Recipe: Ricotta cheese

This is a very easy recipe that can take your meal to the next level and really wow your guests.  In pastas, salads, or as a spread, you can create your own signature variety by changing the acidic element or your own blend of herbs and spices.  This recipe will use lemon juice, but many people use a favorite vinegar, and I've had great results with orange or grapefruit juice.  This is very much a "go by feel" recipe - once you are familiar with the technique, you can easily adjust the size of the recipe and do it without measuring as long as you have enough acid to curdle the milk.

You can save the whey for making bread, or even make a southern style "lemonade" by sweetening it a bit, or use it in power shakes (whey is a favorite product of bodybuilders).  You can use most dairy products (yogurt, cream, buttermilk), but you may in some cases want to thin out the mixture with some milk as it needs to go on the stove and come to a simmer.  This is also useful if you accidentally bought too much milk and aren't sure how to use it all before the expiry date - just don't wait until it's too late.

You will need:

1L           milk
4Tbs       lemon juice
to taste    salt (kosher or sea)

Method:

- place the milk and salt in a heavy pot and bring just to a simmer - remove from heat
- add lemon juice and gently stir - the curds should separate from the whey
- let it sit at least half an hour - by letting it rest longer you allow the curds to be larger and more solid
- line a strainer with cheesecloth and very gently pour the mixture in without disturbing the curds
- let it strain until you are happy with the moisture content - more time will make it dryer and crumblier
- add any other herbs spices or seasonings to your taste