Why catering year end parties can be the less expensive option, and why Italian cheese regions matter

by Tia Kim

Finding your Formaggio
It’s easy to grab a wedge of Parmesan cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano, or Asiago, and think that you’re essentially getting the same flavor profile. Thankfully, in Italy, Denominazione d’Origine Protetta (DOP) laws make regional identifications mandatory, and make for helpful demarcations. Parmigiano Reggiano (look for the words stenciled on the rind) means that, if it was made in Italy, it was produced in Mantua, Modena, Bologna, or Parma. Parmigiano, meanwhile is, likewise, a grana cheese (“grain” in Italian, referring to its slightly granular texture) one that doesn’t match the DOP origin requirements for Parmigiano Reggiano, yet is, of course, delicious in its own right. Asiago also has a protected designation, and is only authentically made in and around the alpine area of the Asiago Plateau in Italy’s northeastern region of Veneto. All three have a wonderfully sharp, nutty flavor that gets more intense as they age, but Parmigiano Reggiano trends toward the mild mannered side, and is often more dry. Asiago is, traditionally, a bit sweeter, slightly saltier, and creamier.

Being catered to
According to the National Retail Federation, Americans will spend, over Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas, an average of $115 per person on special event food in other words, shopping dedicated to holiday celebrations and parties, and typically, this encompasses just two or three events during the season. So let’s call that $40 per person for each of your get togethers in order to plate up something special. Given those expenditures, special event catering, which is easy to sometimes consider as an extravagance, can cut that amount dramatically, as well as hugely reduce cooking, serving, and cleanup hassles. Livoti’s Old World Market’s special event menus range from continental breakfasts to heroes, from hot platters to gluten free selections, and from salads to seafood, along with dedicated vegetarian and kids’ menus. A holiday classic is its Sausage and Peppers Platter (sweet sausage tossed with caramelized onions and red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, which serves 12 to 15), and then there’s Nona’s Baked Chicken with baby red skin potatoes, baked and served over a bed of angel hair pasta with a garlic and white wine sauce. Throw in some sides (personally, we can’t live without Broccoli Oreganata, sprinkled with seasoned breadcrumbs) and Livoti’s famous Party Cannoli (a giant cannoli shell stuffed with 40 mini cannoli) or customized cake sheets, and you can keep out of the kitchen and concentrate on family and fun.

A RITE OF SPRING
Nearly as iconic as pasta in the Italian culinary pantheon, cannoli are frequently thought to be at least as old as Ancient Rome, if not from the Etruscan era. In fact, the history of this confection begins earlier, in the Middle Ages. In the ninth century, Arabs brought sugar cane to Sicily, an import that widely expanded baking possibilities there (prior, honey was used to sweeten Sicilian treats). In fact, cannoli’s circular shape is thought to be attributed to its crust paste being first wrapped around cane stalks. Though this is hotly debated, their exact place of origin is probably Palermo or its immediate area; in any case, cannoli quickly became associated with Fat Tuesday (the last day of feasting before Lent, and part of Carnevale), because sheep produce more milk for ricotta at that time of year.

Livoti’s Old World Market
1077 NJ 34, Aberdeen Town Square Center, Aberdeen / 160 US Highway 9, Marlboro
1151 Route 35 Middletown Shopping Center, Middletown / livotisoldworldmarket.com