The cheese store was quiet today, but that didn’t preclude me from having a transcendent moment this afternoon.
A bad first pass on the slicer left me with a piece of Prosciutto di Parma not quite pretty enough to sell to a customer. I took a quick nibble and set it aside on a sheet of wax paper, before waiting on another shopper. She asked what we had on sale- “anything like the Parmesan?” I unwrapped a block of Pecorino Gran Glona that happened to be on sale, aged and exhibiting similar lactic acid crystals to the Parmigiano Regianno, but made from sheep’s milk. I immediately had an epiphany, but had to wait until I had finished taking care of the customer. Only after she left was I able to plane a piece of the cheese for myself, set it atop the thin, pink, almost translucent piece of prosciutto, and then pop the combination into my mouth. It was a moment to remember. The mellow, almost nutty flavor of the prosciutto perfectly offset the rich earthiness of the cheese, with the slight moistness of the air-cured meat balancing the dryness of the aged pecorino. Kids, do try this at home.
(Apologizes for my failure to tote my digital camera around with me, or to even remember to use my camera phone.)
