cow's milk but only 10 kg of buffalo milk. Because of these high yields, processors appreciate the value of buffalo milk."

Bufala mozzarella is meant to be consumed within 2-3 days. It is absolutely essential to normalize the ratio of fat to protein in the mozzarella. The buffalos lactation is therefore observed. Mozzarella requires the milk to have at least a 7% milk fat.

After the milk has coagulated, sieroinnesto natural (called "cizza" in Italian) is added to naturally acidify the milk. The acidity of the whey is maintained between 40-60 degrees C per 100 mL.

You do not want to exceed the mean duration of coagulation by more than 30 minutes. The optimum solution is to enter the milk directly into a boiler at the temperature of coagulation and maintain this temperature with a system of thermoregulation.

Bleeding is the separation of whey from the curd. The break is usually done manually with a Ruotolo wooden (stick with an end fixed to a wooden disk), or a metal plug. The breaking of the curd is done when the granules are the size of a walnut.

The maturation of the curd is completed in tubs in order to reduce acidification processes and reach a pH level of about 4.95. Then, hot water is poured onto the curd in order to soften it. This produces what the Italians call, pasta filata.

Shaping is done in special rotating machines, and the mozzarella is then cooled in water. It is then salted, and packaged in liquid that contains the original whey.

In the end, fresh bufala mozzarella should have a white porcelain appearance, with about an inch of smooth crust. They can weigh from 20 grams to 800 grams each.

But the taste is the most magnificent part of all this production. When you bite into fresh bufala mozzarella the ball should explode in your mouth, showing all its juiciness and flooding the mouth with intense, milky flavor. It is one of the best products of Southern Italy.
If you ever find yourself in Vico Equense, drop by La Fenice. They're at Via Vadopiano, 5 and can be reached at +39 0818 028437. Tell them Cesare sent you. And buy a whole crate of fresh bufala mozzarella.

Buon Appetito!

Cesare

Holiday Indulgence!

In the winter in Pieve Santo Stefano, where I grew up, there was never much work, especially when it was very cold. For the farmers, there was little to do, and for the locals who maintained the villas of "I Signori" our name for the rich weekenders, even less. To pass the time, everyone came to Vipore, and by early December the bar metamorphosed into a winter piazza. Emilio, Camay, Pietro the butcher, Renzo the barber, and Papa played cards, drank and had coffee. I remember one particularly bad winter when the Signori never came, and the restaurant was deserted well into March. For me, it was the perfect moment to experiment in the kitchen.

We had a lot of pork that year because we'd slaughtered more than ever before. Every day I would try a variation on a favorite pork recipe. My first attempts were with pork cheeks, boiled and mixed with beans, sea salt, and olive oil. Then I turned to Pentolaccia, the dish we make during the slaughter, which uses the less noble parts of the pig, like the tails and hooves. All of these dishes were very fatty - and very tasty. I started to feel it around my waistline. That had happened before, my growing a seasonal size. But this particular winter, I outdid myself. By the time March rolled around, I'd gained twenty seven pounds.

Dieting isn't easy for anyone, but for me it's especially difficult. My job is to be with food, and if I'm cooking just for myself, I can't do it. But that year, I had a brainstorm. I'd do a spa menu for Vipore. That way, even if I didn't sell any dishes to the clients, I'd still be able to eat low fat.

The surprise was that our clients actually liked the spa dishes. They were very Tuscan in concept, and flavorful, full of herbs and spices. Plus, we started putting bottles of olive oil on the tables so that customers could drizzel or douse their orders in as much oil as they pleased.

In less than two months, I only sold our customers on the idea of spa cuisine. I lost all twenty seven pounds. Then, when I wanted to get rid of the low-fat items. Papa balked, "They're selling," he declared. "They stay on the menu." I didn't really mind, it was just that after dieting so strictly, I wanted to splurge, and splurge for my clients, too. More to the point, I didn't want word getting out that I'd been on a diet. In Italy, no one trusts a skinny chef.

