The US specialty cheese community is small and earlier this year I was reminded how small when I attended a Food Show in Atlanta with my Culinary Arts Class. You can read about it here. From that encounter, Tara Harmon, ACS CCP friend sent me a whole wheel of Schuman Cheese Cello Reggianito, the South American take on the iconic Parmigiano Reggiano. This fifteen pound wheel was crafted in Uruguay. Schuman also hosted a Cheese Tasting event donated to the local Pilot Club.
A little history is in order. In the 19th Century Europeans began migrating to South America in large numbers; Uruguay and Argentina were their destinations of choice. The migration continues today although it did level off in the late 20th Century. It is interesting (at least to me) to note that today 90% of the population of Uruguay is of European descent, 30% are of Italian descent. Uruguayans of Italian descent are considered a part of the “elite” class of Uruguay.
Arthur Schuman, the founder of Schuman Cheese, traveled to South America in the late 1940s to work with the Italian immigrants to develop cheeses; the Italian-style cheeses of their homeland. One of those cheeses was Parmigiano Reggiano, a DOP-protected Italian cheese, arguably considered the “King of Cheeses”. Because of protection laws and his respect for the King of Cheeses, Schuman and the Uruguayan Cheesemakers chose to name their homage Reggianito.
Cheesemonger friends have used Parmigiano Reggiano wheels, carved out into bowls, to prepare pasta dishes and when the wheel arrived I turned to my Chef Instructors, Alex and Chris Bladowski, at North Georgia Technical College to discuss hosting an “event” using the wheels to create Fettuccine Alfredo. As luck would have it… as is sometimes said at the Hold Em table, “it’s good to be lucky”, the Habersham County 4H Club was scheduled to visit and “cook” with the Culinary Class on June 26th. We decided to incorporate the Reggianito Fettuccine Alfredo into the day.
I was in 4H in Junior High and have fond memories of the group but Habersham County has taken the experience to far more than we did back in the 60s. The members were poised, impressive and enthusiastic. I discussed doing a Cheese Tasting with the group at a later date. Should be fun.
Chef Chris led the “tutorial” on finishing the Fettuccine Alfredo in the half wheels. The Culinary Class made the fresh pasta in the kitchen and kept it warm. The trick to success for this dish and demonstration is having all the ingredients, including the wheel, warm or at room temperature. You’re not cooking the dish in the wheel; you’re finishing it. In a restaurant it would be a table-side “show” for the customer.
Chef began by adding a little vodka to the wheel and torching it to melt the cheese in the wheel to get the show going. Then the fettuccine was added and tossed to coat with the cheese and then heavy cream was added; a little salt and a little pepper to finish it off. The 4H-ers loved it and the finished savory dish was the main entrée with the side dishes and deserts the 4H-ers prepared under the watchful eyes of the Culinary Class. There are several videos on my YouTube Channel of this dish and other dishes prepared by the 4H group but this is my favorite:
Our thanks to Schuman Cheese and Tara Harmon for making this event a success!!!
Save the date – but make your reservations today – almost sold out – Bastille Day Wine and Cheese Tasting at Blue Haven Bee Company in Canon. All French cheeses supplied by Swiss American. Our thanks to Tara Sabatini ACS CCP and BeBops Bakery in Royston who is providing the Baguettes, Macarons and French Truffles.
Contact Brianna at Blue Haven Bee Company: 706 245 6586 or brianna @ bluehavenbee. But don’t wait; we’re almost sold out. $45 per person and includes your own French Beret. We’ll be celebrating in the new meadery and tasting the new mead and French wines plus an adult icee.
If you want to increase your cheese IQ or are planning to sit for the ACS CCP exam, join the discussion at our Facebook Cheese Study Group.
FTC Full Disclosure – The manufacturer sent me their product(s), without any obligation on my part, hoping I would review the product/cheese. For more information, please see my About Me page.
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