Ever since the first cheese was unwittingly produced in the Neolithic, people have been relying on cheese for sustenance and pleasure, nutrition and delight. Culinary historians postulate that cheese came to be as the result of a happy accident: roughly 12,000 years ago, a nomadic shepherd in the Mediterranean poured the day's milk into a calf's stomach, the pouch he used for transporting goods on his journeys. After a day or so, the shepherd opened the calf's stomach and found that the milk it contained had solidified, forming a spoonable substance. And while that shepherd might have been dismayed by his finding at first, he certainly realized that the milk, in its solidified state, not only tasted good, it kept for longer as well. Thousands of years later, we still use rennet obtained from calf's stomach to separate the whey from the curds in milk; in other words, to make cheese.

While cheesemaking was first developed around the Middle East, as shown by cave paintings in the Libyan Sahara dating to 5000 B.C. and traces of cheese in the tomb of a king of the Egyptian First Dynasty dating to 3000 B.C., all cultures around the Mediterranean basin soon took up the task. Today, Italy is one of the world's leading cheese producers, and boasts a venerable tradition of cheesemaking that predates the days of the Roman Empire. The Etruscans who settled in central Italy more than 3,000 years ago were already making sheep's milk cheese; experts postulate that they grated it over boiled strips of pasta (no, pasta did not reach Italy after Marco Polo went to the Far East: it had been made locally since 1000 B.C. or so), ate it with bread, and more. Both the ancient Greeks and Romans relied on cheese as a staple; again, sheep's milk cheese was most common in these pastoral societies. Homer mentioned cheese in the Iliad, and the Roman cookbook writer Marcus Apicius talked of cheese in his first-century book.

Italy produces hundreds of different cheeses. Each region relies on its livestock to create a variety of cheeses for the table and for the kitchen. In general, northern Italian regions (Val d'Aosta, Piedmont, Liguria, Lombardy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, The Veneto, and Emilia-Romagna,) have a terrain better suited to cows, so most of their cheeses are made of cow's milk. Central Italian regions (The Marches, Tuscany, Umbria, Latium, Abruzzo, and Molise) and southern Italian regions (Apulia, Campania, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily, and Sardinia) have long been the domain of shepherds, so sheep's milk cheeses prevail. Goat's milk cheeses and cheeses made from the milk of water buffaloes are also made (the latter especially in southern regions). Today, calf's rennet and a variety of vegetable extracts (including wild cardoon) are used to coagulate milk and precipitate the separation of the curds from the whey.

How a given cheese tastes is the result of a number of factors. First and foremost, of course, is the type of milk used: a cow's milk cheese tastes different from a sheep's milk cheese, and a cheese obtained from a combination of water buffalo's milk and goat's milk has its own personality. The place where the cheese is produced (more on this below), the season in which it is produced, and how long it is aged are also major determinants of flavor: in general, summer cheese tends to be more flavorful, because the animals feed on aromatic fresh grass and wild herbs rather than dry fodder; and the longer a cheese ages, the sharper and saltier it becomes.

The place where a given cheese is produced is fundamental to determining its flavor and character. Because Italian dairies tend to process milk only from a delimited, and often quite small, area, the regional specificity of Italian cheeses is quite pronounced. Cows, goats, sheep, and water buffaloes munch on grass and hay in their natural microenvironment; the grass and hay confer a specific taste to the animals' milk, yielding cheeses with unique characteristics. Simply put, cow's milk around Novara (Piedmont), say, tastes different from cow's milk around Bari (Apulia); therefore, a cow's milk Ricotta produced in Novara will taste different from one produced in Bari. This is akin to the soil specificity of grape varietals in winemaking: the same grape varietal planted in two different locations will yield different fruit, and therefore, different wines. Not surprisingly, just as for Italian wine, Italian cheeses are safeguarded and protected by a denomination system: roughly 30 Italian cheeses are now labeled DOP (Denominazione di Origine Protetta, or Denomination of Protected Origin). These DOP cheeses must be made within a given production area according to strict guidelines, and owe much of their character to their place of origin. The DOP cheeses are Italy's most widespread cheeses, and, thankfully, nearly all are available in North America.