With the holidays coming up, I hope that you all indulge, because I know that I will. Just keep this recipe in your back pocket for when New Years rolls around and we all start making our weight loss resolutions!

Insalata di Sette Vegetale

Seven Vegetable Salad

Ingredients:

2 small carrots, peeled and halved

2 stalks asparagus, trimmed and halved

1/3 cup cauliflower florets

1 medium zucchini, diced

2 baby artichokes, outer leaves peeled and stems pared, sliced paper thin

2 tablespoons minced red onion

1/3 cup clean, chopped, cremini mushrooms

3/4 cup washed and chopped mixed salad greens

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Salt and fresh ground black peper, to taste

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup cooked cannellini beans

In a pot of boiling water, separately blance the carrots, asparagus and cauliflower for 1 minute. Plunge them into cold water to stop the cooking, then chop them into medium dice. Mix them with the other vegetables in a salad bowl.

Whisk together the vinegar and salt and pepper, then whisk in the olive oil and dress the salad. (The beans provide a nice contrast if you have them ready and want to fold them in here). Spoon the salad onto plates and serve!

Seasonal Eating: Italians Do it Best

Seasonal cooking (and eating) has become quite trendy in the US. Even during a recession, farmer's markets, CSAs and "buying local" is just as popular (if not more!) as it was during financially good times.

Wintertime reminds me of when I first arrived in New York from Italy. There were a lot of things that surprised me. Coming from a small town in the Italian countryside, I had a lot to adjust to in New York, and nowhere as much as in the kitchen. In my thirty three years in Pieve Santo Stefano, I was always aware of the season. Spring meant I could get artichokes and zuccini. Summer meant tomatoes; fall, pears and apples. In New York, I felt disoriented. No matter what the month, I could get any vegetable known - broccoli, green beans, bell peppers. Tomatoes in January?! I knew they came from places where they were in season, like Chile or New Zealand, but it seemed incredible.

Winter in Tuscany essentially meant cooking without vegetables. For example, starting in November, I used mostly potatoes and dried legumes like chick-peas and lentils. When I wanted tomatoes, I used the ones I had put up in late August. (Like my mother, I took batches of perfectly ripe tomatoes, cut them in half, and put them, with some fresh basil, in a heatproof jar that sealed hermetically. Then I immersed the jar in cold water, brought it to a boil, and heated it for 40 minutes. When I opened the jar in mid-February, I was treated to a whiff of summer.)

Even the seasonal produce I got in New York wasn't the same. I found American fruits and vegetables larger and less flavorful than Italian fruits and vegetables. Basil here had huge leaves, and a slightly minty flavor; spinach and zucchini had a higher water content; artichokes were bigger and toucher. To get the same results with the recipes I'd used for years at home, I had to experiment and adjust constantly. At the same time, I started to use a lot of produce, spices and herbs that I had never tried before.

Two of my favorite became ginger and lemongrass, which I added generously to many dishes for an unexpected wist. I also grew to love yucca, which I served fried like potato, or as a complement to fish. In fact, almost every obstacle turned into a way for me to keep expanding and innovating in the kitchen.

Here's my favorite recipe for lasagna that includes vegetables you can find at farmers markets. It reminds me most of winter because it was when I used the tomatoes we canned from the summer!

Lasagna Vegetale

Ingredients
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cup well-washed and sliced leeks, white part only
1 cup trimmed and sliced zucchini
1 cup salted, rinsed, dried and sliced eggplant
1/4 cup seeded and sliced red bell peppers
1/4 cup seeded and sliced yellow bell peppers
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons alt
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
3 cups Pommarola (see below recipe), or drained, canned Italian tomatoes
6 quarts water
1 pound lasagna noodles
2 1/2 cups Bechamel (recipe below)
2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Make sure all of the vegetables are cut to a uniform thickness. In a heavy saute pan large enough to hold all the vegetables, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat until it gets hazy. Add the garlic and saute until it starts to color about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and the white wine (be careful it may flame up for a brief moment until the alcohol evaporates). When the wine reduces, after about 2 minutes, add the following vegetables, in order: onion, celery, carrots, leeks, zucchini, eggplant, and the bell peppers. Cook each vegetable for approximately 1 minute before adding the next. Add the black pepper and a tablespoon of the salt. Cook the mixture for 5 minutes more. Then add the basil, oregano, and thyme and cook for 5 minutes. Add the pommarola and cook for another 5 minutes. Set aside.

