Gorgonzola

Pat: When the grill is fired up for dinner—as it often is in our house—these toasts make great appetizers. The grilled vegetables and vinegar create an appealing relish that’s the perfect foil for Gorgonzola cheese. The pungent, savory flavors are a fantastic kickoff to a juicy grilled steak and a killer bottle of red wine.

Gorgonzola continues to age as it is stored in the refrigerator, intensifying in piquancy as it does. To slow this process down, wrap the cheese tightly in plastic wrap and store it in the coldest part of the refrigerator. This sauce is a good way to use leftover Gorgonzola cheese.

I really love grilled chicken salad as a go-to, no-brainer supper solution, but the Chicken Caesar is so over for me—I need a few years off! So here’s another fresh chicken salad idea; eat your heart out, Caesar!

Serve small wedges as an appetizer or large wedges for a vegetarian main dish.

This traditional risotto is a showcase for two of the great foods of Lombardy: the rice itself and Gorgonzola, the region’s superb blue cheese. Here the cheese is more than a garnish (which I recommend in other riso recipes); it is the very essence of the dish. You blend in a generous half-pound of Gorgonzola just before serving, when the al dente risotto comes off the heat, to bring out the full flavor of the cheese, unaltered by cooking. This deserves a top-quality, genuine imported Gorgonzola, preferably not too piquant. I like sweet and creamy Gorgonzola Dolce, aged no more than 3 months. In Lombardy, chunks of fresh ripe pear are sometimes incorporated into risotto alla Gorgonzola. When pears are in season, it is easy to give the basic risotto this wonderful embellishment. Peel and cut ripe pears into about 2 cups of small cubes. When the rice is almost done, gently stir in the pears, and cook for just a minute. Turn off the heat, and finish the risotto with Gorgonzola and grana, as detailed below.

A warm comforting bowl of Riso alla Lombarda—rice and cheese, with egg yolks stirred in for richness—has long been a family favorite in Lombardy, nourishing children for generations. It’s a snap to make anytime and can serve as a lunch dish, a great primo, or a side for grilled chicken. For adult tastes, I suggest stirring in crumbled Gorgonzola along with the eggs and grated cheese. By the way, there’s no need for concern about adding raw egg to the rice, as long as you do it as soon as the pan comes off the stove. The residual heat of the rice is more than sufficient to cook the yolks thoroughly.

How do you take gnocchi to the next level? Bake them in cream and melty gorgonzola cheese, of course.

When I was a single gal in NYC and my parents lived in Westchester, we used to meet almost halfway for dinner at Gus's in Harrison, new york. It is a great bar serving delicious seafood and their salad was my favorite—red wine vinaigrette with big hunks of blue cheese. We were always a blue cheese—loving family and my version, with a creamy base (can't compete with Gus!), is fantastic on a wedge of iceberg lettuce or as a dip. It lasts for a good week in the fridge as well.

Fresh, peppery greens add important vitamins and phytochemicals to a crisp homemade pizza. Pizza dough can be found at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores (such as Trader Joe's and Whole Foods markets) and Italian delis.

You'll want to scarf down these little cornucopias down as fast as you can make them.

This savory custard features creamy Gorgonzola and the sweet succulence of leeks. Let it precede an entrée of barbecued steak or duck breast for a guest dinner. You can assemble it in advance and bake at the last minute, or bake it ahead and reheat to serve. Finish the dishes with Parmesan cheese for a sharp bite, or sugar for a sweet touch.

Don’t worry if it looks like some of the Gorgonzola disappeared in the oven. It actually soaks into the chicken, keeping it moist and enriching its flavor.

Food editor Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez picked up her technique for grilling pizza during a college visit to Al Forno, in Providence, Rhode Island. Here, she tops that irresistibly charred crust with ingredients that have a natural affinity for one another: sweet cooked-down onions, toasted walnuts, and the bite of Gorgonzola.

The intense punch of Gorgonzola is right at home as it melts into soft, subtle polenta, while the almonds add a welcome crunch to this simple, seductive dish.

You'll be happy that these are generously sized, and that the recipe will leave you with a few extras. Tender textured, with an oozing cheese center, they're sure to be devoured before the frying oil has had a chance to cool down.

We've never seen a spin on the ubiquitous combination of beets, cheese, and nuts as original as Smith's—it's an amazing take on familiar flavors. The beets are nestled in a pool of almond butter and crowned with a glorious Gorgonzola bombolone (an Italian-style puff of fried dough).