Italian Home Cooking and Entertaining

I honestly believe Parmigiano is the King of cheeses.

Eaten by itself is a delicacy, which needs only some good bread and a glass of well bodied wine to become a complete dinner. As an ingredient it can enhance most dishes. Of course pastas, but try it in omelettes, risotto (it is a must in there) and on pizza. Sprinkle it over pizza with just mozzarella on top and the golden crust it will form will conquer you forever.

The Parmigiano cheese has been produced in Italy for centuries and each step of its production is carefully checked to assure consistent standards. One of the reason why this cheese is expensive is that it takes 170 gallons of milk to produce a  80 pound, golden wheel of cheese

Here in the United States Parmigiano is translated Parmesan and it is not immediately evident that there are two kinds of imported Italian cheese available.
One kind is produced in the center of Italy in a region bordering Tuscany called Emilia Romagna. This variety of Parmesan is called “Parmigiano Reggiano”. The other variety of Parmesan is produced in the north of Italy in the Pianura Padana plain and is called “Grana Padano”.
The production of both varieties of cheese is regulated by two consortiums the “Consorzio Tutela del Grana Padano” and the “Consorzio del Parmigiano Reggiano”.
Both types of cheese are very good and offer consistent quality, but in my personal opinion the Parmigiano Reggiano is way superior to the Grana Padano. It is more expensive, but you get what you pay for. The obvious way to recognize the two types of Parmesan is  to check the mark on the crust of the cheese.

This is the mark of the Grana Padano
   

And this is the mark of the Parmigiano Reggiano:

 
 
Just to complicate your life a little bit more the cheese is  imported and marketed at different stages of aging. The older the cheese the more expensive it gets, but definitely choose a cheese that has been aged 24 months over one that has been aged 18. The difference in taste and in texture is amazing.
Now, if you want a fast and wonderful starter to nibble with a good glass of wine while the dinner gets ready try Parmigano Reggiano paired with salted almonds, and tell me what you think about it.
I talk a bit about the Parmigiano Reggiano in this Podcast, if you are interested.