Celebrate National Cheese Month with this dish

Of course, there are no big festivals or gatherings planned for this year, due to all of the restrictions. But you can go crazy in your own home celebrating National Cheese Month. Who doesn't love cheese?! One of the newer cheeses you may have noticed on menus of Italian restaurants or seen in supermarkets, is Burrata.

It comes from the Southern Italian region of Apulia, or Puglia. It's just west of Calabria and makes up the heel of the boot of Italy. Most people know of Buffalo Mozzarella and due to the strict constraints of what you can call a certain food, the Puglese, or the people of Puglia, have come up with their own cheese made from buffalo milk.

It's made just like fresh mozzarella, but then filled with strips of mozzarella cheese and heavy cream. It's not easily eaten by hand, so many people aren't quite sure how to serve it. While in Florence, Italy a few years ago, my daughter and I discovered how the Italians enjoy it. We were having lunch at the Mercato Centrale (central market) in the heart of Florence and found it on the menu. It was amazing. They took a slice of sliced Italian bread, grilled or toasted on one or both sides, topped it with the burrata, some basil pesto and fresh bruschetta, which is chopped tomatoes, onions, salt, pepper and fresh basil. I thought I'd share this simple, delicious recipe with you. Enjoy!

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy. Any opinions expressed are Dennis' own.