Smoking Pressed Cheese

It's been a while since I've posted about cheese. To be honest, I haven't had a chance to do much cheese making in the last year or so... between moving multiple times and having a baby, it's kind of fallen to the back burner. However, before all this chaos in my life happened, I did have a chance to experiment with smoking cheese and I wanted to finally share with you how I did it and how it worked out.

I smoked a wheel of Gouda with apple wood chips, but you could just as easily smoke cheddar. After the cheese dried out for a few days, I smoked it using the outrageous, but relatively cheap, contraption you see above. After smoking, I waxed the cheese and aged it as usual. Wow! It worked great. Once I broke that cheese open, the smokiness was subtle but pleasing. It permeated all the way through.

The thing to be careful of here is to be sure it is not too hot outside the day you want to smoke your cheese. The cheese's internal temperature will rise regardless due to the smoke, adding a hot day to the equation can lead to cheese that gets too warm. You don't want it to get so warm that the fat starts to separate!

I used my Weber charcoal grill with a flexible dryer hose attached to the smoke outlet. I epoxied a couple of half inch bolts to the side of a dryer vent clamp. I then used magnets to attach the hose to the grill. It wasn't a perfect seal, but plenty good enough! On the other end, I had a cardboard box that fit a metal cooling rack I already had in my kitchen. I punched bamboo skewers across the corners to hold the cooling rack up. I cut a hole the size of the hose in the side near the bottom and pushed the hose through so that it brought the smoke from the grill into the box. To keep my cheese from getting grooves from the cooling rack, I placed a sushi rolling mat on top of it. Lastly, I cut a few vent holes in the top of the box. Therefore, the smoke comes in the bottom of the box and surrounds the cheese with its goodness on its way out the top. I just held the top of the box closed with a heavy ceramic bowl.

If you've never smoked anything on a grill before, the trick is the soak the wood chips before using. If you don't soak them, they burn instead of smoking. You don't need a lot of charcoal for this project because you don't want the fire too hot (again, you want to keep your cheese as cool as possible). Heat your coals and then sprinkle some of the soaked wood chips on the coals to start the smoking process. Add additional coals and wood chips as necessary to maintain a steady stream of smoke.

Flip your cheese periodically to obtain even smoking and to also keep the fat evenly distributed in the cheese. The cheese does not need to get a lot of color on it to be thoroughly smoked. How long to smoke it? Well, this is a bit of a judgement call. I think I did about two hours and it ended up with a nice smokey flavor. What a great way to add a little extra flavor to your homemade cheese!

Pressed Cheddar Cheese

Finally! I am so excited to share this post with you today. It would've happened earlier, but apparently, having 3,297 different hobbies makes it hard to focus on just one for any length of time. And would you believe I picked up another one last week? I am now completing my first stained glass project and planning my second. I've also finally gotten the necessary electrical outlet in our garage to be able to run my kiln. Somehow, in between all these other activities, I have managed to make some molded cheese.

Now, please note, I am not saying that I'm making moldy cheese. While there are some where mold is required, cheddar is not one of them. But I am finally able to progress beyond cheddar cheese curds. Hallelujah!

One of the reasons it took so dang long is because I needed a cheese press and I just couldn't justify spending over 250 bucks to buy the version I wanted. The cheaper styles just didn't seem like what I wanted. I wanted a press where it was super easy to set the appropriate pressing weight and super easy to disassemble and store. I finally decided I would just have to make my own. After a little fiddling, I found out they're not that hard to make! Here's one of my cheese presses. Because I think everyone should be able to make hard cheese without spending over $250, I am now offering them for sale on my Etsy site. You can click here, or click the widget on the top left of this page.

As you can see, there's not much to the design. Fortunately, I have a heavy duty scale that I can use to calibrate how much spring compression relates to how much pressure. The set up has been working Jim Dandy! Yehaw! I'm a cheese making fool!

So, the first hard cheese I'm going to share with you is pressed cheddar. Why? Because I already posted how to do 75% of the process in my cheddar cheese curds post. There are a few slight differences in the recipe, but the process, right up until the salt is added is exactly the same.

