Ah, the alchemy of milk, salt and time. With Parmigiano-Reggiano place matters as well. This naturally aged cheese is named after the provinces in Italy where it is produced. Cheeses that are simply called Parmesan, are just imposters and although the real deal is more expensive than the wanna-be’s, there is no substitute. Of all your food purchases this is probably the starkest culinary case of ‘you get what you pay for’.
This marvelous cheese can be grated (a little goes a long way) into soups, over pasta and is a key ingredient to pesto and Caesar salad. Also considered a ‘table cheese’, you can do as the Italians and pair it with fruit and nuts for an easy dessert (I just had the shavings from this photograph with an apple and was transported). When there is nothing left but the memory of delicious meals and rind, pop the rind into your next batch of soup. Nothing need go to waste.
Because Parmigiano-Reggiano is so easy to digest it’s good for persons who are lactose intolerant. It’s also big source of Calcium and Phosphorus, so much so that the Russian cosmonauts found it useful in staving off bone loss during their long periods of weightlessness on the space station MIR. As if that were not enough, Parmigiano-Reggiano is low in fat and sodium.
Each time you store your Parmigiano, wrap it as tightly as you can in fresh plastic and place in the cheese drawer of your refrigerator. This is not a cheese that freezes.
Feeling a bit lazy and want a quick meal? Just grate a little of this marvel on top of some noodles or ravioli- along with a little salt and freshly ground pepper you can be in Italy or over the Moon.
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