Ceeelia! Have you tried my new cheese?
My friend Johnny at the Paesanella Cheese Shop is a very good salesman.
Not in a schmoozy, fast-talking way, but rather through his sheer unbridled enthusiasm for his products. And he has good reason to be excited this time, because his new cheese is absolutely fabulous.
This Grana Padano – it’s basically a Parmesan, but it can’t be called that because of PDO laws – is made with a mix of buffalo and cow’s milk. The long aging process imparts an appealing crumbly texture and a deep, tangy flavour. I particularly love the little bubbles of creaminess dotted over the surface…
We’ve been using it in everything!
Pete asked for cheese cookies, so I pulsed the following together in the food processor to form a firm dough:
- 125g (4oz) unsalted butter
- 125g (4oz) plain (AP) flour
- 125g (4oz) grated cheese (a mix of the Grana Padano, Pecorino and Red Leicester)
As you can tell, I like baking in round numbers. The dough was shaped into a log and allowed to rest in the fridge for a couple of hours, then sliced and baked in a preheated 175C with fan oven for 12 minutes. The cookies were fragile, crumbly and very moreish – bake a little longer if you prefer them crunchier…
The current batch of cos lettuce in our garden was coming to an end, so I harvested all the young leaves…
…and turned them into Steve Manfredi’s Caesar Salad. Because we were using freshly laid eggs, I didn’t bother to coddle them for the recipe. The salad was topped with homemade sourdough focaccia croutons and shavings of the Grana Padano…
And finally, yet another Manfredi recipe (we’re really getting our money’s worth from the new cookbooks we bought), this one for a very simple cauliflower soup, topped with toasted sourdough and melted Grana Padano…
Johnny, your new cheese has been a hit at our place – we’ve just bought another wedge!
. . . . .
Paesanella Cheese Shop 88 Ramsay Rd Haberfield NSW 2045 Tel. 02 9799 8483 Website: DeliVer, Gourmet Food Distribution
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
I’ve had a very happy time here in Europe with cheese. Spent the afternoon tasting British raw milk cheeses yesterday!
Sounds like you’re having a wonderful time, Amanda! :)
This looks soooooooo good!
Thank you! :)
WOW! May I come tonight for dinner :) Thank you dear Celia, love, nia
Nia, of course you can! What time should I expect you? :)
I love grana padano, it’s so much more affordable than Parmigiano Reggiano, and as you know, just as tasty!
your lettuce leaves are a work of pure art!
Sally, thank you! I’ve decided cos are the only lettuce we’re going to grow this season – they’re just so easy to grow and manage!
The cauliflower soup topped with toasted sourdough and melted Grana Padano looks very inviting, I just had lunch but could still finish a bowl of that soup.
Norma, it was such a surprise – there is absolutely nothing in the soup except cauliflower, onion, oil, salt and pepper. No stock! Yet it was sooo flavoursome. I think it would be the perfect dish for a beautifully fresh cauliflower. Are you growing any in your garden? We have mixed success with them.
I too hve mixed success with cauliflower and decided it is just not worth the effort nor the garden space.
Norma, I think we’re going to give up too. Broccoli does far better in our yard!
That cos lettuce looks so crisp and fresh. Such a shame that good cheese is wrapped in plastic though – a travesty. However your cheeseman sounds fantastic.
Sally, I think it’s logistics – the shop really isn’t set up to cut on demand, and the turnover is so quick that nothing stays in plastic very long! I have to say also that my rate of throwing out mouldy cheeses has diminished greatly since I started buying them vac-sealed. I know it’s not ideal, but from a practical point of view, it works well for us.
I came to this post hungry- am leaving famished.
I love all the recipes/dishes. I wonder if they make this cheese here.
I’m off to find out!
Heidi, the cheese is imported from Italy, although I’m not sure what region it’s from. I’ve found the imported stuff much better than the local offerings. Hope you track some down! :)
Great post Celia! My cos is also coming to an end and tender Caesar is the best answer.
I’d follow that cheese monger suggestions anytime!
Pamela, Johnny is extremely passionate, especially about Italian cheeses! Our next batch of cos are underway – it’s interesting how well it grows in winter here in Sydney. I hope it survives the cold! Steve Manfredi’s Caesar salad recipe didn’t include bacon, which I found interesting…
That kind of hard cheese is my absolute favourite. I adore proper Parmiggiano Reggiano (thinking wistfully of the dinner I have just eaten containing it!) but yours looks stunning! I love those beautiful lettuce leaves too – if they looked that fresh and perky in the shops I’d no doubt eat more salad – the benefits of growing your own!
Caroline, I love Reggiano too, but it seems to be a lot more expensive. The cheese shop actually have a buffalo parmesan which is to die for.
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2009/06/04/stracchino-buffalo-parmesan/
We’ve decided just to grow cos lettuce this season because it so suits how I like to harvest – I’ve realised getting down on my hands and knees with a pair of scissors to harvest non-heading lettuce really isn’t my cup of tea! :)
Oh, how absolutely delicious, especially those biscuits, Celia! I am glad to hear you still have Cos… we are having such bitter frosts now… minus 5 last night, ouch! I love home made Caesar salad with home grown ingredients… and I bet that cheese is awesome.
