Ricotta-esque

Cheeses making has always intrigued me. I find it fascinating that milk can be turned into a product of so many flavours and textures. So after reading a brief recipe somewhere (I can’t remember where) and watching an Australian/ Sicilian woman make cheeses on television I decided it was time to give it a try.
Ricotta is the simplest of cheeses and this recipe is very easy to do. The only thing involved is separating milk! And how many times in my life have I done that by mistake?
I have now done this recipe five times. It has been successful every time even though I have not been consistent with quantities and varieties of milk. I have experimented with cows milk, goats milk and with cream added in various proportion. The best results were with cows milk Adding cream (no more than half) will result in a very creamy cheese more like marscapone, but not as smooth. Cream or no cream, I have to admit that this cheese tastes far better than any ricotta I have purchased. Even better than the ’freshest’ ricotta available in any shop. And freshness is the whole point with ricotta. The homemade version is incredibly sweet and nutty, with all the flavour of fresh milk.
As long as I have the time, I will make my own ricotta from now on. I can’t wait to try it inside fresh ravioli. I love culinary moments like this. Beautiful food will never cease to amaze me.


Ingredients
2 litres of milk (cow or goat)
Lemon juice, strained through a fine sieve

Method
Bring the milk to the boil. Turn off the heat. Now begin to add the lemon juice. Add 1 tbsp to begin with. Stir the pot very briefly to mix the lemon through. Do not stir after this initial stage. Simply move the pot around gently, to assist the formation of the curds. If the curds are not forming, add more lemon and turn the heat to low. Watch it carefully and adjust accordingly. Once the curds have begun to form, turn the heat off. I leave it for about 15 minutes.
Pour gently into a colander lined with cheesecloth or a clean fine-meshed cloth, set over a bowl. Fold the cloth over the top surface of the cheese as well. I put a small plate with a light weight, to help release the whey and set the curd.
Place in the fridge and leave for 1-2 hours. From time to time drain the bowl of excess whey.
When the cheese has set, unmould the ricotta onto a plate. Your ricotta is ready to eat or use in whatever dish you choose. This amount will make a ricotta of approximately 700g.

Note: I realize that this recipe is not for true ricotta, but the result is so close, that I have taken liberty to call it so. Luckily there is no Appellation of Origin, otherwise I would be in trouble right now! It would be more correct to say that this is a ricotta style cheese.

Dulce de Leche

Dulce de Leche is a Latin American sweet spread. It is basically caramelized milk, cooked until thick and sticky. This divinely sweet treat has many uses. The most common way, is to have it on buttered toast for breakfast, with a cup of café con leche (milky coffee). Pastry cooks also like to use it in cakes and pastries. My grandmother uses it to fill crepes. She used to also make ice cream with it. I just like to have it around so I can attack it with a spoon and stuff it straight into my mouth, whenever I need sweetness and comfort.
A commercial product is available from South Amreican delis, but in my opinion is not as good, and it is better to make your own. Some people prefer, for convinience to boil unopened cans of condensed milk until it turns into a product which is similar. Why? I ask. It does not cost much less or take less time than the traditional method, so why bother? All that is involved in the traditional way, is to simmer milk and sugar, until the right consistency has been reached. It is not rocket science, and far safer than boiling unopened cans. I have heard freakish horror stories of hot caramel explosions in peoples kitchens. There is nothing glamorous or convenient about scrapping caramel from the kitchen ceiling and curtains. And I guess you would not be needing that laser peel anymore, after the hot caramel has burnt your face off!
Call me old fashioned, but I am sticking to tradition here.


Ingredients
1 litre of milk (I use goats milk, but cow is fine)
300g sugar
1 scant tsp of baking soda
1 fresh vanilla bean

Method
In a large saucepan, combine the milk, sugar and baking soda.
Bring to the boil and then lower the heat to the lowest setting.
Cook very, very gently for about 2 hours, stirring every now and then. You can lay a wooden spoon across the saucepan to prevent the mix from spilling over.
It is ready when it is thick and brown, like caramel fudge. Remove from the heat.
Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the “dulce”.
It will keep indefinitely in the fridge. I like to store mine in a sterilized jar, but a plastic container will do just as well. Makes about 1 cup.

Rich and Decadent

Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826), the French gastronome, once said “Chocolate is one of the most powerful restoratives. Let any man who has spent working a considerable portion of the time that should be spent sleeping, let any man of wit who feels himself temporarily become stupid, let any man who finds the air damp, the time long, and the atmosphere difficult to tolerate, let any man who is tormented by an obsession that prevents him from thinking clearly, let all those men dose themselves with a good half litre of amber-coloured chocolate…and they will see a miracle”. Well, that’s a rather dramatic statement. If only chocolate was the answer to mankinds problems! What I do know is, hot chocolate is divine. And when I say hot chocolate, I mean real hot chocolate- made with fine dark chocolate (no cooking chocolate please), milk and aromatics. You should think of this as liquid chocolate dessert, rather than chocolate flavoured milk. It is rich, subtly sweet and aromatic and best served in espresso cups with little spoons. This is the only chocolate dessert I make. It is by far, easier to make than any mousse or cake and far more satisfying.

Rich and Decadent Hot Chocolate

Ingredients
500ml milk (I use organic and unhomogenized)
100 g dark chocolate (85% cocoa fat)
2 tbsp of good honey
½ vanilla pod (or a cinnamon stick or both)
1 tbsp of port (or brandy, or rum)

Method
Bring the milk and the vanilla (or cinnamon) to scalding point. Turn of the heat.
Add the chocolate (in pieces) and the honey, and leave it alone. The vanilla will do its job and the chocolate will melt. Traditionally hot chocolate is supposed to be prepared up to this point and then left to sit overnight. However proceed as you wish.
Remove the vanilla pod (or cinnamon), scrape out the seeds and add them to the chocolate. Discard the vanilla pod.
Reheat the chocolate gently (do not boil, or else you will burn the chocolate and the milk).
Add the port (or other spirit). Now, either pour this into the blender or use a stick blender. Process for about a minute, until the mixture has thickened slightly and you have a foam (like cappuccino).

Serve immediately in espresso cups. This amount is enough for 4 espresso cups, with enough for a few second helpings. In my experience, even though this is rich and best served in dainty cups, people always want more. It is rather addictive.