Torta Salata al Formaggio con Asparagi

Savory Cheese and Asparagus Pie

Store-bought phyllo dough works beautifully in this lovely springtime pie. Look for phyllo dough in the freezer section of well-stocked supermarkets, and defrost overnight in the refrigerator before assembling the pie. The pie can be prepared (but not baked) up to 12 hours ahead; pour on the egg custard mixture just before baking.

For the filling:

• 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
• 1/2 pound fresh Mozzarella, coarsely grated
• 1/4 pound fresh Ricotta
• 1/4 pound French Feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 bunches asparagus, woody ends trimmed, stalks cut into 1/4-inch lengths, tips reserved

For the pie:

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 10 sheets phyllo dough, thawed

For the custard mixture:

• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/3 cup club soda

Make the filling: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl (remember to reserve the asparagus tips to garnish the top of the pie).

Make the pie: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil a rectangular glass baking dish (9 inches x 13 inches is ideal).

Cut the phyllo dough in half, making 20 rectangles that will line the baking pan nicely. Line the baking pan with 1 phyllo rectangle and brush very lightly with the olive oil, keeping the other phyllo rectangles covered with a dry towel while you work (otherwise the phyllo will dry out and crack, becoming very difficult to work with).

Top with another phyllo rectangle; continue in this manner, brushing lightly with olive oil and stacking phyllo rectangles, until you have used 7 phyllo rectangles.

Spoon on half of the asparagus and cheese filling and spread well, covering the dough.

Layer another 6 phyllo rectangles over the filling, brushing between the layers with olive oil.

Spoon on the remaining asparagus and cheese filling, spreading it well and covering the dough nicely.

Top with the remaining 7 phyllo rectangles, brushing between the layers with olive oil.

Arrange the reserved asparagus tips in a pretty pattern over the top of the pie.

Make the custard mixture: Whisk the ingredients together in a bowl. Pour the custard mixture over the pie. As the pie bakes, the custard will puff and turn into a delicately creamy topping.

Bake in the preheated oven 45 minutes, or until golden, set, and crisp. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature. Serves 4 as a first course, 8 as an appetizer

Cannoli Profumati all'Arancia

Orange, Mascarpone, and Ricotta Cannoli

Look for cannoli shells at Italian markets and pastry shops.

• ½ pound fresh whole-milk Ricotta
• ½ pound Mascarpone (preferably imported Italian)
• ¼ cup honey (preferably orange blossom)
• grated zest of 1 orange
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped unsalted pistachios
• 24 mini cannoli shells

Make the cream filling: Beat the Ricotta and Mascarpone with the honey, orange zest, and cinnamon until it is perfectly smooth with a whisk.

Refrigerate up to 1 day. (Do not process the mixture in a food processor, or it will liquefy.)

Stuff the cannoli: Pipe the cream filling through a pastry bag fitted with a flat tip into the hollow cannoli shells.

Dip both ends in the chopped pistachios and arrange on a serving platter. Chill the cannoli for 2 to 12 hours and enjoy. Makes 24 miniature cannolis

Triangoli Croccanti ai Quattro Formaggi

Crispy Four-Cheese Phyllo Triangles over Baby Greens

Look for phyllo dough in the freezer section of most well-stocked supermarkets, and allow at least 12 hours to defrost in the refrigerator.

For the triangles:

• 2 tablespoons chopped basil
• 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped tarragon
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika
• 1/3 pound Fontina from Val d'Aosta, rind removed, coarsely grated
• 1/3 pound coarsely grated smoked Mozzarella
• 1/3 pound coarsely grated fresh Mozzarella
• 1/3 pound young goat cheese, crumbled
• 11 sheets phyllo dough, thawed
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the greens:

• 4 packed cups mixed baby greens
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Make the triangles: In a bowl, combine the herbs, pepper, nutmeg, and paprika. Add the Fontina, smoked Mozzarella, fresh Mozzarella, and goat cheese, and mix well.

