[Contadino]

If you can get hold of a decent pecorino cheese instead of Grano Padana, it'll make it heavenly.  Something like Rodez Staggionata will do.  Failing that, use parmesan but unless you're well cheesy, reduce the quantity a little.

When the peas are ready in April, we eat this almost every other day.

[Ice]

If you can get hold of a decent pecorino cheese instead of Grano Padana, it'll make it heavenly.  Something like Rodez Staggionata will do.  Failing that, use parmesan but unless you're well cheesy, reduce the quantity a little.

When the peas are ready in April, we eat this almost every other day.

Agree with you Contadino, but quality cheese is not to be found very easily.  Round here they think Dairylea is haute cuisine. (hope you know what that is).

[gobs]

Very much agree, you see, the cheese here is diff, then there, even with the same name(adapted to local market), so you might well need the extras.

[WG.]

Well I am going to disagree!  Surprise.  The UK and especially England produces some wonderful wonderful varieties of cheese.  

I am sure it is hard to find specialist types from other countries & I wouldn't dream of arguing that the UK produces a suitable substitute for this particular recipe.

If you want a massive range of totally tasteless cheese - try any American supermarket.  New York Extra Sharp is about the best and that has no more flavour than a mild cheddar.

[gobs]

Well I am going to disagree!  Surprise.  The UK and especially England produces some wonderful wonderful varieties of cheese.  

You don't need to! I'm talking about foreign cheeses commonly available as per recipe and Contadino, I know it's not clear from my post. :roll:

[Contadino]

...and who's going to make Italian cheeses in the UK, when the UK has such a huge variety of cheeses?  Maybe just experiment with hard, strong-flavoured, salty alternatives.

[Ice]

Absolutely agree, we make world class cheeses in the UK.  My butcher has a good cheese counter and I usually try something new each time I go there.  Last week I had Stinking Bishop (and the cheese was good too).  Just can't imagine anyone in my street would ever try anything more challenging than a nice mild cheddar, but I might be surprised.  Incidentally, my butcher has the best meat I ever tasted.  Once tried, you would never go back to the evil empires that are supermarkets.

[yummy]

I love risotto and make it alot. Usually have mushrooms and thyme or squash and sage. Being a veggie I can't use the proper parmesan or grana padano because they contain the lining of a calf's 4th stomach (I think). I buy a veggie alternative which is fine when stirred into a risotto. I can't really tell the difference although I think it would be more noticable if I tried it shaved on a salad or something else cold.

I'm not so good with those summery risottos that are served cold. They just seem wrong to me as if someone mixed rice with mayo and peas  :cry:  bleurgh.