TBT: Try This At Home

The things we do for love.

You know me. You know I wouldn’t be genuinely excited about cooking. Unless it’s something that I can easily make at home and offer to my Sicilian husband who runs on pasta. Cheese has always been the exception though. I remember grating Parmigiano Reggiano® during my childhood in the Dominican Republic. It was one of the very few tasks that I enjoyed in the kitchen. And today, almost thirty years later, I enjoy it even more after learning Parmigiano Reggiano®‘s origins, facts and mouth-watering recipes.

The perfect recipe for a fun summer evening consisted of twenty-four fellow bloggers celebrating Italy’s King of Cheese: Parmigiano Reggiano® at the historic Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, FL. A serata of good food, fine flavors, camaraderie and team work led by the Biltmore’s award-winning Executive Chef David Hackett and organized by The Blogger Union.

raysantanaphotography-314 — Our hosts Danielle Caponi Bolla, Executive Chef David Hackett, Chef Beppe, & Federico Bolla

Everything tastes better with cheese! Little did I know that beyond its delicious flavor, Parmigiano Reggiano® cheese was also so good to me. Now that I am in my thirties, I am very cautious of what I eat, and Parmigiano Reggiano® passes the most important tests:

Always handmade with high quality lactose-free milk with no additives and natural fermenting agents
Easy digestibility
Great source of energy, protein, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins.
It has one of the lowest cholesterol levels of any cheese.
Parmigiano Reggiano® is made today with the same ingredients as nine centuries ago, in the same places, with the same wise ritual gestures, in a traditional way and with the same passion and loyalty. How many products in the market can say that?

Too many cooks in the kitchen? Not a problem! We had the luxury of having Executive Chef David Hackett and Italian-born Chef Beppe Galazzi, teaching and guiding us on every step, from peeling and cutting techniques to making fresh gnocchi!