| Cooking Hints from Food Network Kitchens: Exploring Cheeses and Perfect French Fries |
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By Lynn Kearney
Food Network Kitchens Question: I've been looking through some cookbooks recently and have come across some crazy types of cheeses that I've never heard of before. Can you tell me a little bit about the following: Locatelli, Mizithra and Farmhouse? -- Doretta Answer: Like so many things in the food world, the choices and regional versions of various ingredients are endless. Here's a brief background of the cheeses you've asked about. Percorino From the word "pecora," which means "ewe" in Italian, cheeses made from sheep's milk in Italy are called pecorino. Although the majority of pecorino is made in southern Italy (especially Sardinia), the best-known pecorino is Pecorino Romano. Genuine Romano is only produced in the province of Rome from November to June. Locatelli This is actually a brand name for a specific producer of pecorino that is imported to the United States. While pecorino is a tad sharper than Parmesan, parm is often used as a substitute when cooking. It is to southern Italy what Parmigiano-Reggiano is to the north. Mizithra A traditional Greek whey cheese. It has been manufactured in Greece for thousands of years and is considered the ancestor of all Greek whey cheeses. Mizithra is manufactured from whey derived from ewe's, goat's or cow's milk or mixtures of milks in the regions of Macedonia, Thrace, Thessalia, Sterea Hellas, Peloponissos, Ionian islands, Aegean islands and Crete. It comes both fresh and dried. The fresh kind comes unsalted or slightly salted and is consumed a few hours or days after it is manufactured (cottage cheese can be substituted). Also, the cheese is dried, salted and consumed as a sharp grated cheese - try it on hot pasta with melted butter and sage. "Farmhouse" This is not a specific type of cheese, but a term used to denote a cheese made by a farm using exclusively the milk from its own herd. Additionally, Farmhouse cheese makers usually use raw (unpasteurized) milk in their cheeses because they feel the pasteurization process removes some of the "character" of their milk. During the cheese's aging process, the cheese builds up certain acids, which cause it to "self-pasteurize," making it perfectly safe to eat. Question: A recipe for French fries I was reading recently said to "heat oil to 300. Blanch for 2 minutes. Heat oil to 350 -- fry ... etc." Does this mean to blanch in oil or blanch the traditional way -- in water? -- Brian Answer: Brian, I'm glad you asked this because it's high time people learned how to make a great French fry. It all starts with a potato that has been peeled and cut into strips. Keep in mind that size doesn't matter here, thin shoestring potatoes, big wedges, whatever you like, so long as they're all cut close to the same size to ensure even cooking. One key thing to remember when working with potatoes is to keep them submerged in water after you have peeled them, and again after you've cut them into strips. This prevents them from oxidizing and turning brown. And don't forget to pat dry potatoes that have been sitting in water before you put them in the fryer -- water and hot oil are not good friends and dripping water will cause the oil to spit and splatter. The key to a French fry that's nicely cooked on the inside and crispy on the outside is by cooking them twice. Therefore, blanching as you read in the recipe, and in the case of French fries, means briefly cooking them in hot oil that's about 300-325 degrees. This is really to cook the inside, so take them out before they start getting any color. The second dip in the fryer at the higher temperature (350 to 375 degrees F) is where you are looking for that golden brown color. It also serves to reheat the fries, so be sure to have a stack of paper towels and a salt shaker close at hand. As soon as you get those potatoes out of the fryer, shake a little salt in their direction and enjoy. Note: potatoes can be peeled, cut and left in water over night. Additionally, French fries can be blanched a little ahead of time (an hour or two) and then given a final fry just before serving. (Got a question for the culinary experts at Food Network? Send inquiries to Ask Food Network Kitchens via e-mail at askfn@foodtv.com or by writing Food Network P.O. BOX 1180, Radio City Station, New York, N.Y. 10101-1180. Due to the volume of inquiries, questions will only be answered in columns. For more information, visit www.foodtv.com Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.)
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