The undisputed king of cheese is said to have originated in the province
of Reggio Emilia, south of the Po Valley. The area was formally under the rule of the Dukedom of Parma which was the main trading center, hence its name. It was called the “Great Cheese of Seven
Countries” because the ancient formula remained unchanged throughout the 700 years of history which altered the face of continents. Records dating back to 1200 to 1300AD describe the
characteristics of Parmigiano Reggiano as they are today and it is assumed that the real origins of the cheese go back even further as written by early Latin writers. It is a cheese best known around
the world in its grated form - Parmesan; but in early maturity it is a fine table cheese said to have medicinal purposes.
It is
produced from the 1st of April to the 11th of November in large drums weighing 52 to 97 pounds, the average between 72 and 79 lbs. with a height of 7 to 9½ inches, and a
circumference of 28 to 36 inches. It is made with unpasteurized but tested milk of morning and evening milking in the “zona tipica” of Bologna, Mantua, Modena, Parma, and Reggio Emilia, where the
soil, climate, vegetation, fodder and cattle rearing traditions has influenced its flavor and quality over the centuries.
Kitchen
cooking TIPS AND TRICKS
MICROWAVE OVENS
A microwave oven uses electromagnetic waves
that bounce off the surfaces and into the food to heat it. The microwaves penetrate the food from ¾ to 1 inch, causing the water molecules to vibrate producing friction and thus heat. Microwaved
foods cook from the inside out.
After water, fat absorbs microwaves the best.
Arrange the food in a circle for even cooking. Favor the edge of the rotary tray, more
waves reach there than in the center.
Use round dishes, square dishes overcook food at the corners.
Cover the food to reduce cooking time, but leave a place for steam to
vent.
Use clear glass to watch the food cooking, not all plastics are microwaveable and metal
causes electrical arcing.
Salted foods heat faster.
The Microwave does best with vegetables, then seafood, then chicken, then
meat.
Never run the microwave empty, this will damage it.