If you've ever perused the Guinness Book of World Records, you'll see a lot of insane world records -- like the one for the most parmesan cheese wheels cracked simultaneously. The record was set by Whole Foods market on March 9, 2013, when a total of 426 cheese wheels were cracked at 28 different WFM markets worldwide at exactly 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The event was called Parmageddon, a fitting name to the cheesy stunt.
If for some reason you missed the fun, it's all going down tomorrow when Whole Foods attempts to break its own record at the Parmigiano Reggiano Crack Heard 'Round the World.
At exactly 3 p.m. Saturday, March 8, you can witness a world record being broken (hopefully) as you watch cheesemongers in your local Whole Foods crack an 85-pound wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano. They're going for the record, which means that at least 427 giant wheels of cheese will have to get cracked for the goal!
That's not all. There are lots of cheese freebies and fun in store, along with lots of photo ops. Here's a list of participating locations in Broward and Palm Beach Counties.
- Whole Foods Market Coral Springs
- Whole Foods Market Fort Lauderdale
- Whole Foods Market Pembroke Pines
- Whole Foods Market Plantation
- Whole Foods Market Wellington
If all that cheesy talk got you hungry, here are three ways to get the most out of Parmigiano Reggiano, courtesy of Whole Foods Market:
1. Pair the cheese's natural savory saltiness with really fresh, crisp vegetables such as celery, cucumber and fennel for salads and recipes with an extra snap. Tiny chunks or slivers of Parmigiano Reggiano really highlight those "flavor crystals" that develop in the aging process.
2. Turn up soup when you shave big flakes of Parmigiano Reggiano into an empty bowl, add freshly cracked pepper and ladle hot soup over the top. (Soupmaking is a wonderful way to use the rind too--just drop into simmering soup to infuse.)
3. The cheese just inside the rind is a little drier, making it just right for grating into softened butter with chopped fresh herbs, diced sundried tomatoes or anchovies to make a flavorful compound butter. Use to finish off cooked vegetables, meats or pastas.
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