Lou Di Palo is a beloved New York treasure. In addition of running with his family’s iconic specialty food store Di Palo in Little Italy with an over 100 years history, he is a food expert and author of Guide to Essential Foods of Italy, a book whose forward was written by acclaimed director Martin Scorsese and praised by celebrity chefs such as Daniel Boulud.
A true authority in the subject of Italian cheese, he is sharing some tips to create the perfect cheese board, while providing a regional gastronomy lesson.
“An Italian cheese board should reflect the diversity of the country’s regions, and include different textures,” he explains. While Lou believes that cheese boards should be based on personal preferences, he recommends asking advice to someone that understands the different types of cheese and can give guidance. “At my store, my clients might taste ten varieties before deciding.”
For a classic board, he would choose some of the most prominent Italian cheeses from different regions, three to five varieties at most: “I would start with a soft Toma cheese from Piemonte, such as Robiola, made with a mix of sheep and cow milk. Alongside, I would add another creamy note such as Gorgonzola, a mild blue vein cheese exclusive of the Lombardia region. Moving down the Po Valley to Emilia Romagna, I would include the iconic Grana Padano, with a more sweet and delicate taste, or Parmigiano Reggiano, for more intensity. Asiago Pressato would be next, semi-soft cheese from Veneto, or alternatively, a wonderful goat cheese wrapped with walnut leaves from the region’s Dolomites mountains. Finally, a Pecorino from the Lazio region, in the area of Viterbo, where the sheep free graze, or from Tuscany or Sardegna, great options as well.”
As compliments, Lou recommends chestnut honey for stronger cheeses, acacia for milder ones, and a fig jam, his favorite, while other jam varieties can be also used according to taste. “Personally, I also love mostarda, a typical spicy fruited mustard. For example, the one from Mantova has great pear and white melon variety”. Finally no crackers near the board, instead, crusty bread, such as pane pugliese, focaccia or pizza bianca.
Di Palo offers a wide variety of options for more adventurous choices, such as cheeses made with buffalo milk, with a soft creamy texture similar to camembert, or seasoned with peppercorns. Lou, originally a purist, has recently opened up to cheese producers doing “affinature”, a technique of aging a cheese while changing its environment to bring a new complex taste, for example wrapping it in herbs or grasses or soaking it in unique wines. “An example if Antonio Carpenedo in Treviso,” he explains. “He takes a blue vein cheese, sharper than gorgonzola, soaks it in passito wine then covers it with cranberries. This will balance the strong taste of the cheese with sweetness through the wine and tartness through cranberries”. One producer blends goat and cow cheese in a grotto with chestnut leaves and ages it for a long period of time. The chestnut leaves permeate in the cheese that becomes of a dark marron color and caramelized. In Alto Adige, another one uses a World War II bunker to age his cheeses. “They take the cheese to another level, I am excited to introduce these new unique products to my customers.”
While the store, doesn’t offer pre-prepared cheese boards, they can be enjoyed at their nearby C. Di Palo wine bar.