On Becoming a Cheese Addict

Miss Menu was only too happy to oblige when her mother suggested they join together to take a cooking class at favorite Richmond cooking shop, the Compleat Gourmet. And when we found an offering for cheese making, we were quick to sign ourselves up.

The course’s instructor was Catherine Long who, with her family, owns a 40-cow dairy farm in central Virginia, Old Church Creamery. The syllabus for the day included versions of farmer’s cheese, ricotta and mozzarella. Catherine admitted to learning all she knows about cheese from Ricky Carroll, self-proclaimed “cheese queen” and a great resource for all things cheese-related. So, if you’re looking for more information than my basic primer can offer, be sure to visit www.cheesemaking.com.

Our class started with the easiest of the bunch, farmer’s cheese, which anyone can make with your regular pantry-friendly products. A gallon of whole milk, a pint of half and half, a cup of vinegar and a bit of salt yields a substantial chunk of cheesy goodness.

But first, you’ll need to make yourself a cheese press. The press is basically a device used to apply pressure to the cheese, pressing out the whey and leaving the condensed curds behind. For an extremely rudimentary version, you’ll need two large plastic containers (Stonyfield Farm 32-ounce yogurt containers were the recommendation); a drill or other device to poke holes; and some heavy canned goods. Drill or poke holes around one of the containers and where the sides meet the base. Place the container on a rack resting over a sink. Place the cans in the other container (the one with no holes in it). The weighted container will be inserted into the hole-filled container once we prepare the curds.

When you have your cheese press ready, you’ll need some butter muslin or cheesecloth (not the kind purchased in fabric stores), a stainless steel stock pot, a long-handled stainless steel spoon, a stainless steel or plastic colander and a thermometer.

1. Heat one gallon whole milk and one pint half-and-half in a stainless steel stock pot over medium heat. Stir frequently and warm the mixture until it starts to foam and reaches 195 degrees. 
2. Remove from heat and slowly stir in 1 cup white vinegar. You should see the curds form and separate from the whey. 
3. Line a colander with cheesecloth. Place the colander over the sink and drain the curds into the colander.
4. When most of the whey has been drained, stir in 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt.
5. Place the cheese, lined with cheesecloth, in the bottom part of the cheese press (the container lined with holes). Weight the cheese down using the identical container filled with heavy cans. Let rest for one hour.
6. Remove the cheese from the cheesecloth and serve.

The instructor added some mix-ins at step four, including garlic, sundried tomato and pesto – but I liked the plain cheese best. Be sure to taste along the way – the curds, before they’re pressed in step five, are light and salty and fluffy goodness.

Now, not all cheeses require the cheese press. The ricotta and mozzarella, for example, come together either by hanging or stirring and folding gently together. The ricotta, in particular, is super easy to make. The only special ingredient you need is citric acid, which can be purchased at many cooking shops and online.

1. Pour 1 gallon whole milk into a non-reactive pot (not aluminum or cast iron). Add 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt and 1 teaspoon citric acid. Stir.
2. Heat the milk to 195 degrees, stirring frequently.
3. When the curds and whey separate, turn off the heat and let set for five minutes.
4. Line a colander with cheese cloth and ladle the curds in.
5. Tie the cloth at the top and hang over a sink or bowl for about half an hour.

What are you to do with cheesy goodness? One of my favorite, classic and easy pasta dishes uses orecchiette pasta, sweet Italian sausage, broccolini and ricotta with stupendous results.

Orecchiette with Italian Sausage, Broccolini and Ricotta

• 1 pound orrechiette
• About 15 ounces ricotta, store-bought or homemade
• 1 large bunch broccolini, chopped into 1-2 inch pieces
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
• Chicken stock
• Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• Olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped

1. Boil water. Once boiling, add 1 tablespoon salt and the orecchiette. Cook according to package directions.
2. Crumble sausage and sauté in pan until lightly browned. With a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a plate, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
3. Add a bit of olive oil, garlic and onion to pan. Once the garlic and onion have softened, add the broccolini and crushed red pepper and continue to cook, stirring, for about five minutes.
4. Add the cooked pasta and sausage to the pan, along with a bit of chicken stock (maybe ½ cup or so). Simmer for several minutes.
5. Remove from the heat, stir in ricotta and season with salt and pepper.

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