Tien Douglas, from Savoy, Illinois has a cooking blog (Cooking With Tien) with all kinds of recipes, including some Vietnamese dishes she learned from her mother.
Tien is also an active participant in cookeatshare.com where we found her very cute profile:
I love getting on the computer to see what people create in their kitchen. My love of cooking did not start in childhood. I was a bookworm and read all the time. I was planning to marry someone rich and hire out the cooking.
My mother tried really hard to teach me but I would burn rice. What Asian girl burns rice? Not only did I burn the rice, but then I would lock myself in the bathroom and read in the bathtub for hours. Maybe this is too much information.
Actually, I started having an interest in cooking when I met my husband in college. After a year of eating at McDonalds all the time, I would spend hours calling my Mom for recipes. It was a really humbling experience. I am incorporating healthy cooking for him and sprinkles of Vietnamese food for me and the children. Thank you for visiting.
I liked Tien’s ricotta recipe (straight from our book, Home Cheese Making!) and her pictures, so I asked her if she would share her post with us:
Whole-milk ricotta
By Tien Douglas at Cooking With Tien
I basically followed Ricki Carroll’s directions to make whole milk ricotta below. I added the salt only after I drained all of the whey or liquid from the curds. No matter how low I have the heat, I can not get the temperature of the milk to 185 degrees F without scorching the bottom of the pan. With the latest attempt, I added the citric acid mixture at 165 degrees F and waited until the whey or liquid no longer looked milky white. The color of the whey has a yellowish tint. After measuring out the ricotta, the yield was about 3 cups. This is worth the time to make if you find milk on sale at $2/gallon. You can use 2 % milk or skim milk to make ricotta. When we experimented in the past classes, we noticed the yield was less with reduction in fat in the milk.
1 gallon milk
1 tsp of citric acid dissolved in 1/4 cup of cool water
1 tsp cheese salt
1-2 Tbs of heavy cream
Add citric acid solution and salt (optional) into the milk and mix thoroughly.
In a large pot, directly heat milk to 185 degree F to 190 degree F (do not boil). Stir often to prevent scorching.
As soon as the curds and whey separate (make sure there is no milky whey), turn off heat. All to set, undisturbed, for 10 minutes.
Line a colander with butter muslin. Carefully ladle the curds into the colander, Tie the corners of the muslin into a knot and hand the bag to drain for 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese has reached desired consistency. The cheese is ready to eat immediately. For creamier consistency, add the cream at the end and mix thoroughly.
Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
Yield: 1-1/2 to 2 pounds.
