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on the downward side of the age mountain.

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

You Say Burrata I say Food~ Gasm

A Twist on West Side Story

TONY
(spoken)
Burrata…
(sings)
The most beautiful cheese I ever ate:
Burrata,Burrata,Burrata,Burrata . . .
All the beautiful tastes of the world in a single bite. . .
Burrata,Burrata,Burrata,Burrata
Burrata!
I just ate a cheese named Burrata,
And suddenly fromage
Will never be the same
To me.
I've just gorged on a cheese named Burrata,
And suddenly I've found
How wonderful a cheese
Can be!
Burrata!
Gorge yourself and there's music playing,
Take a nibble and it's almost like praying.
Burrata
I'll never stop saying Burrata!
The most beautiful cheese I ever ate.
Burrata.


Maria wouldn’t have had a chance if Tony found Burrata first.

Let me start at the beginning. Just before Easter our favorite wine store sent an email blast enticing us to purchase Burrata cheese. This was an opportunity not to be missed.

NSSP picked up the 1# container and Easter morning we opened it. I stared at the white mass. It undulated in the container like a loose poached egg. My spoon hit a bit of resistance before it sank into the creamy center. I had read that Italians either eat it as the white in basil, tomato, and cheese plate or with marinated fruit.

We first tried it with a fresh baguette. Scooping a mounded tablespoon onto the bread then eating it. The Burrata had almost a pudding quality. As it slid down my throat I was left with the bread to chew. Next we paired it with sugared fresh strawberries and we were on a roll. Like any good junkie I couldn’t get enough and was very glad there were no caloric notes on the container to feel guilty about. Part mozzarella, part heavy cream this was as sexy as sevruga caviar or scrambled eggs with truffles.

Googling around I discovered that Burrata is a relatively new cheese invented in Southern Italy mostly in the Aupulia, Campania, and Basilicata regions. It was made with buffalo milk but now usually with cow’s milk. “Burro” is butter in Italian and refers to the buttery texture of the center.

A piece of mozzarella paste is stretched into a rectangle to form the outer shell. It is filled with fresh cream and soft shredded pieces of mozzarella and tied shut. The various subtle layers of texture tease your mouth into orgasmic submission.

Next time there is a Burrata offering I won’t forget the Prosecco. To hell with the fruit I think a good honey is in order and a romp in the hay!!

Seek and Enjoy!!

1 comment:

Sheila said...

Maybe, at long last, a cheese I might like. You make it sound orgasmic in quality, sound and...