I\u2019ve recently been enjoying the joys of mozzarella cheese again, as I tend to do every summer.\u00a0 This light, mild white cheese is a great warm weather staple for the fridge.\u00a0 A few tomatoes, some mozzarella and a little basil can create the most wonderful salad that goes really well with chicken or steak.\u00a0 Slice it and melt it on a wonderful homemade pizza, stuff a homemade burger with a lump for a meltingly gorgeous surprise once cooked or chop it into squares and use it as part of an interesting tower of topping with a little chutney, for a chicken breast.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mozzarella cheese is great hot or cold and there\u2019s always have a ball or two lounging in the fridge at this time of year, ready to whip out the moment the sun shines.<\/p>\n
As with all things of Mediterranean origin, I do find that the better quality mozzarella inevitably tastes better.\u00a0 I would also caution that if you are buying the \u2018low fat\u2019 or \u2018half fat\u2019 versions you are simply wasting your time. \u00a0I know, the calorie conscious among you want to take me out and whip me mercilessly for such blatant blasphemy of the fat fighters\u2019 low fat mantra, but someone has to stand up and say it as it is.\u00a0 \u00a0Yes, you are getting all the texture of real mozzarella in these pretenders but, sadly, the flavour and taste, in my humble opinion, is completely lost.\u00a0 Really, what is the point of eating something that just doesn\u2019t cut it when it comes to taste?\u00a0 Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to encourage you to save a few calories on the lower fat versions, but from my own experience and in honour of my conscience and taste buds I just can\u2019t.\u00a0 Now I will add a little caveat in that I have tried \u2018many\u2019 but not necessarily \u2018all\u2019 the low fat mozzarella cheese varieties on the market, so if you do come across one that has a great taste let me know and I\u2019ll be happy to put it to the taste test.<\/p>\n
In the meantime I personally like traditional mozzarella when I can get my hands on it.\u00a0 Real mozzarella is made from water buffalo milk and is about three times more expensive than cows\u2019 milk.\u00a0 With a lot of mozzarella now being made with cows\u2019 milk this will account for the wild variance in the price of different brands all of the same size and weight.\u00a0\u00a0 Make sure you read the label properly.\u00a0 I have enjoyed some excellent cows\u2019 milk mozzarellas which are more easily available, but if I can get my hands on the water buffalo variety I would always prefer it.\u00a0\u00a0 Water buffalo are only herded in a few countries, mainly Italy and Bulgaria, and that would also account for the high cost as it has to be imported.<\/p>\n
Mozzarella cheese is unusual in that it is never aged and, unlike most of its cousins, it is actually at its best when eaten within hours of making it.\u00a0 It is a malleable curd cheese that has no rind and that\u2019s why it is packed in little sealed bags surrounded by water.\u00a0 Obviously it is far too soft to grate but you can slice it very thinly should you need to.<\/p>\n
As a mozzarella fan I was delighted to read that a recent study in an illustrious medical journal laid out even further evidence that the so called Mediterranean diet cuts the risk of heart disease to an even higher degree than previously believed.\u00a0\u00a0 Foods cited were mozzarella cheese, basil, tomatoes, olive oil, walnuts and almonds.\u00a0 Of course the study was quick to point out that the Mediterranean diet isn\u2019t low fat. \u00a0In fact, it\u2019s a moderate to high-fat diet, but the fats involved are healthy natural fats that tend to make us feel fuller for longer.\u00a0 One doctor pointed out the fact that with \u2018low fat\u2019 varieties of foods we tend to eat more of them and often inadvertently over eat.\u00a0 Without exercise and portion control when it comes to what you eat you won\u2019t necessarily lose weight by eating in a Mediterranean way, but it\u2019s the all round health benefits that we are after.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve recently become quite partial to grilled or fried aubergines.\u00a0 There was a time when you had to mess around and salt aubergines but for it doesn\u2019t seem to be necessary any more.\u00a0 Just slice them up, season them, add a little olive oil and lightly grill or fry.\u00a0 Indeed aubergine and cheese is the basis for the Greek dish, moussaka.\u00a0 What I\u2019ve been doing recently is adding a little slice of mozzarella, sandwiched between two lightly fried slices of aubergine.\u00a0 This is an easy, but tasty, rich and luscious side for a number of dishes.\u00a0 Mozzarella cheese is a great summer ingredient and no fridge should be without a ball this July.<\/p>\n
This post was written by me, Pat Whelan, owner of James Whelan Butchers and a passionate advocate of local artisan food. My family have been producing quality Irish Angus beef for generations using a traditional dry aging process. This tradition is one that I continue to practice at our abattoir on our family farm in Garrentemple, Clonmel. These posts aim to impart some of the wisdom to readers and help them get the best out of the meat they eat! Our meat is available\u00a0online here!<\/a>\u00a0I welcome your feedback to\u00a0Pat@jwb.ie<\/a><\/p>\n We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of \u00a0James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin.\u00a0Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I\u2019ve recently been enjoying the joys of mozzarella cheese again, as I tend to do every summer.\u00a0 This light, mild white cheese is a great warm weather staple for the fridge.\u00a0 A few tomatoes, some mozzarella and a little basil can create the most wonderful salad that goes really well with chicken or steak.\u00a0 Slice […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[25],"tags":[48,506,219,505,47],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n