Fried Goat Cheese

I think that the name speaks for itself. We love to add the fried goat cheese to a salad, but I'll leave that up to you.

1 lb goat cheese
1/2 cup pine nuts (you can substitute walnuts if needed)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine the salt, pepper and flour in a bowl. Beat the eggs and set aside in a bowl. Process the nuts and combine with the bread crumbs in a third bowl. Slice the goat cheese into 8 or 9 patties that are about 2 0z each. Dredge the cheese through the flour and coat thoroughly. Next coat the cheese in the eggs and then place in bread/pine nut mixture and make sure that the cheese is coated completely. Place on a plate, cover and refrigerate until chilled. Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan and add the cheese when the oil is hot. Cook until lightly browned on each side, or about 3-4 minutes a side (depending on how hot you get the oil). Spoon the cheese onto a paper towel to remove excess oil and enjoy. Buon Appetito.

As I said earlier, we enjoy the fried goat cheese in a simple salad of iceberg lettuce with a little arugula thrown in as well. Throw in some toasted pine nuts, some pomegranate, and top with salt, pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar and enjoy.

il Sugo di Quattro Formaggi

This is a heavy cheese sauce that is good on many things from bread, veggies, as a substitute for tomato sauce on pizza, to of course, pasta.

1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon Flour
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons Mascarpone (cream cheese can be substituted - Mascarpone can get pricey, especially when combined with all of the other cheeses)
1/4 cup Fontina
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano
1-2 Tablespoons Gorgonzola - according to taste

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. When the butter is melted, mix in the flour and then the heavy cream. Once the butter, flour, and cream are mixed, add the Mascarpone and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. After the sauce has reached a boil, turn it down to low and add the rest of the cheeses, again making sure to stir constantly. If you let the sauce to sit too long without stirring, the bottom will burn and you'll be eatinig burned cheese sauce. When all of the cheese is melted, remove the sauce from the heat and let it sit for a few minutes to allow the sauce to thicken. I don't add salt or pepper to the recipe, so if you want some, add some. Buon Appetito.