THE RELUCTANT GOURMET COOKING COMMUNITY

[French Foodie]

Alright, so here's a call out to see how you like to use parmesan. Do you like getting boxed or fresh? What are some of your favorite dishes to make using parmesan? For me personally, I always buy a nice 3/4 lb block of parmesan (it keeps in the fridge amazingly) and use it on lots of stuff. It adds so much depth to a good alfredo sauce. Mmmm tasty. i think I have my dinner planned for the evening.

[kell]

Once upon a time, I used the green box and never got too exited about ever using it on anything. It was something you bought once a year or so whether you needed it or not. But once I tried fresh, just on a whim .... oh baby there's no stopping me now. I like parmasan on anything pasta. Or mixed with cracker crumbs and spices and used for breading chops. It's easier for me to find the pre-shredded or grated in the grocery store, rather than chunks, which would be nice.

Do you make your own Alfredo or use jarred?? And for a little segueue : I don't know if this is weird or not, but the thought popped into my head yesterday and I can't shake it; has anyone tried mixing Alfredo and any basic red pasta sauce together? If so, what did you think?

[French Foodie]

Oh what happens once one's eyes are opened to fresh parmesan. I never was able to get into the pre-grated cheese though. It tastes so much dryer.

As for the alfredo, I always make my own. It's an extremely basic sauce: butter, heavy cream, and parmesan. Plus I haven't really found an alfredo sauce that I liked for a reasonable price. I must admit that I have never tried mixing a red and a white sauce. However, I'm pretty sure the flavor profiles would conflict--I could be wrong though.

[jfield]

Here's a nice way to make parmesan crunchy: use your fine microplane to grate little piles of parm onto a silpat. Bake in oven at 325 until bubbly and just starting to turn golden. You can shape them over a glass to make them curve while still warm or just use them flat. They are a great way to turn regular caesar salad into Special Caesar Salad.

[ninjabut]

Just a little side bar.
My brother was in the Merchant Marines and traveled all over the place.
He brought my SIL a wheel of Parmaisan.
It was so hard to cut in order to grate it, she would take it out to the shop and cut out a wedge with the band saw.
Their weimeraner (sp) just LOVED this! She would sit under and get covered with cheese! NT
I buy fresh when I can, but usually have to go with the fresh grated in a tub. NT

[jfield]

"Oh, hooray! It's snowing cheese again. Whenever the human lady takes the big stone to the shop, the cheese snow happens. It's good to be me!"

--The Weimaraner

[ninjabut]

Yep, Jenni! You've GOT IT!
She would just lick herself clean on Parmesan Day! LOL NT

[DaveJ]

To be honest when I use Parmesan as a topping on a casserole I do not mind the boxed one, but if I put some parmesan on the plate it has to be fresh one...

[The Cheesemonger's Wife]

There is a reason why the call Parmigano-Reggiano the King of Cheeses. Anything else just really won't do. The drastic differences between Kraft boxed cheese and the real thing are too numerous to mention. You can always find great deals on Parm from your local cheese shops. It averages around 11-13 dollars a pound...and a pound of Parm is worth it's weight in gold. It's perfect for a cheese platter, to add body to soups/sauces.....It really should be a staple cheese in one's fridge. The key to keeping it really fresh is making sure it's wrapped tightly to prevent air exposure...air will dry it out and make it basically inedible. Another trick I use is when I'm down to the rind...I just chuck it in my pot of sauce and let the flavor permeate the sauce...then just fetch it out before serving.

[Dilbert]

veddy interesting . . .

after watch the tv foodies raving about reggie parm I decided to up my exploratory taste buds - I don't have a purpose built cheese grater, so I got a plastic tub of "freshly grated" imported parm regg with a date code two weeks out from my local market.

(relatively) expensive. not relatively a disaster. inedible.

now....I've spend considerable business trip time in Italy and I have not the leastest question that good parm regg is good stuff. ergo I surmise my taste buds are not anti-parm regg

since it was within reason "freshly dated" I can only assume the Giant market is "importing" really not so good stuff.

how does one find a truly good parm?
oh, and iffin you know a good source, I'm still looking for some prosciutto to match the stuff I got stuffed on in Torino....

[The Cheesemonger's Wife]

NEVER buy Parm pre-grated! NEVER. As you have found out...you don't know how old it really is. The easiest way to grate parm yourself is in your cuisinart with the big blade. Just cut the parm in to managable cubes and whiz away....voila..grated parm...I also use a microplane for small jobs.

You know you get good parm when you see the wheel the cheesemonger is cutting from. The wheel itself with be stamped with the name of the cheese...PARMA!

Where do you live and maybe I can point you into the right direction. Most wine stores have a cheese counter with good parm...cut to order.

[Victor]

I use parmesan as topping for salads and lately I'm making toasts with roast beef and some parmesan and tastes very good.

I've never cooked/warmed parmesan and I'll never do it. I think there are other cheeses to do that.

[Dilbert]

>>I've never cooked/warmed parmesan and I'll never do it. I think there are other cheeses to do that.

well, gosh. there are other cheeses that can be grated, too.

so far as not "warming" Parmesan - you're missing a whole boat load of really good stuff - some that are centuries old / time proven / people approved dishes.

[LADawg]

[LADawg]

Using fresh parmesan vs the dry stuff that comes in a box is kind of like using fresh ground black pepper for the first time.

One taste and you will never go back to that stuff in a box, be it parmesan cheese or black pepper.