dipaloselects.com Blog

Much hype has centered around Eataly, the brand new Italian ‘mega-store’ of New York as some have called it. Eataly contains numerous Italian restaurants, authentic salumi and cheeses for purchase, panini’s and espresso to go, pastry counters, gelato stands, fresh cut meat and fish….and of course a fresh mozzarella station, made directly in front of customers.

A recent article on the Village Voice‘s blog, Battle of the Dishes, decided to test the fresh mozzarella of Eataly against the generation old tradition of mozzarella making at Di Palo’s Fine Foods, made fresh behind the counter daily for customers in-store and across the nation through Di Palo Selects.com.

The result??…Di Palo’s gets the ‘victory’ on this one!

Fresh Mozzarella made at Di Palo's

The smooth tasting semi-soft cheese spun from milk curds, using a secret family recipe, produces a delicate consistency unlike any other cheese. While we wish only good luck to those at Eataly, we hope that cheese lovers will continue to enjoy the fresh mozzarella made at Di Palo’s for many more generations to come.

To watch Lou Di Palo make his fresh mozzarella step-by-step, click here.

Summer may be coming to an end but don’t forget about those Labor Day celebrations giving you one more chance for an outdoor party or gathering.

And just in case you’re looking for something delicious to bring along, try making the simple Italian Pasta Salad recipe below.  The mixture of fresh tomatoes and basil, the pecorino cheese, and the smoked proscuitto brings together an variety of tastes and textures without being overcomplicating the flavors. 

Italian Pasta Salad

Ingredients

Pecorino Romano DOP

Speck Alto Adige IGP

Coros Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Farfalle, Pasta Rummo

Tomatoes

Fresh Basil

Directions

Boil water and cook the Farfalle pasta ‘al dente’ (firm but not hard).

As the pasta cooks, cut the Pecorino Romano and Speck into chunks to your preference. We recommend cutting into ¼ of an inch pieces.

Next dice the tomatoes (if using cherry tomatoes, just halve them) and break apart the basil.

Once the pasta is cooked, drizzle the Coros Extra Virgin Olive Oil on top and stir until all pasta is covered.

Add in the Pecorino, Speck, tomatoes and basil. Mix and set aside to cool.

Don’t forget to enjoy this special Italian dish with friends and family on your last summer weekend!

Summer is the season for rejuvenation, relaxation and resting as well as the time to reunite with friends and family. The beauty of summer is within the atmosphere of the warm weather, creating a worry free environment for not only entertaining but enjoying the company of others. 

Take advantage of the fresh produce and products only available in the summer months. Juicy tomatoes, sweet peaches and succulent figs can be paired with some fine Italian summer cheeses such as Provolone Dolce, Ricotta Dura or Pecorino Foglie di Noce. Maybe throw in a loaf of fresh baked bread and some peppery extra virgin olive oil such as the Masseria Santa Venia from Puglia which has a unique nutty flavor. For an extra treat, some thinly sliced Prosciutto di Parma makes any meal even more special. 

Enjoy your fresh Italian products outdoors this summer

There’s no need to slave over a hot stove to prepare a meal when simple pleasures like these can be served with little preparation and enjoyed over pleasant conversation. Enjoy your food outdoors or even on a picnic, taking in the sights and sounds of the summer as well as savoring the tastes of simple yet delicious dishes.

Lou Di Palo has dedicated his time and efforts into bringing authentic Italian food to people in the United States. He is the 4^th generation proprietor of Di Palo’s Dairy, a landmark Italian specialty food store located on Grand Street in New York’s Little Italy since 1925, and he maintains his family’s heritage and tradition of cheese making while keeping an eye on today’s tastes and trends.

On June 15, 2010 Lou Di Palo was inducted into the Foods of Italy Hall of Fame by the Italian Trade Commission, the trade promotion sections of The Consulate General of Italy. Lou was awarded for his contribution and commitment to the Italian Food Industry and for his professional dedication to the promotion of sales of Italian foods in the USA. He was also recognized for his selfless devotion and appreciation for the country of Italy and the Italian way of life.

Lou is constantly involved in his family business and the promotion of Italian foods. When not traveling to Italy to select handcrafted specialties and to form relationships with artisans, he works with other Di Palo family members behind the counters of the New York store to assist crowds of faithful customers. Always guaranteeing excellent products, he continues to serve and educate Americans as best as possible. 

Congratulazioni Lou!

You know what they say…”When In Rome…”

Well for those of you who don’t have the chance to actually get there, Di Palo Selects.com is now bringing a taste of Rome into your next meal with Cacio de Roma, the soft, sheep’s milk cheese produced in the countryside of Lazio. Throughout Central and Southern Italy, “cacio” translates into cheese, as opposed to the common term “formaggio” which is used throughout the rest of Italy.

