Region: Italy
Category: Antipasto, Meze, Tapas, and Hors d'Oeuvres
Season: Any
Difficulty: Easy and Quick
Black olives, white cheese. Splashed with olive oil, the glistening contrast of color is very appetizing. 
This preparation is nice served among other antipasti. Ricotta salata is the name of two different kinds of cheese. The first is the one used here. It is dried cow's milk ricotta cheese. The ricotta curd is placed in a basket or perforated container and the water is pressed out. Then the ricotta is dried at a warm temperature. When it is sold the younger version of ricotta salata is called soft or eating ricotta salata while the drier version is a grating ricotta. The second type of ricotta salata, which you are unlikely to come across in this country, is a sheep's milk cheese similar to pecorino.
[photo: Clifford A. Wright]
Yield: Makes 2 servings
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
1/4 pound ricotta salata cheese, diced
12 small imported black olives
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
In a bowl, mix all the ingredients very carefully and serve on a flat plate with crusty Italian bread.
Variation:
Note:
Posted: 12/11/2006