Last week I embarked on a great experiment. I made my first successful batch of ricotta cheese. I’d made yogurt cheese in the past (just filling a cheesecloth bag with yogurt, suspending it, and letting the whey drain out) but I had never been successful in any of my other cheesemaking experiments.
I used my ricotta to make lemon-ricotta pancakes and then, later in the week, to make a batch of manicotti. Both were fabulous. Now my appetite is whetted, both literally and figuratively. My next, somewhat more complex project will be to make a batch of mozzarella. That may prove to be a bridge too far.
I’m enrolled in a two-day cheesemaking workshop in early September. The first day we cover soft, fresh cheeses (the sort I’m experimenting with now). The second day is devoted to making hard cheeses. I’ll be reporting back with my progress.
Oooh. Let us know how the mozzarella works out. I have made some simple Indian cheese, but never anything more adventurous. Our tomatoes are coming in and tomatoes with good fresh mozzarella and some of our fresh basil is a standard at our table this time of the year.
Steve
Blessed are the cheesemakers…