parmigiano reggiano

c h e e s e ?

yes, please~!!!! and especially p a r m i g i a n o r e g g i a n o .

I know, I'm sorry, but don't you just love parmigiano on shrimp? (gasp~! from the true Italianos: seafood topped with cheese? But it's a sin!) Not to me. and I love the Italian culture.

I particularly like parm most when some grande shrimps are just off the grill. That's right: large lovely shrimps, grilled with a little extra virgin olio... a squeeze of lemon, some parm and I'm in heaven.

You see, this is not just any cheese. This is Parmigiano Reggiano: it's amazingly versatile.

Did you know it has less than 30 calories per tablespoon when grated? And look how beautiful it is~! Top a red sauced spaghetti with it. . . or a pesto penne, steamed broccoli, asparagus risotto, pasta fagioli, sauteed chick peas, bruschetta, grilled zucchini quarters...

ah, now I remember one special pasta dish in Fort Lauderdale, FLA.
It was the hottest night, but we were still persistent in the kitchen: my mom, my nana and me.

This had been a HOT day and we were figuring out what to make in the even HOTTER kitchen. The three main ingredients were: zucchini, pasta (but of course), and parmigiano.

So we grated the zucch and we grated the parm,
we waited for the boil and we laughed more than ever.
Even on the hottest day we were able to enjoy this simple meal.

Maybe it was our free feeling from the mind-wavering heat,
or maybe it was our giddy-ness at being in our favorite place in the whole world.
I'm really not sure anymore, but this is one of those memories I will never forget.

mangia~!