Mungo, the little bastard who stole the Parmigiano-Reggiano and much more
This is the dog with the embarrassing problem that stole the Parmigiano-Reggiano that had been hardening in the fridge for weeks.
Little bastard.
Luckily I had already shaved, with a dangerous weapon, some of hard stuff onto the pasta and ragu.
There’ve been many lessons over the past few days. Here are a few:
1. Cheese is best kept in a special climate controlled environment such as the excellent cheese room at The Richmond Hill Larder. There are special temperature controlled fridges for wine and humidors for both chocolate and cigars. Why hasn’t anybody come up with a cheese humidor?
Sadly, almost all cheeses suffer in the fridge. Soft Brie and Camembert stay hard, the aforementioned Parmigiano-Reggiano goes hard. The wrapping from the cheese shop can’t protect them and cling film simply makes them sweat.
Lesson: Buy less cheese more frequently and eat as soon as possible (after leaving out at room temperature for a while).
2. A Jack Russell can jump high and poke its head a good 10cm in on a worktop even when wearing a lampshade. Items lost by leaving them too close to the edge include various takeaway containers of curry, Baker D Chirico muffins, Il Fornaio doughnuts, several soft and blue cheeses and, tonight, Parmigiano-Reggiano – to name but a few. He then runs down the corridor and hides in my office under the Chesterfield. Luckily he can’t get under tonight because of the lampshade.
Lesson: Don’t leave anything near the edge.
See how the sauce sticks
3. Last week I made a vat of ragu, my first meal being served with spaghetti. Once round and flat pasta would be made on a wooden surface and would take on the grain of the wood, which the sauce would stick to. Nowadays it is mostly made with stainless steel and has less stick – unless the pasta is specially designed to hold pasta sauce.
Lesson: Use a pasta like the one shown which will hold the sauce between the ridges on the surface and trap some of the meat inside.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Ed, I know this seems a bit anal but I have a solution to your cheese issues!
I have a small Styrofoam box that I keep in my fridge; it is the type of box that delicate objects such as zucchini flowers are delivered in, to a restaurant (perhaps a green grocer or restaurant could help you out?). I have mine lined with a damp tea towel and keep my cheese in it wrapped in the nice wax paper they give you at Richmond Hill Café and Larder. The trick is to keep the box lid on tight and it creates a mini humid environment that the cheese keeps longer for –it you don’t eat it all first.
Jack
Ed – you need a parmesan keeper – the best thing I ever come across. Without even covering the parmesan, this ilttle vessel actually doubles as a grater.
I might take a photo and post it on my blog to show you.
It’s the best bit of kit in our fridge. The parmesan keeps well and the there is no need for wrapping at all.
No mould and minimal drying out.
As for the dog? I would suggest you call in CSI for the cause of death!
Oo, cheeky little bugger! I hope pup’s tum isn’t suffering from his indulgent dinner
The pasta looks great, so at least you managed to save some cheese. I have a machine called FoodSaver which is fantastic for cheese. It’s one of those things that suck out all the air and seal the food inside a bag and I can keep cheese for months and months in the fridge that way. They’re a bit pricey, over $100 US here, but it’s saved me enough money to pay for itself. I use it a lot to make my own frozen dinners too.
Oh to be a dog in a foodie’s household. (Sorry, I know you’re not a ‘foodie’!)
I was told by a cheesemaker to keep cheddar in a tupperware container with a cube of sugar to absorb the moisture.
Ed – the cheese room at De Bortoli winery in the Yarra Valley is excellent – I went there a few weeks ago and had the tasting board while tasting the wines. Excellent value at $10….
Even was two of us sharing the same board. I could have died then a very happy man!
Thanks, everybody. I shalltry out some of these suggestions.
Jack, I’ start off with youres although I find the wax paper often doesn’t do it alone.
Steve, I’ll check your blog to se the pic.
Ellie, I caught him so his tum is okay.
Kalyn, I’ve often wondered about one of those vacuum things for saving proscuitto and other f**die stuff that sometimes finds its way into the fridge.
Kitchenhand, you are correct n both counts. Don’t forget the cat who also enjoys tuna tartare and leftover grilled fish.
Cin, maybe if I try each one and blog a list of the best. The sugar cube sounds intrguing.
Lucas, I will be driving pat this weekend so may try it out.
Looks like Mungo has good taste!
Hehehe. My wife’s family had a beagle that loved cheese. It wouldn’t matter if the cheese was near the edge or not, he could smell it from across the house. One evening, everyone left the room with a sizable chunk from a wheel of brie on the table, and came back less than a minute later to find the brie vanished, and a smug-looking Declan in the room. The lesson: never leave your cheese!