Are you ready to crack the Parm?
I’m referring to Parmigiano Reggiano, that sharp-tasting cheese that’s the perfect topping to many an Italian dish. I also prefer mine as a stand-alone treat — the cheese provides a big burst of flavor and it coats your tongue in a way that brings to mind the Japanese concept of umami, the so-called “fifth taste” of savory.
Fortunately, the folks at Whole Foods are as passionate about Parmigiano Reggiano as I am. And their passion is translating into a one-of-a-kind national event. On Feb. 27, at 3 p.m., Whole Foods stores across the country will be cracking open one of those 85-pound wheels of Parm, each aged for more than 24 months.
They’re hoping to top a record they set back in 2008 — yes, it’s been recorded by the Guinness folks — of “Most Parmigiano Reggiano Wheels Cracked Simultaneously.” (Hey, someone must care about these things.)
But what’s so remarkable about slicing into some cheese? Well, because of the sheer size and density of this particular cheese, it takes the right tools — five, in fact — and more than a little elbow grease. Figure about a half-hour for each wheel of Parm.
Of course, there are easier — and more modern — methods of cracking the Parm. But they just don’t, well, cut it.
“It takes the authenticity away,” explains Frank Verner, who heads the cheese department at Whole Foods’ Palm Beach Gardens store at Downtown at the Gardens.
Moreover, Verner says that modern methods expose too much of the “meat of the cheese,” which changes the flavor. “You want the least amount of intrusion,” says Verner, who’s traveled to Italy to meet with some of the families who have made Parmigiano Reggiano going back for centuries.
If you can’t attend Saturday’s event, slated for the Whole Foods (wholefoodsmarket.com) stores in Palm Beach Gardens, Wellington and Boca Raton, you can partake in other ways.
For example, Whole Foods recently concluded a contest where shoppers can submit their favorite recipes using Parmigiano Reggiano — go to wholefoodsmarket.com/products/behindtherind to read some of the 1,000-plus submitted ideas.
The site also includes a few of Whole Foods’ own Parm recipes, including this great and simple one below:
Parmigiano Reggiano Crisps
1 cup grated (not shredded) Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
Preheat oven to 300°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Mix cheese with thyme in a bowl. To form each crisp, spoon 2 to 3 teaspoons of the cheese mixture onto a baking sheet to make a small pile.
Space the piles 2 to 3 inches apart as you go. When both baking sheets are full, lightly press cheese with the back of a spoon or your fingers to flatten each pile into a 2-inch circle.
Bake until slightly browned on top, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove baking sheets from oven and cool for a few minutes to let crisps firm up a bit. Slide parchment off baking sheet and use a spatula to loosen the crisps.
They should be slightly flexible, but will harden as they finish cooling. Repeat process with remaining cheese mixture. Allow crisps to cool completely before storing in an airtight container, layered between sheets of waxed paper.
Bell wins third straight best chef nomination
Congrats to Zach Bell, chef of Café Boulud in Palm Beach (at the Brazilian Court, 301 Australian Ave.; 561-655-6060; cafeboulud.com). For the third straight year, he’s been nominated for best chef in the South honors by the James Beard Awards, the culinary world’s equivalent of the Oscars.
Bell, who has yet to win, will face plenty of competition, including from fellow South Florida nominees Dean James Max (3030 Ocean in Fort Lauderdale), Philippe Ruiz (Palme d’Or in Coral Gables), Michael Schwartz (Michael’s Genuine in Miami) and Kris Wessel (Red Light Little River in Miami).
