Adventures in Parmesan

My husband and I recently took a trip to Saint Barthelemy in the French West Indies and one of the highlights of the trip was the food, which ranged from Very Good in even the most casual cafés and beach bars, to Exquisite in the fancier restaurants we visited for dinners.  St. Barts is a tiny gem of an island, about 16 square miles in area, located near St. Maarten and Anguilla a little further down than the U.S. and British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. 

I could go on and on about the stunning beaches, but I want to talk about the food, and the marvelous fact that despite eating very well and drinking wine at every dinner and most lunches (!), neither of us gained any weight during our 6-day trip.  How can that be?  We exercised a bit with a handful of 20-30 minute hikes to various beaches, but mainly we relaxed, read, sunned, strolled, and ate!  Upon reflection, our meals were invariably composed of fresh and mainly lighter foods, prepared expertly and served creatively in small portions.  For example, one day at a beach bar owned by the tennis player Yannick Noah and others, I had Gazpacho served in a Grolsch-like bottle and a Mahi “burger.”  Lunch at another beachside hotel was quinoa salad with crab and bell peppers served in an oversize martini glass, accompanied by smoked salmon and small slices of perfect French bread.   Reasonable portions and over-the-top flavors – a perfect combination!

The foodie pinnacle of the trip, though, was dinner at Le Gaiac, on the southeastern Toiny coast of St. Barths.  Housed in the swanky Le Toiny hotel, this restaurant features views of the voluminous black sky, moon & stars (we saw Venus that night, too), a beautiful infinity pool adjacent to the restaurant terrace, and the ocean and beach below.  One of Le Gaiac’s specialties is black truffle Parmesan spaghetti, and Randy ordered this as an appetizer.  We were startled when the waiter wheeled a cart to our tableside, featuring a tire-sized wheel of Parmesan.  He shaved some cheese from the inside of the wheel, tossed it with hot spaghetti and truffles, and then flamed it with vodka – very dramatic!  The Parmesan itself was unusually flavorful, almost white in color, and more crumbly in texture than what we’re used to getting in our grocery stores here.  We use quite a bit of parmesan for Caesar salads and other recipes and Randy was so intrigued by Le Gaiac’s cheese that he emailed the restaurant the Sunday after we returned to Cincinnati and received an immediate reply from the General Manager, Guy Lombard.  Mr. Lombard offered the following advice, which we are attempting to follow:

·         Be sure you’re buying Parmigiano Reggiano, not Grana Padana which is sometimes sold as Parmesan

·         Look for cheese that is creamy white and soft/crumbly, not yellow and hard

·         If it is packaged in plastic (as is typical), rewrap the cheese in parchment paper and secure with string or a rubber band to hold in the moisture; you may also film the cheese with oil to help keep it moist

·         Buy the largest piece that you can use in a reasonable amount of time, because it will hold moisture better than a smaller piece

As for serving, Guy wrote:  “I personally love Parmigiano served with a parmesan knife, salt flower crystals on and a pitch of White truffle oil, this served with a Pinot Noir.”  I looked up salt flower and he’s referring to Fleur de Sel, an artisanal finishing salt, to be served with the cheese along with a bit of truffle oil.  How elegant is that?  And how impressive that Mr. Lombard took the time to reply to us with so much information, advice, and the following invitation:  “If you are back in St. Barts, and if you want some of our wheel, just give me a ring; I will cut you a nice piece.  Happy Sunday!”  I hope to have the opportunity to return to St. Barts someday and take him up on his offer!

For more information on Fleur de Sel, see http://www.saltworks.us/salt_info/si_gourmet_reference.asp and for more Parmesan info, see http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/departments/parmigiano-reggiano.php.  You will read about Whole Foods’ plan to set a new world record for breaking open the most wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano at one time – how WEIRD is that!?