Parmesan – Hard-textured cheese, cooked but not pressed, named after the producing areas of Parma and Reggio Emilia, in Emilia-Romagna, Italy.
Mozzarella - Soft, white cheese with a very delicate flavor. Can be dried to an eating cheese, commonly called Sierra.
Provolone - Whole-milk cheese made from cows milk. Fairly firm in texture, pale yellow in color, its flavor ranges from mild and slightly sweet to strong and tangy.
Ricotta - Unripened cheese made of the whey of other cheeses. Slightly sweet and grainy, it is often used in sweets and as a pasta filling.
Mascarpone - Soft Italian cheese that is a delicately flavored creamed cheese. Often used in the same fashion as whipped cream, it is an important ingredient in Tiramisu.
March 2, 2007
Common Cheeses in Italian Cooking
Common Meats in Italian Cooking
Salami – Cured meat with varying tastes. Made with pork, salt, spices, garlic and wine.
Sopressata – Salami made with black peppercorns. Comes in Hot (with Red Pepper) and Sweet flavors.
Tonno – Tuna in olive oil.
Italian Sausage – Fresh coarse pork usually flavored with garlic and fennel seed or anise seed. Comes in two styles - hot (flavored
with hot, red peppers) and sweet (without the added heat).
Prosciutto – Ham that has been seasoned, salt cured, and dried.
Mortadella – Sausage originating from Bologna, pink in color, and is studded with cubes of creamy fat and sometimes pistachios.