(Photo: Frederique Voisin-Demery) 

Burrata, a kissing cousin of mozzarella, is one of our favorite simple luxuries. Met with bread and the summer produce of your choice (we’d vote for tomatoes or peaches), the creamy, salty cheese is all you need to make a fantastic no-cook meal.

To stretch our knowledge on the subject, we tapped Gizella Otterson, general manager at BKLYN Larder, which boasts one of our favorite cheese counters in the city. Read on for her tips:

(Photo: Gizella Otterson) 

Storage:

• Keep your burrata in the fridge, preferably in the water in which it arrived. If you’ve spilled or drained the water, sub in some salty water of your own (if you use tap water, make sure it has a neutral flavor).
• Store it whole; once cut it becomes a gorgeous, milky mess resembling a Rorschach inkblot and you might as well just finish it off. 

Best By:

• Since burrata is a fresh cheese, its shelf life is shorter than most. Many dairy products have “best by” or “sell by” dates, but I choose to ignore most of these. I use my sense of smell and taste as judge. You’ll know if something is off or rancid: it’ll have a revolting sour smell, might resemble nail polish, might smell like cheese in a way that’s improper for the product. Dairy is a living product and as such is still ripening and developing. One day your burrata might be light, milky and mild, the next day it’s more like rich butter. One more day might take it over the hill; it might show a slight sourness or bitterness in the finish. To sum up, enjoy it while it lasts.

Serving:

• Scoop, don’t cut: I’d have to say that I prefer a spoon or to use my hands over a knife. I want it to look organic and natural; there’s just something about using a sharp knife that makes it look a bit clinical and unappetizing.