Bring the water to a boil in a large pot, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of salt and drop in the lasagna noodles. When the noodles are very al dente, drain them and plunge them into an ice water bath to stop them from cooking. Lay them out on kitchen towels to drain.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 13 x 9 baking dish with the remaining tablespoon of oil. Spoon a little Bechamel sauce on the bottom of the pan. Covr the bottom with sheets of pasta, side by side, drapong it up the sides, and over the edge of the pan. Trim the pasta to the size of the pan. Spread a layer of Bechamel over the pasta. Add a layer of the vegetable/tomato mixture, and sprinkle with Parmigiano Reggiano. Repeat the process until all the ingredients have become used up. The top layer should be pasta, a very thick layer of Bechamel, and Parmigiano Reggiano). Bake for approximately 30 minutes, until the lasagna is heated through and the top begins to turn golden.

Bechamel Sauce

Ingredients
6 tablespoons sweet butter
4 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 cups milk
Pinch of grated nutmeg
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Pinch of white pepper
Pinch of salt

In a heavy bottomed medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly to incorporate it well and prevent lumps. Do not let the flour brown, otherwise your sauce will be pasty tasting. In another pan, heat the milk, but do not let it boil. While stirring the butter and flour mixture, add the hot milk all at once. Add the nutmeg, cinnamon, white pepper, and salt. Turn the heat to medium high and whisk constantly until the mixture boils, then thickens. Cook at a simmer for 5 minutes then remove from the heat.

Pommarola Sauce

Ingredients
6 tablespoons EVOO
5 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot chopped
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup sliced fresh basil
1 cup chopped red onion
3 1/2 pounds ripe plum totates, cut into pieces
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Water, as needed

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil, garlic, celery, carrot, red pepper, 1/2 cup of basil and the onion over medium heat untl the carrots are soft, about 25 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 40-50 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of basil, remove from the heat, and puree the mixture in a food processor. Return the sauce to the saucepan and cook for another 3o minutes. Season with salt and pepper. If the sauce seems too thick, add a little water. The pommarola is ready.

Note: If you want, you can store pommarola in the refrigerator for 5 days, or you can freeze it in small containers for up to 3 months. If you freeze it in small containers, you can create serving portions for two or three instead of freezing and unfreezing all of it.

Bon appetito!

Cesare

Buona Festa Italian Style!

It has been a few months since my last post, and the holidays have begun. It is so cold in New York City, which made me long for warm weather. I then realized that I never had a chance to tell you about my amazing family vacation in Italy this summer!

I started my Italian vacation with the best plane meal I ever had: catered by Salumeria Rosi. Aaron and Meredith packed nine panini – from pizza Bianca e stracchino for Chen to funghi for Eileen and of course lots of salumi for me. When we opened the packages, there were more than a few envious glances around us. (The envy started even before we got on the plane when a fellow passenger stopped me to say he shopped at Salumeria all the time. )

