Ricotta and Sour Cream

I know I'm a little obsessive but making my own milk products at home is very satisfying. 

Just in case you'd like to pick up the bug, here are two recipes that have worked very well for me.

Mason jars seem to be the perfect receptacles for these delights!

SOUR CREAM 

Homemade sour cream is basically a dream come true. It is so tasty and has only cream (the percentage of fat is your choice, here I've used 10%) and buttermilk making it much purer than what you would purchase, and cheaper AND it's the easiest thing ever!

2 cups Cream, room temperature

2 tablespoons Cultured Buttermilk (that's the kind sold at the store), room temperature

Combine them in a jar or cup measure, at room temperature (this is the important part).

Leave on the counter for 24 hours.

Put in the fridge. Use after chilling 24 hours.

Lasts a month in the fridge. That is if you don't eat it all first. :)

Yes it's that easy. And takes that little effort. Make it yourself. You will see.

(I didn't take a photo because it looks white just like sour cream - because it is!)

RICOTTA CHEESE (Salads, Pasta, Cheesecake)

The most surprising thing about cheese is really just like a sweater: 

how much milk or wool it takes to make the final product.

Take ricotta. 10 cups of milk/butter milk equal just less than two cups cheese. But it's sure good!

Buttermilk Method Ricotta

I've now made two types.

The buttermilk method is the first I tried and it produces a very creamy ricotta.

The vinegar method is very quick and fun to watch and makes 

a drier ricotta with a much more defined curd.

Buttermilk Method:
8 cups 2% Milk
2 cups Cultured Buttermilk
Salt

Combine milk and buttermilk in a large pot and heat to 180 degrees F, stirring occasionally. 
Remove from heat and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Do not disturb it!
Pour though a muslin lined colander (keep whey if desired) and allow to drain approximately 2 hours.
Transfer to a bowl and stir in salt to taste. 
Supposedly keeps for a week but not around here!

*For some reason some of the curd is attracted to the bottom of the pot where it's hottest and becomes thicker. I've retained this part and mixed it with spices to use as a dip whenever I've made the type of ricotta and it's rather good, too. Also, I do not like to waste things...

Ricotta dip, made from the bottom curds

Vinegar Method:
8 cups 2% Milk
1/6 cup White Vinegar
1 tsp Salt

Heat milk to 185 degrees F in a large pot. Remove from heat and add the vinegar and salt.
Stir gently to mix, then allow to sit 2 hours undisturbed.
Pour though a muslin lined colander (keep whey if desired) and allow to drain approximately 2 hours.
Again, it keeps for a week.

*******

I'd really love to find some glass milk bottles. 

You know, those old fashioned ones from when you were a kid 

(or even an adult) which seem to have vanished... 

If you know where I could get some, please let me know!

More on yogurt soon!

Sourdough Starter

I'm Playing Catch Up Now

I have been neglecting my blog as it becomes increasingly 

difficult to find time to nurture this outlet. 

I might be getting sidetracked by something sweet, other than chocolate ;) 

Just a guess...

And for whatever reason there is an inordinate amount of socializing that has arrived, 

out of nowhere, without notice or concern, for my otherwise pleasantly dull life!

Also - my mixer is broken! AHHHHH!!!!!

It was grinding itself up inside and spitting out the occasional shard of metal, then it started to make terrible earth shuddering (or just condo building shuddering) noises, 

and it was stopped, unplugged, dismantled and inspected. 

It was too horrible to take a photo. It would make you cry. 

New parts are on the way, but apparently Kitchen Aid has no idea 

how much I like (love) to use their appliance as they are as slow as molasses in winter!

(Clearly I cannot put them in the microwave to speed up the process.)  

All parts in-stock and it has taken three weeks for them to be packaged and out to the mailman. 

I am at a loss...

And even Easter has long since passed.

Meanwhile, I've been up to a number of other worthwhile things. 

Just not cake. But I'm sure I could stand not to eat cake for a few weeks... Although as you well know it is an important food group and I'm not certain yet how much my health will suffer. 

I have moved on to the pickle group, mostly consisting of crisp Kosher dills, so if that doesn't help me now, at least I'll be partially embalmed prior to mummification. Lol. 

One of which has been a long time coming: Sourdough Bread

I wasn't having much luck with regular yeast bread so I just thought I'd jump right in and attempt 

the most challenging of glutenous feats. 

To be honest you must build the starter and that requires a week or longer, so while it was 

developing I actually had plenty of time to experiment with quick rising yeast. 

With which I proudly did, produce better and better results. 

This could be due to better recipes, but also certainly is contributed to by better techniques.

Here are the changes to my techniques just in case you're interested:

• Oiled plastic wrap
• Warm oven feature (just enough to get the oven's air warmer than the kitchen's)
• Carefully reading and rereading instructions (enough so the words sink in...) and following them
• Ice cubes in the oven while baking

Why is number three so difficult?!

Rose Levy Beranbaum's 'Bread Bible' is a marvelous tool. I hope also to gain some more expert  knowledge, tips and scrumptious recipes when I finally get my hands on her 'Cake Bible'. 

I am digressing from the sourdough, which incidentally 

I was mixing at the time the mixer gave up...

So I've been hand kneading lately. 

I followed the instructions for Sourdough as found in 'Bread Making', by Lauren Chattman. 

And this is what happened:

I could not have been happier!!!!!

We will see if I can reproduce that lovely, plump loaf of sourness.

I hope so.

*************

Diane, one of the lovely people I hope I one day can call family, lent me her mixer to make a chocolate crusted, peanut butter cheesecake with a sour cream topping. 

Everyone loved it, and it was a spectacular looking dessert. 

Diane even brought me a gift, which I quickly placed the dessert on. How nice! My first cake stand :) Below you can see both.

The recipe "Peanut Butter Cheesecake Tart with Peanut Praline" is from Donna Hay,

Issue 68. (Or Donna Down-under as I like to refer to her!)

What I am most proud of is the fact that I made, from scratch, the ricotta and the sour cream I used in the recipe. More on my recently developed obsession with dairy products coming up...