Fresh Cheese Food

JBEN - MOROCCAN FRESH CHEESE

Steps:

• Step 1: Making the Milk Mixture.
• In a saucepan, on medium-high heat, heat up the milk with the salt, until it reaches a point right below a boiling point.
• When the milk is hot, you can see it starts bubbling a bit, add it to the cold buttermilk (Jben).
• You can flavor the jben if you want, I am using dried thyme. Mix well.
• Let the milk and buttermilk mixture sit on your counter for around 1-2 hours. You will notice that the mixture will start separating, there is a liquid on the top.
• Step 2: Straining the Mixture.
• To strain the mixture, I am using a cheese cloth (that you can buy in the supermarket) over a strainer, placed on top of a bowl (to get all the liquid that is strained).
• Pour the mixture on the strainer and cover it with the excess cheese cloth.
• Let the cheese mixture sit in the strainer (over the bowl) for 10-12 hours (or overnight).
• The cheese is ready after 10 hours, all the water is captured in the bowl, and you end up with the beautiful creamy cheese in the strainer.
• serve on a toasted bread, you can add some honey or jam to it!

FRESH CHEESE SPAETZLE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the milk, cottage cheese, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.
• Stir in the flour until a smooth, thick, sticky batter forms.
• Spoon the batter into a colander with 1/4-inch holes.
• Set or hold the colander 1 inch above the boiling water and scrape the batter through the holes, using a rubber spatula.
• Stir the spaetzle once or twice to separate them.
• As soon as they rise to the surface, use a slotted spoon to transfer the spaetzle to a clean colander and drain well.
• Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet. Add the boiled spaetzle and cook them over moderately high heat, stirring and shaking the skillet occasionally, until the spaetzle are browned and crisp in spots, about 5 minutes.
• Add the quark and snipped chives, reduce the heat to moderately low and cook, stirring, until the sauce is creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Season the spaetzle with salt and pepper and serve right away.
• MAKE AHEAD:.
• The boiled cheese spaetzle can be covered in plastic wrap and kept at room temperature for up to 2 hours before sautéing.
• NOTES.
• INSTEAD OF COTTAGE CHEESE: Farmer cheese.
• INSTEAD OF QUARK: Crème fraîche, fromage blanc, lebneh or mascarpone.

HOMEMADE FRESH CHEESE

Steps:

• Pour the milk into a large pot, and heat until the temperature reaches 195 degrees F (90 degrees C), or almost boiling. Stir constantly to prevent scorching on the bottom of the pot. When the milk reaches the temperature, remove from the heat, and stir in the vinegar. Let stand for 10 minutes.
• Line a strainer with cheesecloth, and set over the sink or a large pot or bowl. The milk should separate into a white solid part, and a yellowish liquid (whey). Stir the salt into the milk, then pour through the cloth-lined strainer. Let the curds continue to drain in the strainer for 1 hour. Discard the whey.
• After the cheese has finished draining, pat into a ball, and remove from the cheese cloth. Wrap in plastic and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Fresh cheese will usually last about a week.