Noci in Camicia

Walnuts with Parmesan are a hallowed, but never palling, coupling of tastes. In Emilia-Romagna, while waiting for the first course to arrive, a platter of shelled walnuts with slivers of tender, young Parmesan may be passed around to soothe impatient appetites. It is likely to be washed down with a fresh, prickly white wine. The order is sometimes reversed, the offering coming at the end rather than at the beginning of the meal. Then, with the nuts, one might serve an older, firmer, more sa