Monday, February 22, 2010

No Joke: Make Cheese in Your Microwave

It is stupid easy to make paneer or queso fresco style cheese in just minutes in your microwave. The milk we get from the farm is perfect for this because while it is pasteurized, it isn't ULTRA-High pasteurized. That process makes most store bought milk have a longer shelf life, but it screws with the proteins in the milk that you want to hang together when making cheese. To learn more about why this recipe works, check out this post. Now my batch didn't look anything like ricotta and I went back and made another two cups of milk (using my entire quart) into cheese because the yield was so small, but is sure was tasty on bread with a little olive oil and free thyme this morning for breakfast!

2 cups whole milk (not ultra-high pastuerized)
2 table sppons white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Put all ingredients into a microwaveable measuring cup or other container. Heat on high for 2-4 minutes, until the edges look bubbly and foamy. If you have a thermometer, you want the temp between 165-180 degrees. You should see a clump in the middle of white stuff and some clear liquid around the side. Just like Miss Muffett, sitting on her tuffett, you now have curds and whey. Give the mixture a quick stir.
Now set a strainer over a bowl and line the strainer with 2 or 3 paper towels.
Take a slotted spoon and fish out those curds! Try and get them all. You can pour the liquid through the paper towel, but it will make the draining process really sloooooow. Use a separate strainer if you have one.
Let the curds hang out for about 5 minutes until they're done dripping.

That's it! You made cheese!
Save your whey, that yellow-ish liquid you have left over. This stuff is a great substitute for almost anything where milk is called for. I'm using mine for biscuits. Come on. You can make biscuits. They're easy for someone who can make their own cheese!


Thanks Emily Kagan Trenchard for this and the Russian Picnic recipes!

Russian Picnic


Not sure what to eat? Recovering from a night on the town? Preparing for the night on the town? Can't cook anything for difficult than a boiled egg? This is the meal/snack for you.

1 loaf of good rye bread
2 eggs per person you're feeding
pickled beets
1 small onion
light vinegar (white, rice, chamagne, etc.)
1 teaspoon sugar
butter (for the bread, if you like)

OK, the bread and beats need no prep work, so just put those on the table.
Take a small onion and cut it in half longways. Save half for later.
Take your onion dome and peel it. Now lay it flat on a cutting board and slice the thin crescents. Put the onions in a small dish and add enough vinegar to cover them. Add the sugar and stir. Let these hang out to pickle for a minimum of 15 minutes.
Bring a small pot of water to that barely quivering stage where its just on the verge of boiling. Lower your eggs into the water gently so they don't crack. Let them hang out for about 10 minutes.
Take the eggs out of the hot watter and run them immediately under cold water. This will stop the cooking process and make the eggs easier to peel.
Not assemble yourself a slice of buttered rye with some pickled beets, pickled onions and hard boiled egg!

To turn this in to breakfast add coffeee.
To turn this in to a snack, add beer.
To turn this in to dinner, add vodka.