YOU CAN MAKE SOY CHEESE, GOAT CHEESE or a fine, Italian cow's Cheese. (below)
CHEESE MAKING is way easier than you imagine. You need CHEESE CLOTH though, any 99c store or AUTO store has it. Wash it, hang in sun between use
This recipe is from a book previously discussed by Janet Chadwick, "How to Live on Almost Nothing and Still Have Plenty". I highly recommend it. I think it is out of print. Go to ABE BOOKS
Italian cheese
3 gallons full fat milk
3 junket rennet tablets, dissolved in 1 cup cold
water
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Place the milk in a large enamel pot. Add the
buttermilk as soon as the temp reaches 86 degrees, stirring well. Let stand
at room temp, covered for 2 hours. Place the pot on the stove, double-boiler
fashion. Slowly raise the temp of the milk to 88 degrees. Stir in the rennet
tablets dissolved in cold water. Stir for 1 full minute. Cover the pan
and remove it from the heat until a curd has formed, usually about 30 min.
When the curd has developed sufficiently, break it up with your hands,
reaching down into the pot so that you don't leave any curds unbroken.
Heat the curd
slowly to about 120 degrees. This will be just
about as hot as your hands can stand. Stir the curd every 15 minutes. Be
sure to take at least 1 hour to heat the curd - 2 hours is even better.
When the curd is ready, it will mat easily into a rather firm ball in the
whey. Feed whey to the pigs or use for a CLEOPATRA BATH! For yourself!
Remove the curd mass from the whey and place in a cheese bag or I use a strainer lined with cheese cloth, drain, and put the bag in a press (Note - mine is home made). Press the cheese firmly about 2 hours. Take the bag from the press and put it back in the whey, which has been reheated to just below the boiling point and removed from the heat. Italian cheese is usually not salted, but if you would like a tastier cheese add to the whey 3 tablespoons of salt per gallon of milk used. Allow the cheese to remain in the whey until the whey is cooled. Remove the cheese from the whey and the cheese bag. It can be eaten right away. Tastes much like provolone.
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SPECTACULAR HOLIDAY
LAYERED DIP
HIT THE SHOPS; GET A DEEP GLASS DISH like a TRIFLE DISH
(Pedestal under glass deep bowl, straight sides) You will LAYER the
different layers of dips so they show as colored ribbons.
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INGREDIENTS
TOP LAYER RED AND
GREEN 2 medium tomatoes, seeded
and chopped
1 cup seeeded, peeled, chopped cucumber
3 tbsps snipped, fresh flat leaf parsley
four tsps snipped fresh mint
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 tspns lemon juice
salt, pepper
GREEN LAYER TWO: Drained cooked
SPINACH, CREAM CHEESE, Garlic, STIRRED WELL.
BLACK LAYER THREE - OLIVE TAPENADE, GROUND w. OLIVE OIL, BASIL,
Garlic.
WHITE LAYER FOUR - HOME MADE CHEESE mashed with sour cream,
cream cheese, garlic, shallots, green onions
RED LAYER FIVE JALAPENO AND BELL
PEPPERS, ROASTED (Garlic)
WHITE BOTTOM LAYER SIX GARBANZO
HUMMUS, lemon garlic
GARNISH with green onions,
kalamata olives, mint, globs of sour cream, tomato
SERVE WITH BOWLS of HOME MADE CRACKERS, CHips, Tostadas, Fritos. And
every vegetable you can imagine as crudite.
*NOTE: If NO trifle dish, no clear glass bowl, layer it (mountain like,)
on a big platter, each layer smaller than one below itso you can see the
layers.
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