Keepin’ it Wheel

Check that off the bucket list – cracking open a 90lb 2-year old wheel of heavenly Parmigiano Reggiano.

Thanks to the Specialty Team (especially Marketing Director Luke Cavener) at Whole Foods in Boise for making a foodie dream I didn’t even realize I had come true this weekend! The culinary gods were smiling when I got the early-morning call about participating in WFM’s annual Keepin’ It Wheel Annual Parmigiano Reggiano Crack. Heck – there’s even a T-shirt to commemorate the day.

Meet Cheesemonger Scottie (aka guy with quite possibly the coolest job ever.) I’ve met Scottie before when pondering how to put together the best charcuterie and cheese plate ever. Needless to say, there are many ways to accomplish that – and he’s more than happy to guide you to the best goat, sheep or cow’s milk cheese for the occasion. He was my cheese consigliere for the afternoon. See those tools atop the wheel? Those are the only things used to break this bad boy apart. Fittingly, the pointiest one is called a stiletto.

Like with their wine, Italians take their cheese seriously. Very seriously. Learning about the lineage and certification of true Parmigiano Reggiano reminded me of getting schooled on Chianti & Chianti Classico. It’s a protected designation of origin and under Italian law, only cheese produced in the provinces of  Parma, Reggio Emilia, and parts of Bologna, Modena, and Mantova can carry the mark of authenticity and be known as Parmigiano Reggiano. The markings on the side detail where it came from (the caseficio or cheese house) and when it was ‘born’ so to speak. This one had been waiting for its moment for two years. Per the WFM missive on these wheels, “the pin dots guarantee that the cheese was made under regulation of the Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano, conforming to its stringent standards of quality.”

(By the way, you may get high-fived to the face if you call this ‘shaker can Parmesan’. Scottie made that clear. The disdain, not the threat of violence.)  While Whole Foods made this a big day of celebration across the country – with dozens (hundreds?) of people getting a crack at cracking the wheel, it’s a common occurrence for the cheesmongers. Scottie said Whole Foods is the biggest global importer of these wheels, and he cracks one a week. He’s been doing this for ten years. Yeah, 520 wheels at least.

This would be my one and only opportunity to use the tools and techniques relied on for 900 years. Why argue with history (or Italians)?  As the photos below show, you start by scoring the rind with the tool with the hooked end. After that, the stiletto comes into play as you plunge it into the scored lines at several key points. It only takes a few insertions and maneuvering of the blade for the crack. And the aroma that comes out is amazing.
(Here’s video of Scottie making it look easy)Cracking the wheel once, twice, and then in half and smaller chunks and wedges, instead of straight cutting it from the start, means that you preserve those craggily crystal-like edges and texture. The longer the cheese ages, the more of that crystal crunch there is. And I won’t be biting into those crystal bits anytime soon without remembering my turn at the wheel.

That’s the thing about the hands-on culinary experience. It brings an appreciation for the heritage and craft behind the food that you may have taken for granted before. It remains with you after the taste of savoring the food has passed.

Thanks to Scottie for making me look like I knew what I was doing, and for sharing his favorite way to serve the delicious Parmigiano Reggiano  - a nice wedge with honey drizzled over it, rustic and ready for guests to dig into.

Mangia.

- The Parm Princess (moniker courtesy Michael Gilbert :)

(Photos of the cracking in action courtesy Whole Foods Market Boise)

Holiday Italian Sausage

My family on my mother's side has a tradition of infusing Italian culinary delights into the holidays. While it may be odd to those more familiar with turkey and ham this time of year, I love our 'Italian Christmas' - lasagna, Gramma Tootsie's … [Continue reading]

Fall Harvest: Bountiful Basil

Every year we put in a garden. And every year, the bounty is a tad lopsided. This year, we grew the heck out of basil.  The Italian side of me was thrilled, especially since I'd just returned from a trip to the motherland with a recipe for Pesto … [Continue reading]

Porcine Adventures

To kick off 2014, I went on a bit of a foodie sojourn for an experience I've coveted for some time. Living in Boise, I've gotten to know quite a few people of Basque heritage - and they rival my Italian family for great foodie traditions. Case in … [Continue reading]

A Few of my Favorite (Foodie) Things

While out with friends recently, I made a few suggestions on things they HAD to experience at a particular restaurant. It reminded me of a few texts exchanges I've had where friends ask, 'Where should I go for a great dessert?' or, 'What was that one … [Continue reading]

A Girl & a Pig

There once was a girl who wanted to butcher. She talked about it. She blogged about it. She handled meat and made sausage and got on stage to talk about it. Then she put her money and knives where her imagination was - and butchered that … [Continue reading]

An Idaho Foodie Feasting in Portland

Years ago, a former TV colleague of mine told me she and her husband planned their vacations around food events throughout the country. I thought, 'that sounds downright ridiculous!' Fast-forward a decade or so and here I am. Sitting in an RV … [Continue reading]

Culinary Collaborations at the Cabin, on the Farm, In the Field

What does it take for a place to truly establish its culinary chops? (pardon the pun) How about collaboration between chefs at the top of their game? Or, the ongoing creation of separate intimate foodie experiences? Or, synergy on display … [Continue reading]

Not a bad thing to be called

I've been called many things in my life - but my favorite thus far has to be the moniker courtesy the Boise Weekly - 'all-around foodie.' It was fun getting to share my foodie favs in their recent Restaurant + Bar Guide along with other … [Continue reading]

Mangia Fan from the Start

Weighing in at 10.5 pounds at birth could have been one indication.Or perhaps being born half-Italian, where eating and the art of mangia is an art form.Thanks to my dad for reminding me of my oft-messy foodie origins ;) … [Continue reading]