I know I have disappeared again for like a month. I have no excuses or reasons to give, except a promise to be back with more -That I have been working behind the scenes and hope to share bits of it with you soon.
Meanwhile, I wanted to stop by, say hello and leave you with brush of Sardinia. In Tuscany, you will hear a lot about Pecorino. Actually, in any part of Italy where the mountain cut, Apennines or Dolomites, you will hear of the cheese because it is made from sheep's milk and, sheep live on mountains! Yes, Tuscan pecorino is fantastic, especially, those from the drier parts of the region. But, Emilia Romagna has nothing to be shy about, especially in the montagna regions that have the best erbazzone, parmiggiano reggiano and pecorino!
During that hike when I was in Castelnuovo dei Monti, I picked up some pepperoncino pecorino. Yes, that would be the influence for the quintessential American pepperjack cheese! Paired with Italian staples - cured pork (truffle sausage here), bread (Sardinian Pane Carasau, the flat bread typical of the region) it was a match made in heaven! Lunch then was a simple affair of quick cooked sauce tomatoes with a little hint of chilli, sliced sausage and then topped with steamed broccoli and shavings of pecorino with a side of the pane!
Buonissima! :)