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Parmigiano Reggiano (aka Parmesan Cheese)

NEVER NEVER NEVER use parmesan cheese that is not 100% parmigiano reggiano. Do not buy green tubes of "parmesan cheese". Do not buy anything that says "italian cheese".  IF you go ahead and fresh grate your own parmesan (which will seem a little pricey to buy at first) you will reap the rewards of much better and more pungent flavor for much less quantity.  In addition you can actually shave the fresh cheese so that the little shavings melt on the pasta, or on the soup and add a mellower flavor and noticeable texture. 

The Parmigiano-Reggiano is marked from top to bottom all the way around: the identifying words "Parmigiano-Reggiano" are indelibly imprinted all over the convex "wall" of each cheese. This ensures that however small the cheese is cut, each fragment will be recognised from the marks on its rind as authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano..Authentic parmigiano reggiano will always have some part of that name printed on the rind.  If there is no printing that indicates reggiano, don't buy it.  Parmigiano-Reggiano is not a kind of parmesan; it is Parmesan cheese, the original, authentic Parmesan cheese.  Most decent grocery stores these days has parmigiano reggiano fresh. It will not feel soft to your touch...it is a hard, sharp, crumbly cheese.  It tends to darken with age, and dry out, so when comparing pieces, choose those lighter in color. 

Some folks use a large fork or parmesan knife (as shown in the picture above) to chunk off little hunks to wrap with proscuitto, a piece of fruit, or a little giardinara peppers and a glass of wine.  Shave with a paring knife or grate in one of those crank graters quick and easy. It will be very fluffy, not like that dried out stuff in the green tube. Buy it in small quantities that you will use within about a month.  The wedges of Parmigiano-Reggiano should always be wrapped in saran wrap (or a zip lock bag) and stored in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator. If it is not protected the cheese will dry out quickly.  Also available from Balducci's if you absolutely cannot find it in your area, but very expensive that way...($12.00 per pound, plus shipping). 

You Look Mahvelous!

Yes, it's true.  It's not so much what you cook but how it looks when you bring it to the table.  For instance, a melon salad is just melon salad unless it is a Viking sailing boat that leaves them feeling the wind on their face and delivering succulent melon into their mouths (perhaps with a bit of mint chopped into it and a strawberry yogurt to dip it in).  To do that, you will need this, which you can order online or off from QVC, the shopping channel on TV.  The Art of Garnishing Book w/ Tool Kit

Item Number K57791    QVC Price $19.75  Introductory Price $17.97

This kit includes: the Zig-Zag cutter for making cucumber or zucchini boats, the Waffle-Edge cutter for
making potato gaufrettes, the Spiral Slicer for vegetable spirals, the Twin Curler for making vegetable curls and a paring knife for fluting mushrooms, making celery or scallion sunbursts. All the tools are made of stainless steel and are dishwasher safe. Also included is the 104 page book; The Art of Garnishing, which explains methods to create your own masterpieces. 1yr LMW. Made in USA.

The first time I went to a cooking school, back in the olden days of my youth, I remember hearing over and over again that garnishing, that serving a beautiful platter, that making food pretty vastly enhanced its taste.  Over the years, Japanese restaurants, and nouveau cuisine emphasized that lesson.  Even differences between a plain baked potato served with varied toppings as opposed to a pre-seasoned, twice baked potato with a top varnish and a crusty rebake; or a pile of chopped liver on a plate or the same pile  molded into a chicken sitting on a nest make the point.  If you don't make it pretty, don't bother to make it.