A Very Cheesy Weekend

Dr. C. and I are fortunate to have our friend Mary Karlin visit us from the Bay area every couple of months when she comes into town and teaches cheese making at Great News! Cooking School.
Saturday's class was hands on beginning cheese making where the students made Panir, mascarpone, chevre, and ricotta.  Since hands on classes make me queasy---I'm too much of a control freak to teach them, I dropped Mary off and then came back when the students were about finished, to take a few photos.

Chef Mary with curds and whey

students checking the temperature

wrapping it up

Amanda taking care of business!

Jessica and Nicole taking care of business

Milk for Sunday's class!

Sunday's class was hands on simple cured cheeses, including ricotta salata, feta and brin d'amour. I was going to help out if needed, fortunately, I  got to play photographer again, peeking over everyone's shoulders and being a general nuisance!

Even more milk!!

huddle before class begins

And, we're off......

Jessica carefully measuring the magic ingredients

 

 

Team 2 under Nicole's watchful eye

Team 3 getting it done!

Separating the curds and whey for the brin d'amour

draining the curds

Ricotta!

 

adding the magic!

FETA!!!

 

 

Draining and salting the ricotta salata

Shaping and embellishing the brin d'amour

Pimenton, rosemary, juniper-berries, herbs de Provence, and fennel seed. 

So, what did I learn this weekend?  Mary K. is an amazing teacher, and a great cheese maker.  Cheese making invites community. Some of the students didn't know each other, but they all got to know each other through the hands on experience, and left happy, with cheeses to finish at home.  Lastly, I learned that I'll leave the hands on classes to pros like Mary, and I'll continue to teach demo classes!  I hope you enjoyed your weekend! 

Pretty Cheesy Give-Away

My friend Mary Karlin, has written the best book on making artisan cheeses at home; not only is the book beautiful but Mary is a great teacher, and you will have hand holding instructions to make all your favorites from ricottas to blue veined cheeses.

 Who can resist this cover??  I want that cheese NOW!!  Mary teaches all over the country, and if you are fortunate enough to meet her, you'll love her easy style, and approach to food.  I'm privileged to have been able to work with her for the past 12 years, and when she comes to town, it's a pleasure to have her stay with Dr.C and I.
Now, for the give-away:  A copy of Mary's book is yours if you "like" my blog on Facebook and can answer this question: Which state produces 35% of all cheese in the US?
I'll choose a winner at random on Friday, so come on down! 

And now for a recipe using CHEESE, specifically Grilled Cheese; we have a saying in my house, that a good grilled cheese can't be rushed, so no scorching high heat, let that buttery outside crisp up low and slow, so that's it's golden brown and shatteringly crisp.  Perfection!  My favorite cheese for traditional grilled cheese is Cabot Farms white cheddar, then I like to match it up with a few goodies; like bacon, or pears, or apples, or smoked turkey, or tomatoes (for Dr. C.---I'm allergic to raw tomatoes)  But the cheese here should be the star... the add-ins are just enough to enhance flavor but not overwhelm.  I've been enamored with the Cuisinart Griddler since I was using it for soup and sandwich classes last year....although I don't own one, I'm coveting one. 

Sharp White Cheddar and Apple Grilled Cheese
Makes 2

Do everyone a favor and buy some nice sturdy bread for this, rather than Wonder bread.  It should be WHITE bread, a brown grilled cheese takes away from the golden brown goodness that happens when you grill the bread.  For some reason salted butter works best here, but if you only have unsalted, that's fine.  

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

4 large slices white bread (preferably an artisanal soft crusted Italian)
1/2 pound Cabot Farms Sharp White Cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
1 medium Granny Smith Apple, cored, and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon sweet chutney, mixed with 1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1. Brush one side of each slice of bread with some of the butter.  
2. Lay two slices of bread butter side down into a non-stick skillet, lay the cheese and apple on top of the bread.  
3. In a small bowl, combine the chutney and mayonnaise, and spread on the remaining pieces of bread.  
4. Press the bread, mayonnaise side down onto the cheese and apples, and turn the heat to medium.  
5. One side should take about 7 minutes, to crisp and turn golden.  Turn the grilled cheese and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes, until the remaining side is crispy and golden.  
6. Remove from the pan, and allow to rest for 2 to 3 minutes, then cut in half and serve.  Roasted tomato soup is the only accompaniment---I'll share that tomorrow!

