Cheese Making Recipe of the Month
Lactic Cheese
Lactic Cheese is the name for a broad category of different cheeses. When it is made from cow's milk, it is often called Chaource (pictured at left).
You can easily make this cheese with cow, goat or sheep's milk and it's so easy, you will be glad you did. Jim has gone to great lengths this month to describe every detail of the process of making it with one gallon of milk at a time. What could be better?!
Meet a Fellow Cheese Maker
Every Month?!!
We found Suzanne McMinn at her wildly popular "Chickens in the Road" website where she shares stories and pictures of her life in Appalachia. We couldn't help but notice that she was using our supplies to make cheese and writing some pretty fabulous posts about it. She told us she wanted to tackle the harder cheeses, so we challenged her to do it!
She accepted our challenge on her website and beginning next month, in the November issue, she will be chronicling her adventures.
News From Fellow Cheese Makers
Making Sofrito
Many thanks to Wendy Akin Barking Cat Farm for this note:
Last summer, I was making up a batch of this Cuban style Sofrito while my daughter was visiting. She dipped out a taste, and said Yum! Her lunch was a couple slabs of Paula Lambert's mozzarella (we live outside Dallas) heaped up with this herbal mix. She was nearly drooling into her plate! Although I make this mostly to stir into a pot of beans, I do like it with the mozzarella and also like to spread a bit on a plate and top with a scoop of Fromage Blanc or other fresh white cheese. I've also stirred it into pasta salad with amazing results.
The pepper mix can be adjusted a bit to suit individual tastes. I often use the Hatch New Mexico peppers in place of the Italian type or toss in a jalapeno to give a bit more heat.
CUBAN STYLE SOFRITO
Submitted by Wendy Akin
Not to be confused with Italian sofrito which is a mix of sauteed vegetables used as a sauce base, this Cuban version is a pungent mix of raw herbs and vegetables. It is used to add freshness, herbal notes and zing to many Cuban dishes. Do try it in fresh shell beans and other bean soups.
- 2 medium onions cut into large chunks
- 4 - 6 Italian or Cubanelle frying peppers, split and seeded
- 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks
- 1 -2 padron or pimento type peppers if you can find them
- 16 - 20 cloves of garlic, peeled (yes, that many)
- 3 - 4 roma tomatoes, peeled and seeded or 1 cup canned
- 1 quite large bunch of fresh cilantro, washed
Put the onions, garlic and peppers into the bowl of the food processor and start, add the tomatoes and cilantro and run the processor until the sofrito is smooth.
This recipe makes about 4 cups. Freeze it in ½ cup batches in little baggies and stir it into all kinds of dishes, most especially any bean soup.
Measure Your pH and Sanitize Your Utensils With Ease!
Sarah, the Cheese Princess, (Ricki's daughter) has been finding us all kinds of new products! Last month it was those cute little spoons and this month it's pH meters and sanitizer. Next month-who knows? (We're on a roll!)
pH Meters
The pH meter on the left (PH1) is waterproof with a digital pH readout to .01 and temperatures in F or C. It also includes automatic temperature compensation from 32-140F.
The red one (PH2) is our lower priced but reliable pH meter providing automatic temperature compensation and pH readings to 0.1 resolution. It provides automatic calibration at 1 or 2 points.
Sanitizer
Star San is a broad spectrum non rinse food grade sanitizer. This product is ideal for home cheese makers looking to cut down on the possibility of contamination during the cheese making process. STAR SAN will be able to keep your equipment, surfaces and tools sanitized for daily use and is not affected by organic materials.
Please send your cheese making news & photos to: moosletter@cheesemaking.com
