Hail to the chefs – and emperors of imports

Whenever I travel to central Italy the locals tell me, “Remember, if you get lost, all roads lead to Rome.” When it comes to Italian sheep”™s milk ricotta, and many other specialty imports, I say, “All roads lead to Franko Soprano,” the gourmet scholar of Yonkers, N.Y.

In the food industry, he is hailed as a regional Italian emperor and a Discovery Channel encyclopedia for chefs yearning to broaden their food menu vocabulary.

“I like to introduce crazy things that will create penetration power. My Mediterranean imports always dominate the market,” said Soprano.

And like Augustus Caesar, his crazy items do rule the countryside and establish exciting trends. For example, over the last five years one ingredient, imported sheep”™s milk ricotta, has become a dairy staple for many Italian restaurants and high-profile retail stores.

The cheese is produced by Paolo and Pietro Punturi, on land the family has leased from the Vatican for more than 50 years, from sheep that are 100 percent grain fed. “They are true shepherds, originally from Sardinia and settling in Lazio. The milk comes from a variety of local farmers. The ricotta is USDA-approved and a limited production,” said Soprano.

What makes this ricotta so special? According to Executive Chef David DiBari of Zuppa in Yonkers, “It is slightly tart like goat cheese but very creamy. Also, it does not a have high water content. That makes it perfect for our baked savory soufflé served with duck salami. It is a popular appetizer. However, because it is a fresh import, I only feature it as a special.”

 

At Restaurant One in Irvington, N.Y., Executive Chef Jeff Raider creates a “to die for” ravioli filling when combining sheep”™s milk ricotta, fresh truffles, eggs and Parmesan cheese. The raviolis are served with sautéed porcini mushrooms and fava beans.

Like so many people, I grew up cooking with Polly-O ricotta. However, in the mid-1990s I quickly switched brands when many noteworthy chefs in Fairfield and Westchester counties were buying Calabro hand-crafted fresh ricotta cones produced from Vermont cow”™s milk. Resembling an actual ice cream cone, each piece is sealed by hand at Calabro Cheese Corp.”™s Connecticut facility to preserve the freshness and fluffy quality of the cheese. Then, a few years ago, I met Soprano and he introduced me to Santa Maria sheep”™s milk ricotta. From that moment on, I instantly became an import addict, developing a constant craving for sheep”™s milk cheese packaged in a 3 kilogram basket-weave tub.

In March, I attended my regional Italian dinner group and the hostess, Lucille, prepared an appetizer called “ricotta gnocchi.”

Based on a recipe past down to her from another Italian-born “Santa Maria””“ Maria Antonucci, her mother ”“ I decided it was time to resurrect it.

The recipe for Maria Antonucci”™s ricotta gnocchi:

*3 pounds fresh Calabro ricotta or imported Santa Maria sheep”™s milk ricotta

*Flour as needed (see below)

*3 eggs

The day before preparation, drain the whey from the ricotta by sitting it in a colander on top of a bowl in the refrigerator. On a flat surface, place the drained ricotta in a mound and indent the middle for the eggs. For each pound of ricotta, add one egg and mix together. Add flour slowly by the cupful, and knead gently until the ingredients are slightly sticky and in one large ball. Dust surface and hands with flour and cut ball into smaller pieces to roll out into logs approximately one-half inch in diameter. Cut into one-half inch pillows. Each pillow is then rolled over the back of a fork to create ridge marks. (These ridges help sauce stick to them.) Let dry for a few hours then drop in to salted, boiling water. They are cooked when they float to the top ”“ it only takes a few minutes. Serves 4-6.