;) :p First a good news : I just found a large bucket of 500gr real Mozzarella di Bufala at Costco for under 10 dollars ! Quite inexpensive since it is flown from Campania Italy.
For those who do not know the Buffalo Mozzarella is made from Water Buffalo milk. It taste for me a lot better then cow milk Mozzarella.
You can see my review at
http://www.lifeinitaly.com/food/review/
Ciao
Paolo

Just a little suggestion for distinguishing the Mozzarella made with cow's milk from that of the Bufala; this I figured out myself-- to tell the difference you can look at the color inside the crust..the bufala has a yellowy tinge to it, and the other does not. Also, the outside crust of the Bufala to me seems harder, more chewy and the cow's milk variety is softer and whiter inside.
Maybe you will be able to prove this as true too!

Yes Jacky you are right : the mozzarella di Bufala from Campania has usually a different consistency inside: if you cut it in 2 you can see the crust and the center ( the center has more of a ricotta look ) - American mozzarella has a uniform look - In any case the taste is quite different as well of course.
P

I had an interesting gourmet evening out yesterday: our new friend in this country asked us to join him for after-dinner drinks, and to my joy and surprise, we were to have cheese and wines from Italy. Our friend is going to have a social-do in a few days with friends from his Italian language class, and decided to have a kind of try-out with my husband and I and a couple of Italian friends. Since I was curious about the cheese, I asked our host and he obliged. Here are my notes from the evening:)


First of all was the Mountain Gorgonzola, which is from Lombardy. He offered it with a Picolit, but it apparently also pairs well with Bramaterra, Ghemme, Marsala (Vergine) varieties. Authentic Italian Gorgonzola is of two types; Dolce – the sweet, and Mountain – which is sharper and firmer. I found the Mountain Gorgonzola delicious, mild yet tangy, creamy and firm. Its interior was pale white, laced with streaks of blue. It can be a table cheese, mixed into a salad, or can be simply eaten on a plate drizzled with honey;).


The Parmigiano Reggiano, I had heard of, of course, who hasn't:) ? It is a wonderful un-pasteurized cow’s milk cheese from the provinces of Modena, Parma and Reggio Emilia, and partially Bologna and Mantova. We had it with a Barolo, but any big chewy red wines like Chianti (Sangiovese) or a rich Napa Cabernet Sauvignon would also do. A kilo of Parmigiano Reggiano comes out from a good 16 liters of the most valuable milk of the typical zone, and is known for its protein, vitamin content and richness in calcium and phosphorus. The traditional marking with the inscription in full “Parmigiano – Reggiano” was carved along the side of the whole cheese; the cheese was granular, with the typical breaking-in slivers, and it had a peculiar fragrance and delicate aroma.


The Marzolino comes from Tuscany, and is a great table-fresh Pecorino (Sheep’s milk) cheese. Our friend paired it with Chianti (Sangiovese). The cheese looks almost like a bread roll; giving it this shape is an art. This unique cheese with all the fragrance of the grass pastured is rolled on a fir-tree table and left to mature for a month. It had a delicate, fragrant consistency and pure white color. You have to nibble on it slowly to get all its Tuscan summer flavors.


I guess our friend had saved the best for the last. The Boschetto al Tartufo Bianchetto, a springy white, sweet, tender and mild cheese which I tasted next, was faraway my favorite. I just couldn't keep myself from having more:p !! It comes from a blend of pasteurized sheep and cow’s milk cheese from Tuscany, and is mixed through with rare white truffle shavings. We had it with Barolo, but I guess any big red wine would do. It tastes just as good without any wine at all! It is not usually available for retail, and I am sure going to make my way to a gourmet cheese store and get some when I go shopping today!

Have one(Bufala) with the "prosciutto" and white "vino"...and some salad!!
WOW!!!!
Dont' forget the "espresso" with the "ammazza Caffe'"