On Apr 30, 9:02*am, Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:

> I've been to Italy, several times... most everywhere serves
> pre-grated... most folks buy several weeks worth and have their cheese
> grated at the store, same as in the US and everywhere else. *It sits
> in their fridge until used up, it's not fresh grated at their table.
> Even though it's nearly impossible to get folks here to admit it I'd
> venture to say that very few actually grate their cheese from a wedge
> at table. *I'm one who does exclusively, probably because I use very
> little grated cheese... a one pound wedge lasts in my fridge several
> months. *I can honestly say I have never bought pre-grated cheese and
> I've never tasted cheese from the green can, maybe it's good but I
> wouldn't know. *Actually the reason I sometimes run out of grating
> cheese is because occasionally I get the urge and I'll eat the entire
> thing au jus by slicing off chunks... I always begin by thinking I'll
> just nibble a little around the edges but before I know it there is
> only a little nub left, so may as well finish her off.


Looks like you're going to have to get in the habit of grating the
whole thing all at once and putting it in some kind of shaker so you
won't gobble it all up. I can't claim to know much about cheeses,
especially the grating kind, although I've done it a few times. I
hate dragging out the cheap walmart cheese grater, but if I find a
small hunk of the good stuff at a reasonable price I might try it one
of these days. Typically I don't eat much of what is considered
Italian style pasta. I do make a good cold penne salad though. I put
olive oil and lemon on it with fresh basil, minced garlic, very finely
slivered cabbage, a bit of radichio for color, maybe a roma tomato
peeled and cut up - and some kind of meat, either chicken or thinly
sliced pork or beef. Pretty good stuff. But I don't keep the dry
preshredded cheese around because I rarely make the type of sauces
that cry for it. I do sometimes put feta cheese in the pasta salad
though, instead of meat, or even along with it.

TJ

TJ