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Introducing
Asiago PDO to Americans and to Young Italians
with Tours, Sandwiches, Songs, Recipes, and
Wines
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Bringing Asiago PDO to Americans |
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 Many
of the dairies that make Asiago PDO rely on marketing and
distribution companies to deliver their unique Italian Alpine
cheese to wholesalers, retailers and restaurants around the
world. The largest exporter of Asigao PDO is Agriform,
which specializes in marketing traditional Italian dairy products,
especially cheese, in more than 50 countries, including the
United States.
 A
member of the Asiago Cheese PDO Consortium, which protects
and manages production of this delicious cheese from the Italian
Asiago plateau, Agriform primarily handles Protected Designation
of Origin (PDO) cheeses.
 "The
success Asiago PDO and other traditional cheeses are beginning
to enjoy in the United States and other nations can be attributed
to their unique flavor and to new themoformed packs that allow
these extraordinary cheeses to maintain their organoleptic
characteristics as they are shipped to markets far from Italy,"
says Agriform Director General Nisio Paganin.
Agriform's partners are some of the most important dairy cooperatives
in northeast Italy, whose thousands of farmer members produce
Asiago PDO and other dairy products in designated territories
of origin. While some of the partners age their cheeses in
the Agriform warehouse, others bring their finished product
to the company to distribute and market worldwide. Agriform
packages cheeses in individual slices and wheels for various
cooperatives, adhering to the latest technologies for hygienic
and organoleptic preservation of the highest-quality products.
 As
one of the largest exporters of Italian cheeses to the United
States, Agriform has teamed with the Italian Trade Commission
to stage an Italian
Cheese Road Tour promoting both fresh
and mature
Asiago PDO and other leading Italian cheeses. The first
stop on this year's tour, which featured cheese and wine,
was in Saratoga Springs, New York, in September. In 2013,
the tour will continue in Newport, Rhode Island; New York
City and Boston. Catch it if you can!
"The response to Asiago PDO in Saratoga Springs was very enthusiastic,
and we looking forward to visiting the next cities on the
road tour early next year," says Dr. Paganin, adding, "Clearly
Americans enjoy great cheese, and we're pleased to bring them
Italy's best." |
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| McItaly "il Veneto" - Asiago
PDO Cheese at McDonald's Italy! |
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 During
November, anyone visiting one of the 442 McDonald's restaurants
in that country will find a tasty new sandwich available only
there. The McItaly "Il Veneto" features Asiago PDO cheese
on a hamburger, with lettuce and mushroom cream. The American
fastfood chain collaborated with the Consortium Asiago and
the Fondazione Qualivita, which promotes Italian products
that meet European geographical denomination specifications,
to create a sandwich that raises awareness among young consumers
of this special cheese from the Asiago plateau and nearby
regions.
To attract attention to "il Veneto," L
Moderni, the Moderns - four young, spirited singers from
Turin, Italy - are promoting the Asiago PDO sandwich on television
and radio commercials. Savor their performances on Youtube
and Facebook.
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| Asiago
PDO Adds Flavor to Snacks and Entrees |
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Asiago cheese is so versatile and delicious
that suggestions on how to use it pop up everywhere. Here
are two recipes from Giada
De Laurentiis, the Emmy-award winning host of The Food
Network's "Giada at Home." Her popcorn
is perfect for holiday entertaining or watching television.
Popcorn with Herbs de Provence and
Asiago PDO Cheese
| Ingredients: |
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- 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick)
unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 large cloves garlic,
crushed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried
herbes de Provence, crumbled
- 1/4 cup vegetable or
peanut oil
- 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher
salt
- 1/3 cup finely grated
aged Asiago PDO
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Directions:
- Combine the butter, garlic
and herbes de Provence in a small saucepan. Cook
over medium-low heat until the butter melts. Remove
the saucepan from the heat and let stand while making
the popcorn.
- Combine the oil and popcorn
in a heavy large pot. Cover and cook over medium-high
heat until almost all the kernels pop. Transfer
the popcorn to a large bowl.
- Remove the garlic cloves from
the butter and discard, if desired.
- Add the salt, cheese and butter
mixture to the popcorn. Toss until the popcorn is
coated. Serve immediately.
Giada's easy pasta
recipe takes just 30 minutes to prepare and wins rave
reviews.
Fusilli with Spinach and Asiago Cheese
4 servings
| Ingredients: |
- 1 pound fusilli pasta
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 (9-ounce) bag fresh
spinach, roughly chopped
- 8 ounces (1/2 pint) cherry
tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup (about 3 1/2-ounces)
grated Asiago PDO
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly
ground black pepper
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Directions:
- Bring a large pot of
salted water to a boil over high heat. Add
the pasta and cook until tender but still
firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about
8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2
cup of the cooking liquid.
- Meanwhile, warm olive
oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high
heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant,
about 2 minutes. Add the spinach and tomatoes
and cook until the spinach wilts, about 2
more minutes. Add the cooked pasta and toss.
Add the cheeses, salt, pepper, and the pasta
cooking liquid and stir to combine.
- Transfer the pasta to
a serving plate and serve. Giada's
easy pasta recipe takes just 30 minutes to
prepare and wins rave reviews.
No matter how you serve it,
always use only Asiago PDO for authentic Italian
cheese taste. The PDO designation on the label
guarantees the cheese is from northeastern Italy
and meets all traditional manufacturing and
quality control standards.
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| Finding the Perfect
Wine for Asiago |
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 According
to wine aficionados, many options exist for selecting
the best wines to drink with Asiago PDO. Pair delicately
flavored fresh Asiago PDO with young and fresh red wines,
soft roses, orsemi- to non-aromatic white wines such
as Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, or Pinot Blanc.
Chef
Erika Heinemann of Savvy Wine Food also suggests
Gewurztramineror sparkling wines for young Asiago.
Serve mature Asiago PDO with full-bodied red wines.
The longer the cheese has aged, the more structured
the wine should be. The Website Hello
Vino recommends Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah/Shiraz,
or Rioja. Shisler's
Cheese House in Ohio, which sells Asiago PDO, adds
Beaujolais, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Chianti to the list.
Try pairing mature Asiago with different wines at various
stages of the dinner, including dessert.
The consortium of Italian producers of Asiago PDO advises
avoiding red wines aged in American oak barrels, which
typically impart a vanilla aroma that clashes with the
characteristics of the cheese. Visit the
consortium's Web site for more suggestions and recipes.
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