The deadest day of the year in Italy is called FerrAgosto. The entire country shuts down as families head out for vacation. Chiuso per ferie, or closed for vacation signs are hung out, as shops, restaurants, museums and just about everything else shut down. We arrived in Rome the day after FerrAgosto. The good news was there was no traffic and a quarter of the normal tourists. The downside--98% of the restaurants in Rome are closed, too. From the moment we touched down, I must have called three dozen, working my way down a list of places I wanted to go: Checchino, La Rosetta, Giuda Ballerino. Chiuso. Chiuso. Chiuso. But I am nothing if not intrepid. For lunch on Sunday, we ended up at Fratelli Bufala, a pizza chain I’d heard about for years and had always wanted to try. They are opening soon in New York, the waiter told us, and I’d tell you to check it out. The pizzas are classic Napoletan, with soft dough, Chen had a mozzarella the size of a baseball that was delicious, and Eileen’s salad with friselle topped with tuna very summery.
In the afternoon we headed for St. Peter’s Basilica. I was surprised at how few people there were to get into the church, but it turned out that was because I skipped the security line and entered through the exit. If you can swing that approach, I’d recommend it. What a timesaver. The church is amazing. I might have been there as a kid, but I don’t really remember. It is awe-inspiring. La pieta and everything inside. One detail is more beautiful than the next.

For dinner, we went to Gusto, a group of three restaurants, each a little different from the other. It is a great concept. One, where we ate, was Italian tapas. I had an order of 20. From the reaction of the waiter, I was the first diner to order that many and finish them off myself. I overheard the chef ask who was ordering so many and what should he deliver? Just give him something, said the waiter. It was 22 euros, less than $30. The cheese list was amazing. About 200 choices and you could order tastings from just northeast Italy, Nortwest Italy, the islands, etc. Unfortunately, the food wasn’t great, but it was a fun experience.
Down the block are two other Gustos – one a pizzeria, and the third a full fledged restaurant. If you are ever in Rome on Feragosto, it’s worth checking any of them out. Even if it isn’t Feragosto.

Monday morning, we did a quick tour of the center – Fontana di Trevi, Piazza del Popolo, Pantheon, two gelateria, and a church.

Then, it was time to eat. My friend David Paolini from Milan had suggested we try Roscioli, a classic Roman Salumeria.

Just walking in the door made me happy. There were bottles of wine from ceiling to floor and a counter that looked not unlike Salumeria with great slabs of salumi, a half dozen types of mozzarella, bottarga, prepared salads and all the other foods I love best.

You feel the history and the love of eating in the air. What didn’t I order. The burrata was incredible, but unfortunately, they doused it in nutmeg, which killed the flavor for me. I loved the ricotta tart, the octopus salad with green beans, pasta with anchovies was classic, salumi were just as good as mine and presented very simply. I ordered potatoes in foil, but I didn’t have room for them and to be honest, they didn’t look so good. Eileen had tuna tartare that they topped with fresh figs. A better idea than a meal. I felt like a king of Rome though. They seated us downstairs in a room by ourselves, where we were surrounded by bottles of Champagne.

One of the things I love about Italy is that people love their jobs. A waiter is a waiter, not an actor or out of work accountant. Everywhere you go, the waiters love what they do and are professional. We asked our waiter at Roscioli which catacombs were best to visit, and he was like a guide to the city. He had opinions, directions, and information.

If you are looking for a good hotel in Rome, I highly recommend Hotel Duke. It is in Parioli, a beautiful residential area out of the center. It is really well-priced, the service is great, and it is lovely. They have a shuttle to bring you into the center, and it is worth the extra you pay in taxis to have such a spacious accomodations. It is also conveniently close to Celestina, the restaurant we ate in our last night. We ran into Gianfranco Vissani there, who I’d describe as the Emeril of Italy.

Celestina is a great spot for seafood and you really feel like a Roman there. No tourists and pretty much everything was delicious, but especially the shrimp which were as sweet as dessert, and the fried calamari and amatriciana di tonno were excellent. Even Chen’s pasta in tomato sauce was good – simple and fresh.

Needless to say, we left Rome full and extremely happy. I am missing the food and the weather when I trek to work in the slush. However, I'm so happy to be surrounded by family and friends during the holiday seasons, that I'm creating a few special dishes for the Salumeria that remind me of those delicious Roman flavors. Check back for two additions and recipes on the next post. Until then, Happy Holidays, e Buona Festa!

-Cesare