Homemade Fresh Cheese

This is a very special post! I’m dedicating it to a person I love dearly and who inspired me to learn how to make fresh cheese, Mr. Marcos  (also known as Father). Thank you for encouraging me to keep learning : ) This one is for you!

Almost everyone loves cheese, how can we help it?! Everything is better with the addition of cheese (I have to admit i learned this late in my life but I'm glad I got it now :P). 

With all the research I did about cheese making and how it originated, I found that there are many legends about how it came about, but one I found interesting and logical (because of how we make cheese now) is that since animal skins and inflated internal organs (I'M NOT TRYING TO GROSS ANYONE OUT) were being used as storage vessels for milk and other foods, it is possible that cheese making was discovered accidentally by storing milk in a container made from the stomach of an animal, resulting in the milk being turned to curd by the rennet from the stomach.

No need to lie, when I started to think about making cheese at home and after all the research -> I got a bit overwhelmed, THERE IS A LOTTTT OUT THERE!!! 

I learned a lot about rennet, a naturally occurring enzyme that is produced in the stomach of young mammals to help digest the milk and it's the most common tool used to make cheese because it helps in the coagulation of milk to produce the curds we need for cheese, but ->Animal enzyme? digest milk? it all doesn't sound very appealing -> A bit complicated for what I was trying to accomplish (AND they have a million different brands and you have to go and buy it somewhere) so I kept looking and found that for making a basic fresh cheese at home you can also use LEMON JUICE! NOW WE ARE TALKING MY LANGUAGE!!!!

Maybe another day ill take the challenge of making it the other way, but today I'm very happy with the results I got and I'm sure you will to.

The cheese I made is basically, in my opinion, a lot like Ricotta but a bit milder. I really enjoyed it because not only can you use it as is in a savory way (like lasagna or stuffed pasta shells) but also in desert form (with honey or raisins, etc). It really lets you play with it in any way desired.

So without further ado, here is the recipe I would love to share with you today. (Don't worry, its fun and easy to make)

You will need:

• 4 Cups Whole Milk
• 2 Tsp Salt
• 1 ½ Tbs Lemon Juice (a little extra for later use)

• Strainer 
• Medium Bowl
• 4 Layers of Cheesecloth
• Metal Spoon
• Heavy Sauce Pot

Makes about 1 Cup of Cheese

Step 1- Line your strainer with four layers of cheesecloth and place over the medium bowl.

Step 2 - Bring your four cups of milk and the salt to a simmer, stir occasionally so the milk doesn't burn on the bottom of the pan.

Step 3 - When the milk simmers, add the lemon juice and let it keep simmering. After a couple of minutes, the mixture will begin to form curds.

Step 4 - Remove the curds and ladle them carefully with your metal spoon into the cheesecloth to drain.

*** After I removed my curds, I still had a lot of milk left over so I added more lemon juice (about ¾ Tbs) and repeated over and over until I was out of milk in the pot ***

Step 5 - Let the cheese drain for a few minutes, you can help it by squeezing the cheesecloth a little bit. 

*** Taste it, if it needs more salt you can add it now ***

Cover and refrigerate or dig in and eat right away!!

Fresh cheese with warm honey and lemon zest

As I was saying before, you can use this cheese for many dishes: in some kind of pasta dish, as an appetizer on bread, as a dessert with warm honey and raisins, or any way you feel like.

Hope you enjoy!! Try it and let me know what you think!!

EAT AWAY!!! : )

Roquefort Cheese Bread

Just say the word bread and I AM THERE! I have no self-control when it comes to it (especially the crust, I buy bread just for the crust, I KNOW! CRAZY!). Having said this, you can imagine learning to make it at school made me the happiest person on earth.

The history of bread goes back 30,000 years (at least). I don’t even want to imagine how much trouble people went through to make it and how interesting (I'm trying to be nice) it tasted! I’m very happy I wasn’t around when it came about because I have a feeling I wouldn’t have the same love for it.

Like everything in life, bread has evolved immensely, now you can find every kind of bread imaginable in any corner of every street. The process of making it is has also become easy and, if you have the time, it is so worth it.

I used Roquefort cheese for this recipe,it is a sheep's milk blue cheese from the south of France. I made this bread with Roquefort cheese because of the region of France we were studying in school, but you can use any cheese or herb you want (I personally love Rosemary and Garlic).

Today's recipe is foolproof and zero mess is involved. You can make it in a huge kitchen or a tiny hole in the wall. It's perfect for entertaining or just for a midnight snack.

