"Sin of Gluttony." An expression used, the equivalent of "My compliments to the chef", and indicating that a dish or meal was so delicious that the consumer was tempted to the sin of gluttony.
Hard sheep's milk cheeses produced most famously in areas of Lazio, Sardinia and Sicily where there is not much grazing land for cattle. The Sicilian pecorinos come in drums of about 20 cm (8") in height by 25 cm (10") in diameter. For however long the cheese is aged, the paste is ivory, elastic and oily with good melting qualities for cooking, but never crumbles. The rind is yellow and bears the patterns of the rush baskets in they are moulded. They may be eaten 'young', after an affinage of a week or so, salted as primo sale, at a 'medium' age, around 3 months, or hard and sharp and 'aged' at 9 months or more. If it is heavily salted and aged it becomes ideal for grating. Whey which is left over from the first round of cheesemaking has more milk added and is boiled to make ricotta.
A traditional hard sheep's milk cheese which is formaggio di fossa buried in a hole for 45-60 days. Made with raw milk it has a wonderful complex flavour.
A sheep's milk cheese from Abruzzo made, unexpectedly, using pig's rennet, providing a particular flavour and aroma.