Lizzy, the cheese is a treat! But I especially liked being able to use a freshly laid egg to make the dressing – it was still a little warm! :)
That’s a really good price Celia, seems like terrific value. When it tastes that good, and its that rich and lovely , a little goes a long way :)
I have been hankering for a rich, creamy, cheesiness of a dish, and this mornings minus 6*c and your post have pushed me over the edge- gfree Mac and cheese, here I come! :)
Becca, thanks for noticing that – I thought it was great value as well. The little creamy dots were especially yummy. Minus 6! You guys must be freezing!
Oh, there you go, minus 6 in Canberra…. no wonder I am feeling it!
Stay warm love, you’ve only just gotten over the flu! xx
I’ve tried grana padano but I must admit that there’s nothing quite like a good reggiano. I could eat it for days! I also have a cheese biscuit recipe I want to try too. Yours look lovely and buttery/cheesy! :)
It really is delicious, but sometimes I find it a bit overpowering in dishes. Agree that it’s wonderful for straight eating though!
Ooh it looks so scrumptious especially the cheesy bread floating in the soup. The perfect winter warmer.
Claire, the soup was remarkable – no stock, just water! It’s hard to believe caulis could have so much gentle flavour! The recipe is definitely a keeper..
Grazie Celia, I am going to make a batch and freeze for last minute baking.
Hope you like them, Roz. They’re quite tender and crumbly. If you’re after a crunchier biscuit, you might like these as well:
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2009/06/06/christinas-parmesan-cookies/
Those cheese biscuits look delicious. Did you know Tupperware sell a cheese keeper? It is very good.
Barbara, I didn’t know that! Thanks for the headsup!
And that cheese seems to be quite reasonably priced too. I love the look of your Caesar salad – so fresh, crisp and crunchy. And I just love croutons in my soup, especially when they are grilled with cheese. Your cheese biscuits look perfect! xx
Thanks Charlie. When you finally do come over for that lunch we’ve been talking about, we’ll have to go do some shopping at the cheese shop.. :)
What a wonderful salad! That cheese is not cheap but it does sound worth the expense :)
Tandy, actually, compared to what imported cheeses cost here, it’s very reasonable! But you’re right of course, in absolute terms, it’s still not cheap! I’m going to make the salad again this weekend – we have lots of fresh young cos in the garden at the moment!
We prefer Grana Padano and Pecorino to the ‘real’ Parmesan – and my pocket certainly prefers it!
I use it, grated, in bread. We love it.
Pat, I love them all, but interestingly, my youngest son prefers Parmesan or Grana Padano, and my oldest prefers pecorino. We’re never without it in the fridge or freezer!
Wow, those cheese biscuits look marvellous. Perhaps somehow beautifully savoury, crumbly tender and buttery all at once – I guess I am dreaming out loud. Thankyou.
Craig, the proportions probably weren’t ideal, but they were very tender and crumbly, rather than hard and crunchy as cheese bikkies usually are. Could you please come over and show me how you make your flaky pastry? :)
Oh heaven there is nothing better than a fresh piece of tangy pineappley parmesan. love your shortbread and I cant believe there are any green tender leaves still surviving in the cold
http://www.mykitchenstories.com.au
Tania, I’m always surprised by how well the cos grow in winter. We have new young heads now that are nearly ready for harvesting, and a fresh batch of seedling has just gone in. It’s too cold for the bugs, so they’ve got a fighting chance!
(swoon!)
Wish I could ship some across the border to you! :)
first time I visit your site and I find this post about Italian-style cheese… you got my attention! love your section on bread. ciao! Barbara
Thanks for dropping by, Barbara! We live in Sydney’s innerwest, which is the hub of Italian food in our city. Our sons have grown up on San Daniele prosciutto and warm ricotta! :)
that sounds just awesome! had no idea that Italian food was so popular (and common) in Australia. I write an Italian inspired blog in English and I am crazy about bread just like you. hope you find the time to visit sometime. ciao!
Oh I love these cookies and can’t wait to try them. I’ve never made a cheesy cookie. I’m on a mission to make these this weekend. :)
Maureen, I hope you like them. This version is a little crumbly and tender, but if you wanted crunchier cheese cookies, you might also like these:
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2009/06/06/christinas-parmesan-cookies/
These ones from a Dan Lepard recipe are very good too:
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2010/11/09/weekend-treats/
must. have. cheese cookies. = <3
I bought some whole milk to make soft cheese this evening. That Parm looks so delicious. Maz
I’m kind of addicted to cheese cookies, so we can’t make them too often! :)
I like the idea of the biscuits being crumbly rather than crunchy, dry but not drying as you have said before. I’ll be in touch.
Look forward to catching up soon! :) x
It’s biscuits like these that I unfortunately would have to ‘try’ about 10…possibly 15.
Brydie, I certainly found it hard to resist snacking on them! :)
Wow … I have to try those cheese cookies… so simple!
Thanks for stopping by! The cookies are crumbly rather than crunchy, but we liked them a lot! Plus, as I said, I like baking in round numbers. :)
If you’re after a crunchier cookie, you might like these as well…
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2009/06/06/christinas-parmesan-cookies/
Hi Celia, I love Grana Padano. We eat it all the time and not just because it is cheaper than Parmigiano Reggiano but because we prefer it on pasta. Parmigiano Reggiano was on special not long ago and Maus bought half a kilo of it. As soon as we finished it, we bought our normal slab of Grana – we usually buy a kilo every month. I accept Parmigiano Reggiano is smoother but for pasta, Grana Padano is just fine.
Glenda, I love the Grana too, but my eldest son actually prefers pecorino! The Reggiano is sublime, but a bit too rich (both in flavour and in price) for daily eating, in our opinion. :)