 

Back in the Ring

I don't remember the last time I posted, but I've been traveling, and occupied with lots of projects that kept me away from the blog; I hope you'll tune in this week, as I've got a give-away coming up (a fabulous book by a fabulous friend) and I'll be heading to Rancho La Puerta next weekend to teach as well as be a guest---I can't wait to blog about that experience!

I promise to share some recipes this week, and to share some ideas about school lunch boxes which were the bane of my existence when my children were small.

 Until tomorrow, I've got whack these plants into submission, and I'll be ready to rock on.  Look for the give-away tomorrow, and enjoy the rest of your weekend. 

Let Them Eat Cake......with Berries and Whipped Cream

While I was in Italy, my trainer had a rather significant birthday and I owe her a cake; no it's not the one above, that is a masterpiece.......I've described myself as the anti "food stylist" when it comes to cake decorating, but I can make a cake that TASTES delicious and that's what I did today to give to Kristin tomorrow when she works all my muscles!  I once asked her what her favorite type of cake was, and she said "strawberry shortcake", so I've made a 4 layer strawberry shortcake for her un-birthday.  I began with a basic vanilla cake, my son's favorite, then macerated strawberries, and used the juices to brush into the cake and then whipped cream and mascarpone cheese together with sugar and used that along with the strawberries to fill the cake, and then frosted the top and sides with the remaining whipped cream mixture.  It was simple, and it's going to be de-lish---it will not look like the one above, but I don't think that's as important as how it tastes.  Right now we are still getting beautiful red right through strawberries, and so I'm taking advantage of that, but you can do this with raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, or a combination of berries, and the mascarpone creme keeps the whipped cream from "weeping" or falling off the cake, and it's delicious just layered with fruits in a parfait glass. 

Cuisinart Yellow Cake

Makes two nine-inch layers

2 cups cake flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 3/4 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened, and cut into pieces

1 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon vanilla paste or extract

1.                  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Coat the inside of two 9-inch cake pans with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. 

2.                  Place the flour into the food processor, and pulse to blend.  Remove an set aside.

3.                  Add the sugar and eggs, and process till smooth, then add the butter and process till fluffy.

4.                  Scrape down the bowl, and with the machine running add the vanilla and buttermilk.  Add the flour and process on and off till the flour disappears. 

5.                  Pour into the prepared pans, and bake for 30 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. 

6.                  Cool the cakes for 10 minutes, and remove from the pans to a cooling rack to cool completely. 

Cooks’ Note:  If you don’t have a food processor, cream the butter and sugar together, add the eggs one at a time, and the vanilla paste.  Add the flour, baking powder, and soda, alternately with the buttermilk, and beat until smooth.  Proceed as directed. 

Macerated Berries

Makes about 4 cups

4 cups cleaned berries, hull and slice strawberries, saving 10 for garnish

1/2 cup sugar

In a bowl, combine the berries and sugar stirring to blend.  Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour.  Drain the berries, saving the juices for brushing on the layers.  

This is one of my favorite gadgets--the Stem Gem   To slice the berries, use the Strawberry Slicester

 

 Stem Gem also works on tomatoes,too!

 

Mascarpone Crème

Makes about 4 cups

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup sugar

16-ounces mascarpone cheese

In an electric mixer, beat the cream and sugar until the cream is stiff.  Add the mascarpone and beat again for 1 minute until combined.  The crème can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for 1 month. 

 

Assembly

Slice the cake layers in half horizontally.  

 

 Lay strips of waxed paper onto the edges of the cake plate and center one of the cake layer halves on the cake plate.   

 

Brush the cake with some of the berry juices, then spread with a layer of strawberries. 

 Top with some of the mascarpone crème.   

 

Repeat until you have 3 layers spread, and top with the last layer.  

 

 Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining crème.   

Cut the remaining berries in half and press into the sides and the top in a pattern.   

 

Gently remove the waxed paper strips from the bottom of the cake, cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight.  Serve the cake chilled. 

So that's it for Kristin's birthday cake, I hope you'll try it, it's a crowd pleaser!  My friend Mary Karlin, author of Wood Fired Grilling and Artisan Cheese Making at Home is coming into town to teach cheese making classes at Great News this weekend, and I'll have lots to share on that later in the weekend, until then, enjoy your weekend.