"piemonte" news and stories

Robiola are unique cheeses from the Piemonte and Lombardia, which are regions of Italy. The cheeses have a long history going back into antiquity, and are members of the Stracchino family of cheeses. Ribiola is unique because it can be made from one, two, or three types of milk from cows, sheep, and goats, something a bit unusual in the cheese making world. It is also made in several styles as well, including fresh and aged, so this is a cheese that can be radically different in taste and texture depending upon how and who makes it. I read about it recently but haven't had the chance to try it since it can be hard to find in the U.S. Have you you seen or tried any of the varieties of Robiola available?

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With the Olympics drawing to a close, why not take the opportunity this weekend to try a classic recipe from Turin. Probably the most famous food item (apart from it's gianduja chocolates) is bagna cauda [BAHN-ya COW-da], a sort of oil-based fondue. The name is a derivation of bagna calda which means "hot bath."

There are plenty of recipes for bagna cauda on the web, but I decided to IM my Italian aunt for a loose recipe, and she happily obliged. Gotta love technology. (Errors in translation are mine.) Read a few other recipes to get an idea for measurements as she doesn't include any.


Bagna Cauda

4-6 whole heads of garlic
anchovies under salt (160 grams), washed, remove bones
milk
extra virgin olive oil
cream or butter

Vegetables for dipping: artichokes, Jerusalem artichokes, peppers, endive, cipolline onions, leeks, carrots, fennel, celery, radishes, cabbage