Place the phyllo dough on a large cutting board, and slice into 4-inch wide strips (you will have 3 strips per sheet). Place under a dry towel while you work.

Place one strip of dough in front of you, keeping the others covered. Brush it lightly with the olive oil, cover with another strip of dough, and brush that strip with olive oil as well.

Place 2 heaping tablespoons of filling along the bottom edge of the dough. Roll the phyllo dough over the filling to enclose, folding it up away from you as if you were folding a flag.

Seal with a little additional olive oil, place seam-side down on a parchment paper-lined 11-inch x 17-inch baking sheet, and lightly oil the top.

Continue to roll triangles in this way, arranging them in a single layer on the baking sheet. (The triangles can be frozen on the baking sheet at this point; when they are solid, transfer to freezer-safe bags. Do not defrost before baking.)

To bake: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (preferably set on convection bake). Bake the triangles for 20 minutes, or until golden and crisp.

Make the greens: Toss the greens with the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mound on 8 plates. Top each with 2 triangles and serve. Makes 16 four-inch triangles (serves 8)

Grana con Miele di Castagne e Noci

Grana Padano with Chestnut Honey and Walnuts

Grana Padano is a nutty, buttery cow's milk cheese from Lombardy, where it has been produced for a thousand years. Italians use it as often as they use Parmigiano-Reggiano and it is excellent both grated and as a table cheese. Look for Grana Padano with a smooth, golden-yellow rind stamped with the Consortium’s distinctive seal, and a compact, dense inner structure without holes or color striations. Wrap Grana Padano tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap and refrigerate it up to 1 month; wedges can also be frozen if desired. If using Grana Padano as a grating cheese, it’s always best to grate it just before savoring it—if you really must grate it days before you are going to use it, freeze it to better preserve its aroma. Serve the elegant dish below as a combined cheese and dessert course. If you can't find chestnut honey (which has a pleasantly bitter falvor), use any honey you like; clover or orange blossom are fine substitutes.

• 3/4 pound Grana Padano, cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges
• 36 walnut halves
• 1/2 cup chestnut honey

Arrange the Grana Padano on 6 plates. Top with the walnuts and drizzle with the chestnut honey. Enjoy immediately. Serves 6

Frittata di Salsiccia e Pecorino

Italian Sausage and Pecorino Frittata

Use zucchini, asparagus, or mushrooms instead of pepper if you prefer, and omit the sausage for a vegetarian frittata. Store leftover frittata in the refrigerator and enjoy at room temperature, or warm a few minutes in a preheated 350° oven.

• 1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 pound Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled
• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
• 12 basil leaves, torn
• 4 sage leaves, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 large eggs
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano

Preheat the broiler.

Heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in an ovenproof 10-inch skillet. Add the sausage and cook 5 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring; the sausage should be cooked all the way through and lightly browned (cook a little longer if it is not). Add the red pepper, basil, sage, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper, and cook 5 more minutes, or until the red pepper is wilted.

Beat the eggs with the Pecorino, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the hot sausage-pepper mixture, beating and stirring quickly to avoid scrambling the eggs, and pour into the same skillet, dribbling in the remaining 2 tablespoons of the olive oil first. Cook over medium heat 10 minutes, or until set and golden on the bottom.

Transfer the frittata to the preheated broiler and cook until set and lightly browned on the top, about 5 minutes. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature. Serves 2 as a main course or 6 as an appetizer

Barchette di Indivia al Gorgonzola

Endive Boats with Gorgonzola and Walnut Mousse

Select a mild, buttery Gorgonzola for this rich appetizer, and cut off its rind to ensure the mousse won't be bitter.

• 1/2 pound mild Gorgonzola, rind removed, cut into large pieces
• 1/2 cup shelled walnut halves, plus extra to garnish
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, plus extra if needed
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 large Belgian endives, separated into spears
• 1/4 cup honey

In a food processor, combine the Gorgonzola, the walnut halves, the cream, and the pepper until smooth; add more cream if needed to thin it out. The mousse should be as thick as jam. Refrigerate 30 minutes (or up to 2 days) to firm it up; this makes piping easier.

