I love a good challenge. But the laugh was on me when this provoking project of “cheese making” turned out to be painless, yet yielded surprising results. The invitation to engage in one of my favorite indulgences came from fellow blogger Andrew Wilder of “Eating Rules” as he participates in a year-long “urban homesteading” challenge on Annette Cottrell’s blog “Sustainable Eats”.
Andrew suggested Lemon Cheese (a ricotta-like cheese) as a great place to start. All you need is milk, lemon juice, and salt.
For those of you who know me, I can’t simply let things be. I have to “alter it” for my control creative outbursts. So I thought the addition of truffle salt would make this Truffle Salt Ricotta more exotic tasting than just simple Lemon Cheese.
Ricotta is a creamy curd, not a cheese. That was news to me. “Ricotta” meaning “re-cooked” in Italian is traditionally made from reheating the whey, the by-product of making mozzarella.
This recipe is a simplified version of making fresh cheese. I am taking creative license with the name, as I don’t have any Italian grandmothers that will come after me with a wooden spoon.
I start by squeezing three lemons from my Aunt Betty’s tree. (Thanks, mom for collecting them for me!)
The milk is heated to 175 °F and stirred frequently. Mixture will be removed from the heat, lemon juice added, and then we wait.
All the time, anticipating the remarkable ways I’m going to use this.
I lined a colander with cheesecloth, then poured the curd into it.
The corners of the cheesecloth are tied together to form a bag, then hung from my kitchen faucet.
After waiting some more… I opened my gorgeous creation and added some truffle salt. I could have stopped right there and eaten the whole thing, but I was late for meeting my Italian girlfriend, Terese at our local Italian trattoria OlivA for the real taste test.
Before I could stop her, Terese invited the chef to taste my creation. He was impressed, and suggested it would be wonderful in a sauce over linguine. As if on cue, I handed my homemade creation over with a “sounds perfect for dinner tonight.” A grin broke out across his face, and off Chef Angelo dashed into the kitchen, returning shortly thereafter with Linguine al limone e tartufo formaggio – divine! Thanks Chef Angelo for being such a great sport and chef!
Click here for a similar recipe.
Other inspirational uses…
The next day I stuffed some Medjool dates from the Studio City Farmer’s Market.
The sweet and salty combination makes this appetizer a showstopper in my book.
Truffle Salt Ricotta
Ingredients
- 1/2 gallon whole milk 2% will work, but produce a drier cheese
- Juice of 2-3 lemons approximately 1/4 to 1/2 cup
- Approx. 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. truffle salt any salt will work
- Optional: Finely chopped herbs such as chives, oregano, or lavender
Instructions
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In a large pot over medium-low heat, gently bring the milk to 175 degrees Fahrenheit. Be sure to stir frequently to keep from scalding the milk.
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Turn off the heat. Add about 1/4 cup of lemon juice and stir well. Let sit for 15 minutes.
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After waiting, the milk should be curdled, and the whey (the liquid) should be clear. If it’s still milky/cloudy, add more lemon juice, stir gently, and give it a few more minutes. Depending on the acidity of the lemon juice, it may take quite a bit more. It won’t hurt to use more, but if you use more than necessary, the final result will have a stronger lemon flavor.
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Line a colander with butter muslin and gently pour the curds into it. Allow it to drain for a few minutes, and then tie the corners of the muslin together to form a bag.
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Hang the curds to drain. I use a twist-tie and rubber-band combination to hook the bag over the kitchen faucet.
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Allow to drain for 1-2 hours, until it stops dripping and has firmed up a bit. (If you’re in a hurry you can speed the process somewhat by squeezing the bag gently from the top down).
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Remove the cheese and mix in the salt and herbs to taste.
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Ricki says to store the cheese in the fridge for 1-2 weeks, but I guarantee it’ll be gone long before then.
Recipe Notes
This recipe can be easily doubled.
Do not use “ultra-pasteurized” milk — it’s been heated too high during the pasteurization process and won’t curdle properly. I used Trader Joe’s Organic milk (it’s pasteurized, but not ultra-pasteurized).
Truffle salt purchased from Williams and Sonoma. You can also order it from Amazon.
Quote of the Day:
“You have to be a romantic to invest yourself, your money, and your time in cheese.”
― Anthony Bourdain, American chef, author and television personality
“You have to be crazy or dairy-intolerant to go a day without eating cheese.”
―Cathy Arkle, Fan of Anthony Bourdain and Italian cheese/curd
My next investment will be mozzarella. When I’m feeling really confident I’ll attempt Burrata, which upgrades my status to romantic maniac.
…and then she paused for thought.
Cathy, what a delicious article this was! I loved every word of it:) I have often made ricotta and it hurts me when I buy it at the store, knowing how easy it is to prepare at home. I have to follow your example and add some flavoring to it next time i make it.
And, yes, Andrew has inspired me, too, to embark on the mozzarella project, promising that it takes only 30 minutes. We’ll see!
I need another few weeks to get back on my feet and I’ll jump right in there with you!
Looking forward to seeing you soon:)
Have a great weekend!
Thanks Lana! This was such a fun challenge. Mozzarella is up next and then yogurt. I just bought some “Alder Smoked Salt” from Frontier that I picked up at Sprouts (or Whole Foods) that I will use next time. I think it will taste like bacon. I also have a Chardonnay Salt that I love which I want to try as well. I think I just put on 10 lbs talking about all this cheese!
As usual now, you’re blowing me away with your fun and delightful projects. I’m thinking, though, I’ll change it up a tad and hang my bag in the tree. haha! I’m glad to hear your tips on the type of milk (since now I think I know what went wrong before I had your recipe and directions). 🙂 P.S. I just love that the chef went in the back and came out again with your amazing linguine formaggio with such an incredible sounding Italiano name. whoo hoo! Love that!
Hi 🙂 Visiting from the UFHC. How decadent your cheese sounds with truffle salt added. I love how you was able to talk the chef into using your cheese too! Mangia!
Loved the posting, well done. I’m also excited to try the Alder Smoked and Chardonnay Salt in my usual bread recipe. The New York Times “no kneed” bread recipe which is fantastic as is but I like to experiment with subtle flavorings like herbs and now salt! Thanks for the tip.
Sounds amazing! I make a similar cheese (I add cream). I love the step by step that you provide it’ll probably make my experience more consistent. Thank you!
I have never made ricotta, but you make it sound so easy that now I have to try it. Thanks for the step by step. Those ricotta stuffed dates are making me drool. Lynne xo
Hi Cathy,
Love the cheese-making post, especially since I have not tried any such thing. I’ve been trying to encourage myself to try it but I always find the process overwelming.
Thanks for making it easier to understand…maybe someday I’ll tackle “feta”!
Let’s stay in touch, I enjoyed your company at the conference!
Hi Mary! Cheese is so much easier than I thought it would be. I just made mozzarella and working my way up to burrata. I am not sure how feta is made, but would love to explore making it with you. If you are ever in LA we can have a cheese making day, and if I come to SD we can have a greek cooking extravaganza. I am off to Paris to help ease the pain of my 50th bday. I am taking a cooking class there. Should be lots of fun.