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There are many types of cheeses.


Asiago (ah-zee-AH-goh) Although also made in the United States, this cow's milk cheese gets its name from from the village of Asiago in northern Italy. Of the two types, Asiago d'allevo and Asiago pressato, only the d'allevo is available in the United States. The d'allevo is made from partially skimmed cows milk and is beige in color with distinctive tiny holes running throughout the cheese. When ripe, the cheese can be soft and makes for a great table cheese, but when aged for a year or longer, it is used as a grading cheese. The flavor is rich, somewhat nutty, but mild. Often you will find Asiago served in restaurants as a substitute for Parmesan because it's cheaper. If you have a choice, ask for Parmesan. The milder, sweeter Asiago pressato is made from pasteurized whole milk and is aged only for a short time and is not exported to the US.


Gorgonzola (gohr-guhn-ZOH-lah) Named for the Italian city where it is made, this cow's milk cheese is rich and creamy with a slightly pungent flavor. When aged over 6 months, both the flavor and the aroma become stronger....much stronger. Some people think its stinky, but if you like strong cheese, you will love gorgonzola. It goes great with the pear in my salad, Seasonal French pears, mesclun, toasted pine nuts & gorgonzola.


Livarot (LEE-vah-roe) One of France's oldest, a wonderful cheese named after a village in Normandy and whose nickname is the Colonel because it is bound with five strips of paper that look like a Colonel's stripes. Originally, the stripes were made of natural rush harvested from the edge of ponds. This is a strong cheese with lots of flavor (beefy, nutty) and a pungent aroma. (If it has a smell of ammonia, it is past its prime) Livarot is made from cow's milk but has only a 40% fat content. It is naturally white but colored orangy-red with a tincture from a South American tree called the roucou. It has a soft washed rind, is round with a 12 cm diameter and is 5 cm thick. Livarot goes great with a big red wine as well as with apple cider. Try it with bread and/or fruit, especially apples and pears.


Mascarpone (mas-cahr-POHN-ay) Made in Italy from cow's cream, mascarpone is a buttery double to triple cream cheese. With an ivory color, smooth texture and cream-like flavor, it is often blended with other ingredients as in my Tiramisu recipe or just topped with fruit. It's sold in 8 oz. and 1 pound containers. Hard to find in this country, you may have to look in a good cheese shop or specialty market.


Mozzarella (maht-suh-REHL-lah) is a soft white cheese with a mild flavor typically made from cow?s milk. It came from southern Italy where it was originally made from buffalo milk. If you are lucky enough to find real buffalo mozzarella in your local market, try it. Although expensive, it?s like eating ice cream compared to frozen yogurt.


Morbier (MORE-bee-yay) I tasted Morbier for the first time at my friends gourmet market and loved it. Named for a little farm town in France, this semisoft cow's cheese was originally made with left over cheese for personal consumption by the cheesemakers. At the end of the day the cheesemaker would take leftover curd from making Gruyère de Comté and press it into a mold. To keep it from drying out and to keep the insects away, he would top it off with a little ash. In the morning he would add any additional curd on top of the ash and you had Morbier. Today they make it from a single batch of mild and add a harmless vegetable product to give it the same appearance. It measures 15 - 18 inches in diameter, about 3 inches in height, weighs about 20 lbs., and has a minimum fat content of 45%. The Morbier I had tasted had an aroma of just cut grass with a distinct taste of hard boiled eggs.


Pecorino (peh-koh-REE-noh) From the word pecora which means ewe in Italian, cheeses made from sheep's milk in Italy are called pecorino. Although the majority of pecorino is made in southern Italy, especially Sardinia, the best known pecorino is Pecorino Romano. Genuine Romano is only produced in the province of Rome from November to June. My favorite genuine Romano is Locatelli. It's wonderful grated on pasta dishes but I also enjoy eating it plain at the end of a meal with a glass of red wine. Pecorino is straw colored, 36% fat, semi-hard, granular with a smooth rind coated in oil. It comes in a cylindrical shape about 12 inches in diameter, 16 inches tall and although a little sharper than Parmesan, it is often substituted when used in cooking. It has an intensely strong sheepy quality to it. It is to southern Italy what Parmigiano-Reggiano is to the north. Look for the sheep's head logo with Pecorino Romano embossed on the rind to make sure you are getting the real stuff.


