Sun-dried Tomato Fromage (homemade cheese)

This recipe ratio comes from Portland Oregon author Claudia Lucero's book, One Hour Cheese. Fromage simply means "cheese" in French; not to be confused with "frommage" which is an Icelandic lemon dessert or bits of leftover cheese whirled together to make a cheese spread. Fromage made from scratch involves very simple ingredients. I made this because I had cartons of both whole milk and buttermilk just past the Sell By date.

Sun-dried tomatoes and fromage cheese

Like the book title suggests, this batch of cheese comes together rather quickly; depending on how long you let the curds drain. While I have fresh herbs in the garden, I used sun-dried tomatoes as my mix-in.

Materials

cheesecloth, enough to line a colander with two layers
a plastic or metal colander
a large bowl to catch the whey
candy thermometer or digital temperature gauge


Ingredients

1 qt whole milk
1 c cultured buttermilk (vs homemade buttermilk)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
pinch of sea salt
(optional) finely chopped fresh herbs
(optional) sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped

Directions

In a large 5-quart (or larger) heavy-bottomed pot, heat milk over low heat until the milk reaches 170 F. Turn off the heat and whisk in buttermilk and lemon juice.

Let this sit for at least 5 minutes to curdle.

While the dairy is curdling, line a colander with two layers of cheesecloth. Set the colander over a 5-quart mixing bowl.

Slowly pour curds (white stuff) and whey (liquid stuff) onto cheesecloth. Let drain for 1-3 hours.

If you want to speed up the draining process, as soon as most of the whey has drained out, gather up the edges of the cheesecloth and layer them like you are wrapping a package. Take a heavy object (a pot with bowls in it) and place that on top of the cheese to help press out the liquid.

Unwrap the cheese and place into a sealable container. Mix in the salt, herbs, and/or sun-dried tomatoes. If you are opting out of the herbs and tomatoes, at least add in the salt. Cheese spreads don't quite taste right without it.

Pack cheese into the container and cover. Refrigerate until ready to use. Serve with crackers or toasted baguette slices.

Kitchen Notes: Cornish Game Hens

I can't believe the price of a game hen these days. Today's price is what whole 4-5 lb chickens costed at the supermarket several years ago. When they were on sale, you used to be able to buy them for 2 for $5. Now each is nearly $5.

Cornish Game Hens also called rock hens, Cornish hens, or poussin, aren't full sized chickens. Despite the name, it's not a game animal (not hunted) and the bird is a hybrid, and commercially bred as food. Also, while hens typically refer to female chickens, a Cornish hen can be male or female. The USDA describes these birds as an immature chicken less than five weeks of age and less than two pounds. These are usually 22 oz at the grocery store and are always in the freezer section. 

I found them randomly at my local Costco, also in the freezer section. Buying at bulk retail would drive the cost down to $3/hen, but who has room in their own freezer for six birds?

It's been a while since I last roasted one.

Read more?
Modern Farmer - The Cornish Game Hen is a Liar

AB Tapioca Pudding

This is a melding of flavors that has gone terribly wrong. This tasted ghastly. I thought I should write it up in case I felt like making this again. Ugh. Lemon zest. This does not belong in tapioca pudding. Blech!! WTF Alton?? Why are you steering me wrong on something as f'in simple as a stovetop pudding.

AB cooks this recipe in a slow cooker; but the volume is so small that it shouldn't warrant cooking in a 6-quart crockpot. I did this stovetop instead.

Terrible AB Tapioca Pudding

Ingredients

3 1/2 oz (by weight) tapioca pearls
2 1/2 c whole milk
1/2 c heavy cream
1 egg yolk + 1/3 c organic granuated sugar
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean halved with seeds scraped

Baked Macaroni and Cheese, minus the macaroni

My friends assure me that any pasta with cheese sauce can qualify to be labelled as "mac and cheese", even if you don't use the macaroni "elbow" shaped pasta. Fusilli has all these curves and holds sauces really well, which is why I stock it in the pantry. Anyhow. Be it fusilli, celantini, macaroni, or shells, it should all be equivalent in how much you cook for one 9" x 13" batch. I wouldn't advise using bowties or large pasta shapes to make mac and cheese.

Smoked Cheese and Pasta

I added diced green chiles to the cheese sauce to enhance the flavor; and while I only added two tablespoons, I think I should have added the entire 4 oz can. Compared to the smoky mac 'n' cheese that I had from Vancouver's food cart Esoteric BBQ, my version pales in comparison. There's no beating the smokiness of a real wood-fired smoker; plus Esoteric's might just have more salt in theirs.

This batch used 8 oz Gouda, 8 oz medium cheddar, and 4 oz Parmesan.

At any rate, here's the recipe I used. It makes roughly 9 servings.

Gluten Free Buttermilk Cornbread

The texture of this is a little grainier than say a cornbread made with wheat flour. The egg helps it stay together pretty well and it has a nice crumb texture. The amount of batter looked far too much for an 8" round cast iron skillet, so I used an 8" x 8" baking dish instead. I get my stone ground cornmeal from the Cedar Creek Grist Mill during their open house events; Bob's Red Mill or your grocery store's bulk yellow cornmeal will suffice as a substitute.

Ingredients

2 c stone ground yellow cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 c buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten
4 tbsp raw honey
4 unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

0. Prepare an 8" x 8" baking pan by lining it with parchment paper. It is not necessary to butter the parchment.

1. Sift dry ingredients together. Set aside.

2. In a small saucepan, heat butter and honey together.  Let cool. Stir into dry ingredients.

3. In a 2-cup measure, whisk egg and then stir in buttermilk. Stir in butter and honey.

4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir until combined.

5. Bake for 20-30 minutes.