Here is the recipe : )

-1 Tbs Yeast

-2 Tbs Sugar

-1/4 C Water (warm)

-3 ½ C Flour

-4 oz Roquefort Cheese (crumbled, at room temperature)

-2 Tbs Butter (room temperature)

-1/4 Tsp Salt

-1 Egg

-1/2 C Milk (warm)

Steps:

1- With a fork dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Set aside. (We are waiting for the yeast to start eating the sugar and start bubbling a little bit)

2- In a food processor, mix the flour, butter, Roquefort cheese and salt. Process it for about 30 seconds. Stop the machine and add the yeast mixture and the eggs.

3- Start the machine and while it’s processing drizzle the milk slowly into it. Work it until it looks like dough and the sides of the processor looks more or less clean. Process it for about one more minute (this will take away all the work of kneading the dough by hand).

4- With your hands, form the dough into a ball and place on a greased bowl. 

Cover it with plastic and leave it in a warm place for one hour to rise.

5- After an hour has passed punch the dough down (to degas it). 

        Place it on a greased loaf pan (the recipe fits a seven inch pan, but you can do two smaller ones). 

        Cover the pan with greased plastic and let it rise again for another hour or until the dough rises a little over the top edge of the pan. While you wait, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

6- Bake it for 35 to 40 minutes if using the large pan or 25 to 30 minutes if using smaller ones.

7- When it’s ready, remove from the mold and let it cool in a wire rack (same one you would use for cooling cookies)

THAT'S IT!!! Serve the bread warm with your favorite spread or just as is! :)

I served mine with  Armagnac-Date-Orange Butter

Hope you guys like it!!!

EAT AWAY!!

Adaptation from Roberta D recipe

Homemade Potato Gnocchi

Its gnocchi day!!!! I think only “ice cream time” makes me happier (yes, I do have an ice cream time every day :P ), but i'll let you know about that another day.

Out of all the pasta I’ve tried in my life, I don’t think I’ve ever found one that is - -> if made well <- - as fluffy, soft, melt in your mouth amazing as gnocchi.

The funny thing is, when I go out to eat Italian food I never order my own gnocchi dish, I push someone else to get it and I steal some from them. I do this for two important reasons:   

1) I am very picky about my gnocchi and if they don't come out how I like them (ill describe below) then I won't enjoy them and i'll be very sad!!. 

2) If they are amazing, then ill eat my whole plate (and if you've ever been to an Italian restaurant you know that it's enough for me and ½ the world) and then steal some from my neighbors plate (i wouldn't fit through the door of the restaurant if i do this alllll the time!!!)

I think i am being reasonable (and smart :) ), you decide. 

Making gnocchi isn't as hard as a lot of people think. There are a few tricks to ensure success and if you know them, you are golden (or FLUFFY :) ).

A good gnocchi should melt in you mouth when you eat it, it shouldn't be tough or rubbery. What determines the texture of the gnocchi is the amount of flour you incorporate into it and how much you handle it when putting together the dough. DON'T WORRY! I will give you a few tricks later on : )

Size wise I would say the SMALLER the better, but that depends on everyone's own personal taste.

Here is a simple recipe and helpful (hopefully) tricks for you to try:

- >You will need - >

2 Pounds of Potatoes

1 Large Egg (lightly beaten)

1 Cup of Flour (we wont use all of it at once)

Salt (about 1TBS)

***You can also add 1/4 C of grated Parmesan cheese. (If so, then you use a bit less flour)***

Let’s get STARTED!!

-First Step: Cook your washed potatoes, with the skin on, in simmering water for about 45 minutes (poke them with a fork and if it comes out easily, they are READY!!). Remember to start your potatoes in cold water and bring it up to a simmer, don't boil them.

When they are done, peel the potatoes while hot and put them through a potato ricer (be careful because they will be very hot, but you can't wait until they are cold because they will get hard and starchy looking)

Let the riced potatoes rest and cool down for about eight minutes.

It Looks Just Like Rice

-Second Step: After the potatoes have slightly cooled, set them on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle half the flour, salt and the egg on top. Incorporate the ingredients, I use my hands (LIGHTLY FLOURED) but you can use a fork instead.

At this point it should start feeling more like dough. If it still feels very sticky and crumbly, add the rest of the flour (a little at a time) until you achieve a manageable dough.

Try not to use all the flour because if you add too much, then the gnocchi will be hard and rubbery, but if not enough flour, then it will fall apart in the cooking process.

