"The poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese."-Gilbert K. Chesterton
The idea of making homemade cheese is fairly intimidating. There are animal enzymes involved (rennet is equal parts amazing and gross), patience and more patience. But in the quest to try new things, I purchased this kit and was looking forward to giving it a whirl. Okay, actually I was terrified. So in the spirit of easing into the adventures of cheesemaking, I needed to start with something whey simpler (I allowed myself one cheese making pun. There will be no more, I promise). Inspired by my favorite local Italian restaurant, Carbone's, who serves their delicious housemade ricotta with warm garlic bread as an antipasti, I thought it would be fun to try a homemade version. Traditionally ricotta is made from heating the leftover whey from other cheese making projects but fortunately there are simplified methods to make ricotta like this one. The recipe is easy with no special kit or ingredients required. Commence the cheesemaking.
The recipe is fool-proof and you can find similar methods using lemon juice instead of white wine vinegar if you prefer that. The texture and flavor of this homemade version is divine and very different from the store-bought ricotta I was used to. Slow clap for ricotta, making cheesemaking less scary and tasting good doing it.
image source: SD
-SD
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