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Sally Schneider's A New Way to Cook (Artisan Books, 2001, $40), is a fantastic cookbook built around the idea of incorporating small amounts of delicious (and sometimes not as healthy) ingredients as flavor boosters in recipes in order to create satisfying meals. Skip the reduced fat version, and use the real thing...sparingly.

An ingredient that I can add into almost any dish that lends a huge amount of flavor without a lot of saturated fat is aged cheese.

As cheeses age, they lose a lot of their original water content and so they often contain more fat per ounce than other cheeses and are saltier, but this is exactly what makes them the perfect flavor booster. They work well grated into a wide range of dishes; and by using a highly flavored cheese we can use less and still have the delicious flavor without all the calories and saturated fat.

So what are aged cheeses? All cheese is made by taking milk, either from a cow, sheep or goat and coagulating it. As the cheese coagulates, it separates into clumps of protein and fat called curds and whey, a liquidy mixture of water, protein and calcium. Once the curds and whey have been separated, the curd is salted, inoculated with bacteria or mold and pressed into shapes. The cheese is then allowed to cure or ripen for a few days up to several years.

Aged cheeses are also referred to as very-hard or grating cheeses and include traditional European cheeses such as Italian Asiago, Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano, Dutch Parrano, and Manchego and Idiazábal from Spain. American cheese-makers produce Parmesan and Dry Monterey Jack, which are variations of traditional European cheeses.

In general, small producers have more time and ability to focus on the quality of their product. Many of the smaller cheese makers produce farmstead cheeses, made at the farm from the milk of the animals that live on the farm. It is important for us to support their work; they not only make fabulous cheeses, but also care about the health of their land and animals.

When purchasing aged cheeses, keep in mind that they can be kept on hand for long periods of time, so it is okay to choose a whole wheel. When buying a large amount, cut it into small portions right away and wrap each individually. That way as you take out a piece to use, you don't run the risk of contaminating the whole piece.

If you are interested in purchasing aged cheese from small American producers check out www.slowfoodusa.org/ark/farmstead_cheese.html for a list of farmstead cheese makers in the U.S. You can order cheese directly from: www.vellacheese.com.