Bring A Taste Of Italy Into Your Life With Grana Padano And The Aperitivo Hour While the Brits do Happy Hour, the Italians go one better with the Aperitivo Hour - early evening cocktails served with a buffet of delicious tapas-style snacks. One of Italy's best kept secrets and a staple of this Italian socio-gastro tradition is Grana Padano - the best selling PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) cheese in the world. Grana Padano is a versatile Italian hard cheese. Grainy in texture, which gives it its name 'grana', rich in nutrients and so sweet and savoury that it can be enjoyed in many different ways. It is also the market leader in Italy and is lower in fat than other hard cheeses. As Italy's favourite cheese, Grana Padano is ideal for those looking to capture the European lifestyle, whilst its versatility makes it perfect for every eating occasion. Younger Grana Padano is soft with a creamy, mellow flavour, making it excellent for sauces and for cooking. Its intense and inviting aroma also means it's ideal to serve as a canapé or to be enjoyed as an Aperitivo, with a chilled glass of your favourite white wine. As it matures, the flavour and aroma become more intense, and the texture is grainier. Grana Padano is also excellent served with figs, grapes, olives or a selection of nuts.   A thousand years of cheese production First produced by monks in Lombardy as a way of using up leftover milk, its heritage goes back almost 1,000 years and is covered by a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin). Additionally, the Grana Padano Consorzio, founded in 1954, strictly governs the whole creative process and the quality of the cheese. Production takes place in 13 of the 32 provinces across the picturesque Po Valley, which spans from Piedmont to Veneto and Trento to Piacenza in Northern Italy. Grana Padano is the biggest-selling hard cheese not only in Italy but also in the world and has distinct qualities and advantages of its own. Grana Padano is made only with partially and naturally skimmed cow's milk, which not only makes it lower in fat but also much more versatile as it is ready to eat when less mature. Grana Padano is matured from between 9 to more than 24 months, and this variance in maturity leads to dramatic differences in flavour and texture. Its lower level of salt, in comparison to other hard cheeses, also improves its versatility as a cooking ingredient. Grana Padano is delicious on its own but is also a versatile cooking ingredient. To celebrate this, Grana Padano has teamed up with Sue Ashworth, a member of the Guild of Food Writers, to produce a recipe booklet. This booklet includes a range of recipes for hot and cold dishes, starters, mains and even finger food. Amongst the selection of recipes is Prosciutto-wrapped chicken breasts stuffed with Grana Padano. Serves 4 To prepare this you need: 2 courgettes, thickly sliced 4 tomatoes, quartered 1 large aubergine, cut into chunks 4 tablespoons of Italian olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 4 teaspoons of red or green pesto sauce About 12 basil leaves 50g (2oz) Grana Padano cheese, finely grated 8slices prosciutto Shavings of Grana Padano, to serve   1. Preheat the oven to 200oC/fan oven 180oC/Gas mark 6 2. Put the courgettes, tomatoes and aubergines chunks into a roasting tin and drizzle with the olive oil. Season and toss together to coat. 3. Cut a pocket into each chicken breast and fill each one with a teaspoon of pesto sauce, about 3 basil leaves and about a quarter of the grated Grana Padano. Wrap each chicken breast with two slices of prosciutto, and then arrange them on top of the vegetables. Season then drizzle with a little more olive oil. 4. Roast for 35 - 40 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is done. Check that the chicken is thoroughly cooked by piercing the thickest part with a sharp knife - the juices should run clear.   A healthy snack which also appears in the book is the Italian open sandwich with Grana Padano Serves 4 In order to prepare this you need: 1 ciabatta loaf 8 teaspoons sun-dried tomato paste 100g (4oz) grilled artichokes (bottled) 100g (4oz) roasted red peppers (bottled) About 12 black olives 1 small red onion, finely sliced Italian virgin olive oil, for drizzling Shavings of Grana Padano cheese A few oregano or basil leaves, to garnish 1. Slice the ciabatta loaf through the middle, then cut each piece in half. 2. Spread each piece with 2 teaspoons of sun-dried tomato paste. Top with torn pieces of artichoke and peppers, then share the olives and red onion between each piece. 3. Drizzle with olive oil and finish off with plenty of Grana Padano cheese. Garnish with oregano or basil leaves, then serve at once.   top