Hard Cheese!

I am writing this post from Desenzano on the shores of Lake Garda. The sun has just enjoyed its last twinkle on the water and the air is heavy and warm. This area is awash with olive groves and the vineyards produce wines such as the wonderful Bardolino rose. (I could wax lyrical about Aperol Spritzs too but with my recent posts on Pimms and Bellinis I feel this site is turning into a drinking blog!)

In Venice and Lake Garda I have eaten a variety of pasta dishes. Other highlights have been Pizza Pugliese and Parmigiana di Melanzane (a baked aubergine dish). The downside has been that many dishes contain Parmagiano Reggiano/Parmesan, produced just a few towns away and Grana Padano, with its headquarters here in Desenzano. These cheeses are NOT vegetarian! These products are made using calf rennet! Who knew? Most restaurants, home and away, state that dishes are vegetarian but do, in fact, contain these non-vegetarian cheeses.

The Vegetarian Society has launched a campaign asking businesses, chefs, journalists and restaurant owners to:-

- leave out these cheeses

- not call dishes containing them vegetarian

- use a vegetarian alternative*

- label clearly and be proud to say the cheese is vegetarian

*Three alternatives to Parmesan approved by the Vegetarian Society are:-

- Bookhams Vegetarian Pasta Cheese

- Vegusto No Moo Piquant

- Brazzale's Gran Moravia

So next time you're offered an extra by the waiter ... Only agree to the black pepper!