Haleem Moussa holding his farmer’s cheese with pepper, oregano and parsley on the left and his labni on the right.
Haleem grew up in a small farm in northern Lebanon. As a child, he used to watch his Grand Ma as she milked their cow and made yogurt, butter, buttermilk and shanklish.
He had three brothers and four sisters who now live all over the world- in Sweden, Mexico and the US.
He himself came to to the US in 1962 to finish his education in the medical field. He then worked for 44 years as a nurse anesthetist, primarily in VA hospitals. At one point (1979-1986) he worked in Saudi Arabia for a large oil company – Aramco.
Now, he is retired (88) and living in Lake City, Florida. He has a garden (as he has all his life) and a small orchard where he grows persimmons, olives, figs and grapes.
Screenshot
Haleem’s Shanklish
My Grand Ma’s Method …
She used to boil the yogurt on a low fire to separate the whey. Then, she drained it and added hot chili and salt, made it into small balls (like tennis balls) and let them dry. (I prepare my own chili – a mix of cayenne and jalapeno and sometimes I add touch of habanero. Usually I grow this chili and sun-dry it.)
Shanklish drying on the counter.
After it was well dried, she put the balls in a glass jar and put them under the sink for 3-4 weeks until mold (brownish to grey) completely covered them.
After that, she took them out, cleaned off the mold (with a sharp knife), rubbed them with canola oil and rolled them in thyme.
We called this cheese (shanklish) in Arabic.
My method …
I make two gallons of whole milk yogurt every two months.
I use whole milk (store-bought), put it on a medium-low fire to bring it to a boil or to 180F. Then, I cool it to 105F. Then, I add two tablespoons of yogurt as a starter and cover it with blanket and keep it for 8 hrs.
After it has set, I drain it in cheesecloth (butter muslin) with a 15 lb weight, until it is like cream cheese. I mix it with different spices (usually salt and cayenne).
Sometimes, I form it into small balls and dry it for a few days on the counter.
After it is dry, I sometimes roll it in za’atar (a Middle Eastern spice available online) or thyme.
If I want to age it, I put it under the sink until it is moldy (usually a couple of weeks). This is a warm, moist environment. In Lebanon, we used to bury it in hay.
When ready, I brush off the mold and preserve it in a jar with canola oil. It lasts up to six months in the fridge. Some people freeze it in ziplock bags with canola oil.
Other Hobbies:
I grow my own grapes and make delicious Muscadine wine. In the past, I have made 200-300 bottles/year.
This year, I gave the grapes to my friend and neighbor, Rami to make the wine.
Rami learning to make the wine.
I also have a persimmon tree. I eat some of them and leave the rest for the birds.
I have 8 olive trees. This year, I got 40 pounds. When I press them, I get 5 gallons of olive oil.
I have 5 fig trees. My wife makes marmalade and jam with them.
