Cheese of the Week: Mozzarella

Here she is, the Queen of Summer Cheeses. I've been waiting to write about Mozzarella until all the summer tomatoes grew dark and fat and the air was thick with the spicy aroma of basil. Perhaps I should've waited longer, but I just couldn't. And to be perfectly honest, I eat fresh Mozzarella year-round, without waiting for ripe tomatoes. I just sprinkle it with salt, drizzle it with olive oil and sandwich it between two slices of baguette. But it's even better with basil and tomatoes, isn't it? I especially like turning the basil into pesto and serving the pesto with Ciliegine Mozzarella (mozzarella that comes in the shape of small, cherry-sized balls.)

Fresh Mozzarella is softer and creamier than packaged Mozzarella, which has a firmer texture that makes it easier to grate into dishes like Lasagna. Fresh Mozzarella gets a little stringy when melted so I like it best served cold. Mozzarella is what cheesemakers call a stretched curd cheese because making Mozzarella involves pulling, kneading and tearing the curd. The cheese is actually named after this process; the Italian verb mozzare, means "to break or cut off." I haven't been brave enough yet to try making my own Mozzarella, but maybe this will be the summer I finally give it a go in my own kitchen. If I do, you'll be the first to know!