Mozzarella's Stepsister

If you have been to any upscale restaurant in the past year, you most likely have seen buratta cheese on the menu. Originally from a small region of Apulia, Italy, buratta cheese was named “burro” or butter for its rich buttery taste. Buratta is essentially a buffalo mozzarella cheese filled with cream and the mozzarella “rags,” or leftover bits. When you cut into the cheese, the gooey center oozes out and imparts a devastatingly tasty richness to the cheese.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy buratta cheese is in a warm salad. Simply roast cherry tomatoes at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Place a chunk of buratta cheese on a bed of arugula and top with roasted tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and chow down. Buratta is available at most gourmet food shops.