By JIM QUICKSTAD | Serene Lakes
Thanks for the great recipe for ricotta cheese [Quick Bites: The Cheese Stands Alone, March]. I’ve been making cheese for eight years. Like anything else homemade or homegrown, people making cheese will find flavors they never knew possible from the plastic wrapped product.
I’ve made cheddar, jack, blue, Camembert, and all sorts of soft cheeses, but my favorite is ricotta. When I can get it, goat milk adds a nice tang to ricotta. My favorite toppings are honey or chopped, fresh lavender. Mine seldom makes it into pasta dishes as we eat it on bagels or English muffins for breakfast and snacks.
One thing for your readers to know is that ultra-pasteurized and most regular pasteurized milk will not form curds. The heat used in pasteurizing milk breaks down the fat molecules so they can’t reform into curds. Your best bet is an organic whole milk. Another hint for enjoying cheese — take it out of the refrigerator an hour before serving.
