To any epicurean, pesto is the essence of summer in a jar, a delight to the senses in smell, taste, sight, and texture. Pesto originated in Genoa, in Italy, in the region of Liguria, as a way of enjoying summer’s fresh herbs long after the harvest. Di Bruno Bros. Pesto sauce is made in Italy, from 100% fresh Italian ingredients.

A friend served this combination at a party, using fresh figs from her backyard tree. Manchego, a subtle Spanish sheep’s milk cheese, was just the right accent, draped over each fig half to form a tiny, briny duvet cover.

As the seasons change, so do the styles of my pizzas. Warmer weather calls for lighter crusts and toppings that are more refreshing than heavy winter meals. For this week’s pizza I have decided to celebrate the warmer weather with a lighter crust focused on goat’s milk cheeses, olives, oil and baby greens.

Classic pizza recipes are never boring, especially when the finest ingredients are used. For this week’s pizza, I chose to make a traditional pizza dish that never fails to satisfy myself and guests. For every pizza, balancing a cheese with toppings is of course the key to success. For this pizza I really wanted to use Taleggio, a wash rinded cow’s milk cheese from Italy. Taleggio has a distinct tangy acidity to it up front, with creamy, nutty notes in the finish. Because it is also such a great melter, taleggio is a perfect pizza cheese.

It’s berry picking season, and that means one thing: cheese and fresh fruit for dinner. I love nothing more than loading up on cherries, strawberries, blueberries, or blackberries and setting out a cheese board to match. Add a plate of smoked fish, a light salad, some white wine, and you’ve got a glorious feast. No fuss. No hot oven.

We chose three of our favorite recipes, one with each vinegar, so that you can make the most out of your Di Bruno Bros. experience. Then you can take these recipes and compare with your own menu at home, so you can dress, drizzle, and glaze every recipe with the perfect compliment.

During the month of June, Di Bruno Bros. participated in several fabulous fundraising events showcasing the culinary creativity of our Chef Rob Sidor. On June 14th, 2011 Di Bruno Bros. participated in the 2011 Great Chefs Event supporting Alex’s Lemonade Stand. Over 1,100 guests enjoyed the beautiful venue at the Urban Outfitters Headquarters in the Navy [...]

People are always asking you questions, so you have to learn stuff constantly. For example, when I started I didn’t know about vegetarian rennet [a coagulant used in cheesemaking], but customers would come to the counter and ask for “vegetarian cheese.” Now I know to point them toward Portuguese cheeses, like La Serena, Gardunha, and Azeitao. They’re all made with rennet from cardoons, which are like thistles.

Until I really got into cheese a few years ago, I never considered eating a hunk of the hard stuff, like Parm or Pecorino, unless it was grated. Now I know better. Some of the tastiest cheeses are relegated to “accents” in part because they have so much flavor. Eat them just as they are, without starches or sauces, and you’ll be surprised how delicious they are.

One of the most enjoyable perks of being a Di Bruno's cheese monger is what we like to refer to as culinary pioneering. Sniffing down leads and gathering information (and the occasional sample) of new and exciting cheese is a constantly rewarding and exciting process. If being at Di Bruno's gives an enterprising cheese lover a chance to be a culinary pioneer then the constantly expanding and always changing world of Artisan cheese represents the frontier of the gourmet food world which a cheese monger has to move toward to stay on top of their game.