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Archive for Cheese

Say Cheese…


By Leslie · Comments (3) · April 7th, 2011

I was hanging out with my friend Autumn yesterday working on our blogs (hers will be ready any second and I can't wait to share it with you : ) and we started talking about photography.  Food photography to be specific.  Incase you didn't know, I take the pictures of my food.  They aren't anything great or special.  I have no training or knowledge of photography.  I just like taking pictures and have a great camera.  I try to let it do the work : )  I have a cannon rebel incase you were wondering. 

Anyway, Autumn and I decided to make a cheese plate and try to catch the last of the light outside for our own little shoot.  

1111cheese2

11111cheese3Photos: ok, but it was a pretty little plate!

11111cheese1Clockwise from the top left: triple cream brie, quince paste, creamy monteray jack with blood orange jam, Midnight Moon sheeps milk cheese, seeded crackers and Seaside white cheddar with dried plums.

When I make a cheese plate I like to have a little theme.  Today's theme was white cheese.  I also love adding the fruit, paste and jam to the plate so you can play around with matching the flavors.

What are your favorite cheeses?

PS Check out my wine section if you need help making a selection to go with your cheese.  Wine List

Lesliesarnasig

Comments (3)
Categories : Appetizers, Cheese

Homemade Ricotta Cheese


By Leslie · Comments (9) · March 12th, 2010

Yes you can make your own ricotta cheese and yes it will be the best you've ever tasted!!!  So creamy, so flavorful, so amazing!!  And really not very hard, a little time consuming, but not hard.  I urge you to give this a try; I promise you won't regret it!

I think it's really important to know how to make things from scratch.  Especially when they are as easy as this!  Check out the how-to video here!

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You do need a couple special tools.  You will need a candy thermometer and some cheese cloth. (you should be able to find both of them very easily)

This makes about 2 1/2 to 3 cups of cheese.

What you'll need:

1 gallon of whole milk (preferably organic)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 cup and 1 tsp. distilled white wine vinegar 

What you'll do:

Pour the milk into a large stock pot and heat at medium low.  The key is to heat the milk slowly so it doesn't burn.  

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 Stir frequently.  Heat the milk till it reaches 180 degrees.

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When it reaches 180 degrees remove from the heat and pour in the salt and vinegar.  You will see it begin to curdle immediately.  

6a012876272fb6970c01310f911634970c-800wi Give it a gentle stir and cover.  Let sit covered for 2 hours.

When the time is up, place a strainer over a large bowl and line it with cheesecloth.  

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 Using a slotted spoon, remove the solid pieces from the milk.  

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 Let drain for another two hours.  

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Store in an airtight container in the fridge.  

My favorite way to eat fresh ricotta is to stir in some olive oil, pepper and fresh chopped parsley and serve it on crackers.  

Also try this in ravioli or lasagna.  I'm telling you it will be the best you've ever had!!

Enjoy!

Lesliesarnasig

Comments (9)
Categories : Cheese

Cheese for Dinner


By Leslie · Comments (4) · February 24th, 2010

Anyone that knows me, knows that I love cheese!!  Well, my brother and sister in-law got us a fantastic present this past Christmas, Cheese!  They sent us 3 cheeses from my favorite place, Cowgirl Creamery! 

Here is the MT TAM which is sooo yummy and creamy!

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I served it with some plain crackers and truffle honey!! Delicious! 

xoxo

Lesliesarnasig

Comments (4)
Categories : Appetizers, Cheese

7. Cheese!


By Leslie · Comments (3) · October 5th, 2009

5 new cheeses to try!  There is one thing that my girlfriends and I love…it's cheese!!!  Nothing better than tasty, creamy, gooey, scrumptious cheese!!!  Have you ever walked into your grocery stores gourmet cheese section and not had any idea what to buy??  Hopefully after this, you'll get some ideas!  There are just so many different kinds of cheeses, cow, goat, sheep, etc.  I can't possibly cover all of them, so today I'm going to focus on a couple that I love…but take a chance at the store!  Give a cheese a chance!
Brie


brie 


You have probably had brie before.  It's getting used more and more these days.  It's a delicious creamy cheese with a soft skin.  My favorite brand is "Supreme" This is a great "go to" cheese to have at any party as a appetizer.  It's great plain on a cracker, but there are so many more interesting things to do with it!  Since brie has a very mild flavor, it's great with jams.  Try a cracker with some quince jam and a small slice of brie.  If you can't find quince jam, try peach, raspberry or orange.  It makes a tasty little bite!  Brie also makes an excellent grilled cheese sandwich!  I love grilled cheese!!!  Try a few slices of brie, some sliced apples and a couple crumbles of blue cheese in your sandwich.  It's a favorite with my friends!  Wrapped in puff pastry and baked is also an amazing appetizer.  And if you already know about brie and want to explore more, try a camembert or a blue brie (it's a brie with blue cheese running down the middle). 

 
Gruyere


big_gruyere 

This is a very tasty cheese!  It's a great cheese to know about.  You can also have this as part of a great cheese plate for a party.  I add it in to a lot of recipes.  When I make mac n' cheese (see below blog) I will shred a little and add it in with the cheddar, it'll give it a hint of a nice rich flavor!  I will shave some into a casserole, or even put it on a pizza.

 
Burrata


CantareBurrata

This is my favorite brand.
Oh my gosh!!  Burrata is sooooo good!!!  If you love mozzarella, you have to have burrata!  It's basically, mozzarella cheese with ricotta cheese in the middle.  And it tastes like heaven melting in your mouth!  You can eat this cheese anyway.  It's phenom on a bed of arugula with some basil and a simple balsamic vinaigrette.  Serve it with heirloom tomatoes, golden beets, procuitto, or what ever you love!  So yummy!! 

 
Gouda

Gouda is a great versatile cheese.  Gouda is made in Holland and accounts for 60% of the cheese made there.  There are lots of kinds of gouda, young, aged, smoked, etc.  It is great as an appetizer or as a dessert cheese and excellent with fruit.  Try it out!  You won't regret it!

 
Mascarpone


mascarpone italiano

This is my favorite kind.
Mascarpone is the Italian version of cream cheese.  Once you try it, you'll be hooked!!  Try it in your next cheesecake.  I even spread it on a cracker and top it with a strawberry slice.  It'll blow your mind!  It is a little lighter than cream cheese and has a little bit of a sweeter flavor.  Give it a try : )
Here's a few cheese tips.  You should always serve cheese at room temperature.  This means leave it out for about an hour before you want to serve it.  When you're making a cheese plate, make sure you always have a different knife for each cheese.  You don't want your havarti tasting like humbolt fog blue! 

Now, there are thousands of different kinds of cheeses, add a comment and tell us about your favorite cheese and what you do with it : )

Lesliesarnasig
 

Comments (3)
Categories : 29 Things to Know in Your Kitchen, Appetizers, Cheese

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