"Romano, one of the world?s oldest and most favorite cheeses, comes from just outside beautiful Rome. Romano?s original name was Pecorino-Romano. Romano is very important in Central and Southern Italy. Lots of people eat Romano every day on pasta, with a loaf of bread, maybe nice pane tuscano, fresh out of the wood-fire, or with some nice spinace sautéed in garlic and olive oil. Romano has a creamy white color, sharp piquant flavor, and a hard granular texture. Romano can be used in many of the same menu applications as Parmesan, especially when a more pronounced cheese flavor is desired.There are several different styles of Romano cheese, all of which take their name from the city of Rome. Probably the best known is the sharp, tangy Pecorino-Romano, made with sheep?s milk. Caprino Romano is an extremely sharp goat?s milk version. Vacchino Romano is a very mild cow?s milk cheese. All Romano Cheese is made by a special method known as ?rummaging curd,? or draining the curd quickly after molding, then piercing the surfaces slightly before salt is applied.


The first thing to know about Pecorino Romano, which many people don?t focus on, is that it is a DOC cheese; which means it is strictly controlled by the Italian Government, and must be made according to certain specifications to be able to be called Pecorino Romano. It has to be round in shape, be between forty to sixty pounds approximately, aged a minimum of six months, be produced in either Lazio or Sardegna between October and July, be made of one hundred percent sheep?s milk and have the marking of a sheep from the producer. The milk comes from sheep raised in the countryside of Rome which produce only small quantities of milk that is very rich in fat and protein. Thus, allowing for an exceptionally creamy, flavorful cheese.


Sheep?s milk products offer a number of benefits which become increasingly important as science plays an increasingly more intrusive role in the dairy industry. Sheep?s milk cheeses break down into smaller molecules in the body thus allowing for better digestion. Many lactose intolerant people find that they can enjoy sheep?s mild cheeses without repercussions to their health. A famous brand of romano cheese is Fulvi Pecorino Romano. Romano cheese grates larger so that it does not disappear in food, rather it creates a hearty flavor while enabling you to use less cheese. There are a variety of uses for romano cheese in recipes. Romano cheese can be served as a side dish with pasta dishes. Romano cheese is said to add a pleasing note to pizza made with a zesty garlic-tomato sauce and spicy sausage. Chefs serve romano cheese as a garnish over cream soups, pasta, or fresh green salads. Another garnish idea is to sprinkle fresh grated romano over egg dishes, such as quiche or frittatas."


Parmesan There are parmesan cheeses made all over the world but there is only one Parmigiano-Reggiano. Although more expensive, this granular textured cheese whose processing method hasn't changed in the last 700 years is usually aged for 2 years. If labeled stravecchio - 3 years or stravecchiones - 4 years. Two reasons why Parmigiano-Reggiano has better taste and consistency; (1) the flavor of the milk which comes from cows whose diets are strictly controlled, and (2) the strict production codes that have kept the cheese making the same for centuries. Only fresh milk, rennet, and salt are allowed in the dairy. However, in 1984 the laws changed to allow the entire years production be branded Parmigiano-Reggiano. Prior to 1984, only the cheese produced between April and November could be labeled such.


Sainte-Maure Ash The first time I tried cutting into this cheese, I noticed a stick in the middle of it. It looked like a cheese popsicle. It turned out to be a straw and not a stick. This log-shaped goat cheese is from an area in France called the Touraine and the straw is used to reinforce the crumbly texture. It's made from goats milk (45% fat) and is soft with a natural rind. Our Sainte-Maure was coated with a wood ashe and tasted smooth and rich. I've been eating it plain but have also added it to my mixed greens salads.


Camembert Created in 1789 by Marie Harel, a peasant woman and said to have been christened by Napoleon himself, this cow's milk cheese (40 to 45% fat) is world renown. 11 centimeters in diameter and 3 to 4 centimeter's thick, this smooth creamy cheese with a soft white rind should be served at room temperature when perfectly ripe. You'll know it's perfectly ripe when it oozes thickly, if it's runny, it is overripe. We sampled Chatelain Camembert that came in a wonderful little wooden box. The idea for a wooden box came in 1890 by a man named Ridel. Our Chatelain Camembert, almost ripe when we tasted it, was absolutely delicious but I am told it is even more wonderful when perfectly ripe. So be patient with your cheese.