How about a twist: fried cheese with salad on top—or underneath?

There are many fried cheese recipes; today’s is a Sicilian specialty. Caciocavallo, which means “cheese on horseback,” is a cheese that dates back to Roman times. Two large, pear-shaped cheeses are tied with rope and slung over a wooden board to drain and age.

Believed to have been so shaped to make it easy to transport by slinging over pack animals, the cheese duo evokes the image of saddlebags, hence the name (here’s a photo).

Caciocavallo is hard to find in conventional U.S. markets, although you can find it at Italian specialty stores and online from cheesemongers like Murray’s Cheese.

Fried caciacavallo cheese topped with salad. Photo courtesy E-squaredhospitality.

RECIPE: FRIED CHEESE COURSE

Ingredients For 4 Servings

1. HEAT the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and slices of cheese and lower the heat.

2. COOK covered for 1 minute; then turn the cheese over and cook covered for an additional minute, or until the cheese is golden in color.

3. REMOVE the skillet from the heat, add the oregano and pepper and transfer the fried cheese to the serving plates.

4. ADD the vinegar and sugar to the hot oil in the pan and cook for about 1–2 minutes until some of the liquid evaporates. This creates a sweet and sour sauce.

5. DECIDE if you want your salad on top or underneath the cheese. Add the salad accordingly.

6. TOP the cheese with the sauce if the cheese is on top of the salad; or use it to dot the plate if the salad is on top. Use the garlic as garnish and serve immediately with slices of fresh Italian bread.

ABOUT CACIOCAVALLO CHEESE

Caciocavallo, a popular cheese in southern Italy and Sicily, is typically made from unpasteurized cow’s or sheep’s milk. Two pear-shaped cheeses, about 4 pounds each, are joined at the neck by a rope to age.

Like burrata, mozzarella, provolone and scamorza, caciocavallo is a pasta filata, a cheese made by stretching and forming the curd by hand.

It is then aged for two to three months, and optimally for one year. Because the pairs of tied cheeses hang from rods in the air to age, instead of sitting on shelves like other cheeses, more microbes can enter the cheese, where they help to develop sharp, spicy flavors, deep, earthy undertones and fruity aromas.

The result is a layered, complex cheese that is typically sliced and served with fresh fruit, plus a glass of hearty red wine. The yellow rind is edible.

There are different types of caciocavallo:

 
MORE FRIED CHEESE RECIPES

 
*PDO, Protected Designation of Origin, is a designation of authenticity from the European Union. In the case of Caciocavallo Silano or Ragusa, it guarantees that the milk used comes only from local herds.

Churrascarias in the U.S. often have numerous locations across the country. If you want to score a table for Father’s Day, reserve now! For Mother’s Day, every seat of the large spaces at both restaurants we visited was sold out.

A churrascaria (Portuguese, pronunced choo-rah-SCAH-ree-ya with rolled “r’s”) is a type of restaurant where meat is cooked churrasco style, on a rotisserie called a churrasqueira.

In most parts of Brazil, the meat is roasted over charcoal; in the south of Brazil, wood is also used.

Modern churrascarias typically offer rodízio service. Passadores, meat waiters, come to the table with meat on a large skewer—beef, chicken (some wrapped in bacon), duck, filet mignon, lamb, flank steak, sirloin, pork, chicken, duck, sausage, fish, or any other sort of local cut of meat.

Bacon-wrapped filet mignon. Photo courtesy Texas de Brasil.

The passadores slice whatever you like. If you want your meat more rare or more well-done, just ask. If you don’t like the sprinkling of salt on the meat, ask for it without salt.

If the opportunity to eat and endless amount of great meat (yes, it’s all you can eat) is your idea of paradise, plan a visit. But there’s more:

Start at the salad bar with 50 or more items: shrimp, smoked salmon and sushi; grilled vegetables; salads of every description (tabbouleh, quinoa, whatever); cheeses; soups; and so much more that you have to watch how much you take or you won’t have room for the meat.

TIP: Start with a small plate, and don’t take any bread. If you have the slightest bit of hunger after you’ve finished the meat course, you can go back for as much salad bar as you like.

Sure, there are build-your-own green salad fixings; but you can have that at home.

If you don’t want meat, you can indulge in the salad bar only, at a lower price.

The price at Texas de Brazil: $59.95 for the whole shebang; $39.95 for those who just want the salad bar (prices may vary by location). It’s just a few dollars for children 12 and under.

We now admit that we really enjoyed the chocolate ganache cake—but it was in the name of research.

Check the website for the location nearest you.

Pico de gallo, pronounced PEE-coh-deh-GAH-yo, is Spanish for “rooster’s beak.” How did it get that name? It once was eaten between the thumb and finger in a way that resembled a pecking rooster. (Salsa as finger food?!)

Pico de gallo is made with finely diced raw tomatoes, onions, lime juice and cilantro. Jicama and other raw ingredients can be added. It differs from salsa fresca and salsa cruda in that the ingredients are uniformly chopped; but the terms are often used interchangeably. Another term is salsa mexicana.

Most Americans not of Mexican ancestry limit their use of pico de gallo to Tex-Mex recipes—chips, nachos, tacos, tortilla chips, quesadillas, etc.

But this better-for-you condiment provides great flavor and nutrition to everyday better-for-you foods, like grilled chicken and fish.

Those in the know use fresh salsa to complement grilled meats—especially pork and steak—egg dishes, rice and other recipes.
 
We make a lower-calorie dip by blending it into nonfat Greek yogurt, and serve it with crudités as well as chips. When people hesitate to eat salad, we mix it into a vinaigrette.

