Fiore di Nonno

There’s nothing like the taste of fresh whole milk mozarella cheese. It taste sweet, milky, fresh and oh so good by itself.

Last week Bryan and I went to No. 9 Park to celebrate our wedding anniversary. As I had hinted in that post, one of the courses consisted of locally made burrata cheese paired with heirloom tomatoes and house made farfalle. The waitstaff painstakingly helped me find out where the cheese was from. And, surprisingly, the answer was Somerville, Massachusetts! (who would have thought that the town right next to me was such a local foodie destinations – Taza chocolates are from there too!)

The amazing burrata that I had enjoyed at No. 9 Park came from Fiore di Nonno. Fiore di Nonno is a company based in Somerville that handcrafts small batches of mozarella. The founder, Lourdes, learned the art of cheesemaking from her Italian grandfather, who had his own cheese shop in New York.

Imagine my excitement a few days later when I saw a small package labeled “Fiore di Nonno” in the cheese section at Dave’s Fresh Pasta in Somerville.

 I got some crusty Artisan bread, a field tomato, and fresh basil. I was ready! I couldn’t wait to cut open that beautiful ball of cheese! YUM!

Wow, isn’t she gorgeous?? Burrata is a special type of mozarella cheese. Traditional burrata has an outer layer of solid mozarella and is filled with mozarella curd and cream. The resultant cheese is deliciously savory on the outside and fresh, sweet, and creamy on the inside.

The burrata at Fiore di Nonno is unique because Lourdes has put her own creative spin on the recipe. Instead of the traditional mozarella curd and cream filling, Lourdes makes a filling out of marscapone cheese with a tiny dab of Greek yogurt. The resulting filling is bright, creamy, just slightly tangy, and utterly delicious.

I loved it.

I ate the whole block without meaning to.

And then I felt really stuffed the rest of the night. That must have been like 1000 calories.

Oops.

But man, was it good.

There are many places that sell Fiore di Nonno cheese, including Dave’s Fresh Pasta, Formaggio Kitchen, and Savenor’s Market. To my delight, their cheese is also served at many restaurants that I have visited, such as Garden at the Cellar (one of my favorites!), Sel de le Terre, and Oleana.