Cheese: Tasty and Healthy

One often hears one should avoid cheese because it's rich in fat, and also in cholesterol. Perhaps true, but the corollaries are that the enzymes in aged partially break down the milk proteins, making them easier to digest (this is important if you're getting over something), and also that aged cheeses, especially Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padana, are superb sources of calcium -- a very important consideration for those at risk for osteoporosis. In other words, cheese can be vary good for you!

Grana Padana and Parmigiano Reggiano: The King of cheeses (Parmigiano) and his close cousin, both of which are made the same way from cow's milk in North Italy's Pianura Padana -- only the forage changes.
Pecorino Toscano: All the sheep dotting the hills south of Siena are there for a very tasty reason: Pecorino cheese, which is perfect with a pear but also excellent as an ingredient.
Pecorino Romano: A truly ancient cheese -- Lucio Moderato Columella told how to make it in De Re Rustica -- that is still tremendously popular, and find its way into all sorts of dishes.
Provolone: Though it's made by pulling the hot curds, a Southern Tradition, it comes from the Pianura Padana, because a group of Southern cheesemakers moved north to take advantage of higher milk productions. It's tasty at the end of the meal, but is also a superb ingredient.