*** Trick: my trick is to have a pot of slowly boiling water on the stove so that when I think I have added enough flour, then I can test a pinch of the dough and cook it off to see if it works well. REMEMBER IT'S ALWAYS BETTER if you NEED MORE FLOUR because you can't take any out if you have too much already!!***

TEST - LOOK! IT'S FLOATING!

-Step Three: Cut the dough into small portions. 

Roll each portion into ropes, moving from the center out.

Cut the rope into small segments and (using a fork or a gnocchi board) make small ridges by rolling the dumplings with your thumb. If you don’t want to make ridges then just make a little dent on the segment with your finger.

Thank you mom for my gnocchi board!!

Set the rolled gnocchi’s on a lightly floured sheet pan or parchment paper until ready to use, cover them with plastic or a towel so they don’t develop a crust.

TO COOK:

Bring a large pot of salty water to a slow boil. Gently add the gnocchi’s (I would add a few at a time). 

MY FAVORITE PART --- > The gnocchi will let you know when they are done!! the minute they are ready they float to the top. 

When they come to the surface, drain them out and add them to your favorite sauce!

Enjoy your lovely Gnocchi's!!

Eat away!!!!

Ají de Gallina

Today I want to share with you a lovely recipe.

I first heard about it when I started dating my half Peruvian boyfriend. This dish is a creamy / slightly spicy (Aji Amarillo) / chicken dish usually served with white rice, potatoes, hard cooked eggs and olives. I KNOW, SEEMS LIKE A LOOOT OF WORK, but IT ISN'T!!

I went online a tried to find a good recipe or an idea of how to go about making this dish. I get a bit nervous when I’m making something that my boyfriend loves because I want him to like it as much as the one his grandmother in Peru makes (believe me, NOT AN EASY TASK, he is a bit picky :P ). Ohhhhh and don’t let me forget about the other problem with this dish, EVERYONE MAKES IT DIFFERENTLY! THERE IS NO “ONE” RECIPE TO MAKE AJI DE GALLINA. Some people make the sauce by using crackers, others use bread; some people cook the chicken, others buy a cooked chicken. I made it different ways until I found a way I liked.

You guys should have seen me freaking out, it was very funny!

BUT BEFORE YOU FREAK OUT WITH ME, I HAVE THE RECIPE THAT WORKED (AND WAS APPROVED BY THE BOYFRIEND! HE HAD IT FOR BREAKFAST (just add a fried egg on top :P ), LUNCH AND DINNER FOR AN ENTIRE WEEKEND)

Here we go, 

RECIPE:

AJI DE GALLINA

-      2 Pounds of boneless, skinless Chicken (you can buy a simple cooked chicken or just cook it by covering it with water and simmering it with onions, tomatoes and garlic over medium heat for about 30 minutes)

-      1 Loaf of white bread cut into small cubes, remove the crusts

-      12 oz of evaporated milk (one can)

-      ½ C to 1 C of chicken stock

-      1 to 2 (Peruvian yellow peppers) Aji Amarillo, remove the seeds. You can find them at any authentic Latin market. They are not the same yellow peppers we use commonly in the USA (Picture)

-      Salt and Pepper

To Garnish:

-      Cooked White rice

-      Yellow potatoes

-      4 Hard cooked eggs cut into slices

-      4 Black olives

Between you and me: the garnish is optional, except the rice and potatoes (but if you make this for someone from Peru -- > the garnish is verrrry important)

Steps:

1- Shred the chicken into long little strips and set aside.

2- Soak the bread in the evaporated milk and ½ C of chicken stock. Transfer the mixture into a blender and work it until smooth and creamy. It should be a bit thick but creamy (not a brick, so if necessary add the rest of the stock slowly)

3- Add the peppers to the milk/bread mixture and blend until homogeneous.

My sauce in the blender

4- Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5- In a sauce pan over low to medium heat add the shredded chicken, add the bread sauce on top and just wait until it warms up, stirring constantly, being careful not to let it get too thick.

To assemble

For single servings:

Cut the potatoes into medium slices and arrange two or three slices on the plate and right on top place a portion of the saucy chicken. Over the chicken place the slices of hard cooked egg. Top that with an olive.

On the side of the chicken, a generous portion of rice!

That’s it!!

Long but not hard!!

I really hope you try this recipe. It's amazing and you won't regret it. Let me know if you have anyyyy questions! I’ll be happy to help!

***By the way: sorry for the quality of the pictures, i wasn't expecting to have a blog when i made this) i promise ill do better next time!!!***


EAT AWAY!!!