There is nothing that I love to talk about more than ITALIAN FOOD. So when Paolo invited me to be on his podcast, Thoughts on the Table, I was thrilled!
However, I had never been on a podcast before (though I listen to them non-stop), so I had no idea what to expect. Paolo made the process so easy and fun! We had so much to say that we didn’t get through everything we had planned to chat about (otherwise the interview would have been like 2 hours long). So there might be an encore in the future!
You can listen to my interview here directly on Paolo’s website, and there are also links to iTunes and all of the other podcast apps too.
You’ll get to learn how and why Italian at Heart came into existence, why local is always better, and why connection is so important to me.
I also mention two kinds of cheese – Asiago and Taleggio (pictured below). When I’m in the US, I am obsessed with finding authentic Italian products. I had never tried Taleggio in Italy before, but it was one of the few Italian cheeses available at my local Whole Foods. It’s a mild & buttery cheese with a similar texture to Brie.
Since I want to know every single possible thing there is to know about Italian cuisine, I ordered this Italian Cheese book* on Amazon. It turns out that Taleggio is a cave-aged cow’s milk (vaccino) cheese from the Bergamo area. I can’t wait to actually try Taleggio straight from the source. Jasmine & Bergamo, I’m coming for ya!
Taleggio is one of the thirty-one DOP zones, Protected Designation of Origin (Denomination di Origine Protetta). The quote below is an excerpt from the Slow Food Manifesto in defense of raw-milk cheese:
Be aware – that once the knowledge, skills and commitment of this culture have been lost, they can never be regained.
Italian Cheese: A Guide To Its Discovery and Appreciation, 293 Traditional Types
This sums up why I am so interested in learning everything about Italian culinary traditions, and having a small part in ensuring they are carried on, and also known in the English-speaking world.
I hope you enjoy the podcast and getting to know myself & the blog a little better! If you listen, please let Paolo & I know your thoughts!
*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting Italian at Heart (& Italian food)!
Kelly! Thanks so much for being my guest in the podcast and for blogging about it too! I’m very happy that you enjoyed the experience, it’s really important to me that my guests feel at home 🙂 I loved your spontaneity and enthusiasm. I’m glad you were able to find Taleggio, though “mild” is not a word that I would associate with it if I were asked to describe it. What you had was probably very fresh, which to me tastes a lot like Bel Paese. Something to add to your list for your next Italian trip! Looking forward to… Read more »
Ciao Paolo! You definitely do a great job of making your guests feel at home! I’m so grateful to be one of your guests. I’ll have to try Taleggio again because I had it awhile ago. I thought I had taken tasting notes but I couldn’t find them, so I wrote some of the adjectives used to describe Taleggio in my cheese book. Oops! I need to try it from the source to experience the authentic taste. I am looking forward to future collaborations as well! 🙂
We will definitely have to give the podcast a listen to Kelly. Also we adore how interested you are in finding out everything about Italian culture and food. Grandad loved learning and you remind us of him like that. We love how you want to know all the little details! 🙂 xx
Lucy and Kelly xx
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Lucy & Kelly, this is the GREATEST compliment you could ever give me! Your grandad is so dear and it makes me so happy to have one of his good qualities! Lots of love to you both!
I’ve never heard of Taleggio cheese…although to be honest, there are so many cheeses that I’ve never heard of but they do peak my curiosity when I’m at the local shop. I’m off to listen to the podcast! 🙂
Ciao Lulu! It’s funny because I had never heard of Taleggio either before coming’s across it at Whole Foods! I think there are so many Italian cheese I have yet to discover. Thanks for listening to the podcast! 🙂
Complimenti to you and Paolo! Looking forward to version 2.0. Ciao, Cristina
Grazie Cristina! It was such a great experience. Paolo does a great job with his podcast. 🙂