This recipe is from QVC’s chef David Venable. Serve it with a large salad, other sides of choice, and a few tortilla chips for crunch.
 
 
RECIPE: GRILLED CHICKEN OR FISH WITH PICO DE GALLO

Ingredients For 4 Servings

For The Pico De Gallo

 
If you’re pressed for time, buy the salsa (it’s in the refrigerator case). Then just grill, top and enjoy!

For The Chicken Or Fish

[2] Pico de gallo is delicious with so much more than tortilla chips—and low in calories, too (photo © WayMoreAwesomer | Fotolia).

[3] Another idea for pico de gallo: Serve it with a shrimp cocktail instead of convention cocktail sauce (photo © Simply Organic | Facebook),.

1. MAKE the pico de gallo: Toss all the ingredients in a medium-size bowl until evenly combined. Place into an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

2. PREPARE the chicken or fish. If chicken, place the breasts between 2 pieces of wax paper. Use a meat mallet to pound them to a 3/4″ thickness.

3. PLACE all the ingredients into a large zip-tight bag. Gently toss so the marinade evenly coats the chicken/fish. Place in a bowl in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 8 hours, or up to 12 hours.

4. PREHEAT the grill to high. Place the chicken breasts onto the hot grill and cook for 4–5 minutes until char marks appear. Flip the chicken and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the chicken reads 165°F, about 4–5 more minutes. Top each chicken breast with pico de gallo before serving.
 
 
HOW TO GET CROSSHATCH GRILL MARKS ON THE MEAT

Most people are happy with simple horizontal grill marks. But if you’d like to get fancy and create crosshatch marks, just rotate the meat.

Position the piece(s) at a 45-degree angle (the 1 o’clock position), sear, then turn 90 degrees (back to about the 11 o’clock position). Flip and repeat.
 
 

For your grilling pleasure, here’s an alternative to burgers and other red meat from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

Food on a stick is great fun for kids, and the entire family can help prepare this simple kabob recipe.

Children can skewer the meat, which cooks in minutes on a grill or indoor George Foreman-type grill. Then everyone assembles his/her own pita sandwich, customizing the garnishes to their preferences.

This recipe is classic Greek: roasted meat with tzatziki, the Greek yogurt-cucumber sauce, and whatever garnishes you like:

And did we mention, it’s quick?

Find more delicious recipes at Williams-Sonoma.com. Photo courtesy Williams-Sonoma.

RECIPE: QUICK KABOB PITA SANDWICHES WITH TZATZIKI

Ingredients For 4 Servings

 
For The Tzatziki (Yogurt Sauce)

Preparation

1. MAKE the tzatziki. Combine all ingredients and stir well. Add salt to taste and set aside. This can be made several days in advance and stored in the fridge; serve it at room temperature.

2. PREHEAT the outdoor grill to medium-high. For an indoor grill, place the grill plate on the lower level and the griddle plate on the upper level (Williams-Sonoma used the Cuisinart Elite Griddler). Preheat both sides to 450°F.

3. STIR together in a small bowl the paprika, cumin, cinnamon, ginger and salt. In another bowl, toss the meat with the oil and 1 tablespoon of the spice mixture.

4. THREAD 5 or 6 meat cubes onto each skewer and place on the grill (or the grill side of the electric griddle). Cook, turning the skewers occasionally, until the beef/lamb is cooked to medium, about 8 minutes, or the chicken is cooked through, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Meanwhile…

5. LIGHTLY toast the pita bread rounds on the grill or the griddle side of the electric griddle, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

6. CUT the toasted pita rounds in half crosswise, then pry open. Fill the pockets with the meat, lettuce, tomatoes, onion other garnishes. Top with the tzatziki and serve immediately.

 
OUR FAVORITE NEW SKEWERS

Grilled kabobs is easy until it’s time to remove the cooked food from the skewer. New skewers from Williams-Sonoma (photo above)solve the problem with a sliding disk that lets you push food onto the plate in one swift motion.

An added bonus: The square shape of the rod prevents foods from spinning when you turn kabobs on the grill. You’re guaranteed even cooking!

This Williams-Sonoma exclusive is dishwasher safe, too. A great gift for grilling enthusiasts.

Get yours at Williams-Sonoma.com.
  

The horned melon, Cucumis metuliferus, goes by a variety of names: African horned cucumber or melon, blowfish fruit, English tomato, hedged gourd, jelly melon, kiwano and melano. The horns are called spines by botanists.

The fruit is an annual vine in the cucumber and melon family, Cucurbitaceae, which also includes pumpkin and the other squash.

The exotic-looking, the spiky, orange colored shells contain a soft, juicy bright green seed-studded flesh. The flesh isn’t sweet, but more of a cross between a cucumber and a zucchini. The seeds are edible, like cucumber seeds. Some people eat the peel, which is very rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber.

Kiwano, or horned melon. Photo courtesy Melissas.com.

Look for horned melon in specialty-food markets and some upscale supermarkets. The fruit should range in length from 3 to 5 inches and not have any bruises or soft spots. When ripe, the melon will have a bright orange shell.

Horned melon is available year-round but its peak season is summer. California-grown varieties are available now; in the winter, they’ll come from New Zealand, where the seasons are opposite.

You can buy horned melons at Melissas.com. If you’re lucky to come across them in the flesh, don’t hesitate to buy and try.

Once peeled, they can be added to fruit salads or green salad. Sliced unpeeled, they can be used as a garnish. Here are some popular uses:

 
For Beverages

 
Play around, have fun with kiwano and tell us how you like it!