Arrange the endive spears on a platter with the tips facing in toward the center. Spoon the Gorgonzola mousse into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip.

Pipe the Gorgonzola mousse on the bottom half of each endive spear in a pretty rosette pattern. Top each rosette of Gorgonzola mousse with a walnut half. Drizzle the Gorgonzola mousse lightly with the honey and serve within 15 minutes. Serves 12

Stuzzichini di Fontina, Pomodoro e Rucola

Fontina, Tomato, and Arugula Triangles

While hardly traditional in the Italian kitchen, flour tortillas provide a lovely thin shell for the cheese and vegetable stuffing. In Italy, thin, pliable flatbreads called piadine--made from flour and lard--would be used instead, but tortillas are a fabulous substitute. Be sure to buy Fontina from Val d'Aosta, a nutty cow's milk cheese that melts beautifully, for this easy finger food.

• 8 flour tortillas (8-inch diameter)
• 1/2 pound Fontina from Val d'Aosta, rind removed, thinly sliced or coarsely grated
• 4 plum tomatoes, very thinly sliced
• 1 large bunch arugula, leaves only, cut into chiffonnade
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Place 4 of the tortillas on a work surface. Top each with one-quarter of the Fontina, tomatoes, and arugula; season evenly with salt and pepper. Cover with the remaining 4 tortillas.

Heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in each of two 10-inch omelet pans. Slip in one of the tortillas in each skillet, and cook over medium-high heat until golden on the bottom; turn and cook the other side until golden. It will take about 5 minutes total.

Cook the 2 remaining tortillas in the remaining olive oil in the same manner.

While the second batch of tortillas cook, serve the first batch, cut into 8 triangles each. Makes 32 pieces

Crostini con Peperoni Arrostiti e Caprino

Crostini with Roasted Peppers and Goat Cheese

You can top the baguette slices with slices of fresh Mozzarella instead of goat cheese for a milder flavor.

• 24 thin slices baguette (1/4-inch-thick)
• 2 red peppers, halved, seeded, stems and membranes removed
• 2 yellow peppers, halved, seeded, stems and membranes removed
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 12 basil leaves, torn
• 1/2 pound young goat cheese, at room temperature (such as Coach Farm Low-Fat Goat Cheese Sticks)

Preheat the oven to 450°.

Arrange the baguette slices in a single layer on an 11- x 17-inch baking sheet. Toast in the preheated oven until golden on top, about 5 minutes.

Raise the oven temperature to broil.

Line the same baking sheet with aluminum foil; place the peppers on it, cut side down, and broil in the preheated oven until they are blistered and black, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven; wrap in the aluminum foil that lined the baking sheet and set aside for 15 to 30 minutes; the steam in the foil packet will loosen the skin of the peppers, making them easier to peel. Unwrap the peppers, then peel and remove the seeds; cut into strips and toss with the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and basil in a medium bowl (this can be done up to 4 days ahead and refrigerated).

Spread the goat cheese on the crostini; place on a platter, top with the roasted peppers (discarding the garlic cloves first), and serve. Makes 24

Crostini con Salmone Affumicato ed Erba Cipollina

Crostini with Smoked Salmon and Chive Mousse

Try to buy imported Italian Mascarpone (rather than domestic) for this and other recipes: the flavor is richer and creamier, the texture smoother.

• 1/2 pound Mascarpone
• 1 bunch chives, snipped, plus 6 chives, cut into 1-inch lengths
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 thin slices pumpernickel bread (1/4-inch-thick), cut into 6 triangles each
• 12 thin slices smoked salmon, halved

In a food processor, purée the Mascarpone with the snipped chives, salt, and pepper until smooth and pale green. Spread on the pumpernickel bread triangles and top each triangle with a half-slice of smoked salmon.

Garnish each bread triangle with a 1-inch-length of chive. Serve within 15 minutes. Makes 24