Dianne Hales - La Bella Lingua

Mozzarella di bufala

Italian Foods

Mozzare means to tear by hand, a crucial step in the process of making mozzarella, one of Italy's most popular (and most badly imitated) cheeses. Its name also may come from scamozzata, a southern Italian term meaning "without a shirt," an apt description of a soft cheese without a dry or hard covering.

True mozzarella di bufala campana comes only from black water buffalos that graze in Campania and certain provinces in Lazio and Apulia. Its history dates back to the 12th century, when the monks of San Lorenzo in Capua in southern Italy offered pilgrims a simple cheese, which they called mozza or provatura, made from the milk of their herd of water buffalo.

The process of producing this fresh cheese hasn't changed much since. The first step is curdling the milk with rennet, then pouring nearly boiling water over the curds. After draining the product and discarding the whey, cheese-makers knead the mixture by hand, like bakers kneading bread, until it becomes so elastic that threads can be pulled without ripping—a characteristic of all pasta-filata (stretched curd) cheeses. In a process called mozzatura the cheese is divided into equal portions, which are shaped by hand into large or small balls or braids.

Fresh mozzarella is very perishable, so it's best to eat mozzarella di giornata (made that day)—which is difficult to find outside of Italy. The best alternative is mozzarella sealed in a solution of whey brine. In addition to fist-sized balls, you can find bocconcini di mozzarella (literally small mouthfuls) or slightly larger uova di bufala (buffalo eggs.)

Most of the "mozzarella" sold in the United States comes from cow's milk and should be called fior di latte or fiordilatte (milk flower). In Italy you'll find caciocavallo, another soft cow's milk cheese, which can be eaten fresh or kept for up to a year. Provola is made from the mozzarella mixture but then smoked and left to mature for a while. Burrata (buttered) pugliese is a mix of mozzarella di bufala and panna (cream) so rich and milky that an Italian friend describes it as "pure sin."

The most important letters to look for when buying mozzarella are D.O.P., for Denominazione di Origine Protetta (Protected Designation of Origin), a geographical indication. Under European Union Law this certification ensures that only products genuinely originating in a given region and following traditional production techniques use a specific name. The D.O.P. protects you from bland watery mozzarella—and supports Italy's small artisan cheese producers.

You can buy D.O.P. mozzarella di buffalo online at any of the thirteen A.G. Ferrari Foods stores in northern California. Executive Chef Gianluca Guglielmi of A.G. Ferrari Foods suggests this "napoleon" of mozzarella, tomato and artichoke as a way to blend three sensational tastes.

MOZZARELLA, POMODORO E CARCIOFI
Mozzarella, Tomato, and Artichokes

Chef Gianluca

Ingredients

2 - 4 ounces of mozzarella
2 medium ripe tomatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 small Zuccato artichoke hearts in oil
1 Tbsp sliced toasted almonds
10 basil leaves
4 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil
Maricha black pepper to taste
Sea salt

Directions

Discard ends from mozzarella balls (perfect to munch on while you prepare dish) and cut each mozzarella into 6 slices.
Discard ends from tomatoes and cut each tomato into 6 slices.
Thinly slice artichokes and julienne the basil (thin strips).
On each individual plate build a napoleon by placing one slice of tomato in the center and topping it with one slice of mozzarella, a few artichoke slices and some julienned basil. Repeat layers two more times.
Sprinkle almond slices and remaining basil on the plates around the napoleon. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper and salt to taste

Summer Scenes

As the days grow shorter and the nights colder, these paintings by John Jay Gebhardt of New York City brighten the heart with memories of Italian summers.

These paintings were painted in August 2009 near the cimitero vecchio (old cemetery) outside the porta perugina (Perugia gate) of the historical hill town of Todi in Umbria. This is a favorite site for the artist. He spends part of his summer here each year. The location has all the elements of the Italian landscape. The cyprese and olive trees, vineyards, ochre grass, berry bushes, the winding road, distant Umbrian and Tuscan mountains, the occasional passer by, the classic Umbrian palazzo and of course later in the day the setting sun. The landscape presents both a long view and a short view. The setting offers an abundant visual feast that will keep almost any artist or lover of the Italian environment engaged.

Here is some information on the artist:

After a career on Wall Street, John Jay Gebhardt decided in 2001 to pursue a career as an artist. His main interest as a painter is to create an image where color sense and brush stroke are ascendant. He likes to paint outdoors and particularly likes the light in his adoptive Italy.

"I am overwhelmed by the desire to construct a landscape and capture the emotional pull the surroundings have on me and to have fun stretching color ideas," Gebhardt says. "I will return often to the scenery I am painting until the painting is completed—a year later or two years later even so that I may see the same place again and paint it at the same exact time of year. Understanding that the landscape presents many choices I look forward to return to a favorite place and to anticipate another beautiful day."

Thank you, John Jay, for allowing us to share your beautiful days. You can find more information and paintings by the artist at his website.