This classic Italian table cheese has been produced by the Sini Family for more than 30 years in the Village of Nepi, Province-Viterbo, in Lazio Italy. The creamy textured, well balanced product is perfect for serving with fruit, like dried figs, and is excellent for melting on pizza or pasta. Lou Di Palo even reccomends using Cacio de Roma as a filling for ravioli.

Still hungry for more?  Try making the old Roman pasta dish ‘Cacio e Pepe’ and add a little Cacio de Roma to the ingredient list, which already only consists of 4 simple ingredients: Pasta, Olive Oil, Black Pepper & Pecorino Romano.

On March 23^rd Lou Di Palo brought his authentic Italian products, available for Di Palo Selects customers nationwide, into Madison Square Garden. Not only was it the same night that famous Italian player Danilo Gallinari led the Knicks to victory, but it was the same night the Consortia for Grana Padano PDO and the Consortia for Parmigiano Reggiano PDO launched their new co-promotion within the U.S.

These hard, aged cow’s milk cheeses from northern Italy have partnered to promote their quality products against imitation cheeses. During the promotions, they hope to educate American consumers throughout the country on how to enjoy the cheeses.

Di Palo’s brought both the Grana Padano and the Parmigiano Reggiano into the Garden for guests in the luxury suites to enjoy as part of the co-promotion launch.

Order both cheeses now, perfect for beginning your own tasting and education!

Photo Credit: Avi Gerver / MSG Photos

Mozzarella, in all its forms, is perhaps the most recognized and revered cheese the world over. While there is a wide range from the ‘cheese in a bag’ to the certified Mozzarella di Bufala DOP, Di Palo Fine Foods has been known for decades for the high quality, handmade cow’s milk mozzarella they’ve produced in their store since it opened in 1910. Previously only available to patrons of the store, we’re now elated to share this Di Palo’s staple with a national audience.

Try this delicious gem that people of Little Italy, NYC have been enjoying for decades!

Cow’s milk mozzarella or fior di latte is made with a few simple ingredients.

So you’ve ordered some fresh mozzarella and you want to know what to do with it. Once it arrives we suggest slicing it and letting it warm to room temperature. Once the cheese moistens up you can use it for salads, drizzle it with some olive oil or pair it with some great salumi.

If you’ve got some left over it needs to go back in the fridge. Fresh mozzarella is best consumed within a few days since it is a fresh dairy product. If you notice the cheese starting to dry out, don’t worry. Use the remaining mozzarella for pizza or lasagna. This product is versatile, delicious, and most importantly, now available online!

Buon appetito!

Watch and learn from Lou how to make mozzarella right here!

We are very excited about the arrival of new products from the region of Basilicata in a few weeks! We are especially proud to be bringing in these products because Basilicata is where our family originally comes from. Next month we will be offering a new expanded selection of products from this region including dry ricotta dura, a new line of organic pasta, specialty peppers, pistachio cream and a local Caciocavallo.

Coming from the Pasta Filata family, Caciocavallo is produced in Calabria, Campania, Puglia, Abruzzo, Molise and Basilicata, differing slightly from region to region. Caciocavallo is a strange name for a cheese, literally translating to “horse cheese,” however, it is made from cow’s milk! The name comes from the fact that two cheeses are tied to each other with string tied to the knob at the top and then slung over wooden carpenter’s horses to age. The knobs at the top of the cheese resemble old harnesses of horses. Young, fresh Caciocavallo has a mild flavor, and the texture is soft and creamy. As it ages, Caciocavallo becomes sharper and has a dry texture.

"Horse Cheese" hailing from Southern Italy

We currently have Caciocavallo Silano DOP available from other regions if you would like to try it before we get the one from Basilicata in.

We will be sharing with you neat tidbits of information like this about other products from Basilicata as they come in, so be sure to check back for more info! We wish you all a very safe, fun and happy Easter!

Buon Appetito,

Lou Di Palo

Di Palo Selects is absolutely thrilled to announce our new partnership with Lidia Bastianich and Lidia’s Italy. For those of you who aren’t already huge fans, Lidia is a best-selling Italian cookbook author, renowned restaurateur and host of the popular Emmy nominated cooking program, Lidia’s Italy.

When Lidia wanted a reliable resource for her many hungry fans clamoring for a place to find the freshest, highest quality, Italian ingredients to use in her recipes, she turned to us, and we couldn’t be more flattered. We’ve admired Lidia for years for her passion, knowledge, and generosity of spirit, and we share a common goal of making Italy’s rich culinary heritage accessible to food-lovers all over the United States.

We are really proud to be working with Lidia and her team at Lidia’s Italy, and we suggest you all take a look at all that her wonderful books, television programs and website have to offer.

We hope that you come here to learn more about Italian cuisine and the special foods available on www.dipaloselects.com. This blog will bring you all the updates about the store in Little Italy, Enoteca Di Palo, the new wine-store next door, and all the news about events, seasonal celebrations and recipes, and news from the world of Italian food.

Stay tuned!