italy: September 2006 Archives

Gorgonzola is a blue/green-veined Italian cheese made from unskimmed cows' milk in Piedmont and Lombardy.  It has Protected Designated Origin.  To verify your cheese, find the 'g' symbol impression on the inside of its foil wrapper.

It has a distinctive flavour which is both creamy and piquant.  There are two types - sweet and piquant.  The former is smoother and more mellow, and the latter is firmer and more pungent.  The consistency and flavour are determined by the length of ageing:  2+ months for sweet Gorgonzola and 3+ months for piquant Gorgonzola.

Radicchio has a bitter and spicy taste which mellows when cooked.  Try simply grilling or roasting it with extra virgin olive oil, lemon and salt.

Pliny the Elder thought it was a blood purifier and aid for insomniacs.  In fact it contains intybin, a blood and liver tonic, so he was right. 

Risotto made with red wine and/or radicchio is a classic Italian dish.  This version is an attempt to recreate the one I had at La Badia restaurant outside Orvieto, Umbria, with my friends Libby and Tim the week before their wedding.  It is rich, savoury and melts in the mouth.  Go easy on the cheese and herbs - it's always tempting to be generous but they can overpower the dish.