Cheese!

I know, I know, the idea of making your own cheese sounds ridiculous.  Why make it when you can so  easily buy it?  The answer is in the taste, and it is so surprisingly simple to make you will wonder why you haven't done it before. Seriously. If your looking for a wow factor at your next get together, this is it. 

Ricotta!

For delicious Ricotta, you will need:

1 gallon milk (whole milk preferably, not ultra pasteurized)

2 t. salt (recipe I use calls for 1 but it's not enough in my opinion)

1 t. citric acid

a large non reactive pot

cooking thermometer

butter muslin or cheese cloth

Pour milk into pot with citric acid and salt.  Heat milk to 195 degrees, stirring frequently to avoid scorching. When the curds and whey separate, turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes.  Line a strainer with butter muslin and gently pour the curds into the cloth.  Tie the cloth and hang to drain for about 1/2 hour, depending on your desired consistency. That's it, time to eat! It keeps if the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

If your looking for cheese making supplies www.cheesemaking.com can satisfy your every whim.  The the ricotta recipe above is also from the website.