Cheddar Cheese for Pressing

Yield: one 2 lb wheel of cheese

2 gallons milk

1 packet mesophilic starter (mixed in 1/4 cup cool water)

1 tsp liquid rennet (mixed in 1/4 cup cool water)

2 TBS cheese salt

1/8 tsp calcium chloride (optional)

1/2 tsp annato color (mixed in 1/4 cup cool water) (optional)

The calcium chloride is helpful when you are using store bought pasteurized/homogenized milk. It helps replace some of the calcium lost in those processes and helps to form a firmer curd. If you choose to use it, add it after the culture has set for an hour. Stir it in and let the milk sit for five minutes before going on. If you choose to color your cheese, add it after the addition and five minute waiting period of the calcium chloride.

So, follow the other blog post for the procedure up until the curds are salted. Please, please, please, don't make the mistake I did in trying to reduce the salt when making pressed cheddar. The salt is necessary and helps things turn out right during aging. Set up your cheese mold by lining it with a couple of layers of cheesecloth. Pour the curds in, trying to keep the cheesecloth from bunching up.

Place the separating disk on top of the cheese. Notice how the cheesecloth is still on the outside of the mold. The first couple of times I tried to fold it over the top of the cheese before putting in the follower. It made for some very lumpy cheese.

Place a wooden follower on top of the separating disk. The separating disk is also sometimes called a follower, but I will refrain from doing that here because I think it is confusing. Begin pressing at 20 lbs and press for 30 minutes. This first time there will be a lot of whey coming out. Be prepared to dump the drain tray frequently during the first few minutes.

Each model is somewhat different. In mine, there is a small hole that allows the whey to drain into a small ramekin. Notice how this mold sits up a little bit; it has little bitty feet under there to help facilitate draining. I appreciate that.

I got this mold from homebrew4less (also available from Brewmasters Warehouse). I was using another mold from Caprine Supply first, but I like this one a bit better. The Caprine Supply one was basically a large cylinder. This one has a bottom, with feet -as I mentioned a moment ago - and it is perforated. This really helps the excess whey to drain out in a timely fashion.

After the first 30 minutes at 20 lbs, remove the cheese and carefully flip it over in the cheesecloth. Place back in the mold and press at 40 lbs for 12 hours. Finally, flip one more time and press at 50 lbs for another 12 hours. When using my cheese press, somewhere during the 40 lb press, you'll probably have to add the second wooden follower since the cheese will have compacted so much in the mold.

After that last 12 hours, remove the cheese from the press, discard the cheesecloth (unless you're using reusable stuff), and place it on a sushi mat (or similar) to air dry for three days. Flip the cheese at least once a day while drying. This helps to keep the fat evenly distributed in the cheese.

Once the three days are up, you are ready to wax! Cheese wax is a special, pliable wax, so you'll want to be sure you use the right stuff. It comes in more colors than just red. That's just the color I ended up with. Find an old pot at a garage sale to designated as your "wax pot." Try to find one that will fit comfortably inside one of your good pots so that you can easily make a double boiler. Purchase a natural bristle brush (synthetic fiber ones may melt, so stay away from them) and designate it as your "cheese brush." This system works out great because I never have to do any clean up! When the wax is cooled and hardened again, I put the pot in a plastic bag, brush and all, to await it's next call to duty.

Waxing is easiest if you've stuck the cheese wheel in the refrigerator for an hour before getting started. Brush the wax onto the cheese, one thin layer at a time. If it starts to seem like the wax is no longer staying on properly, put the wheel back in the refrigerator for a few minutes. Be sure the wax is dry, though, before you set the cheese down on anything! I like to brush one side first, then the other, then the sides. Be very careful during this step to be sure the coat is uniform. If there are any places that look like there is a pock mark, fill it with wax. The smallest hole will allow mold growth in that spot.

Once I'm done and satisfied it is waxed thoroughly, I cut a small piece of paper and record the pertinent information so I know what's inside and when it was waxed. I brush a little wet wax on the wheel, lay the paper in it, and then brush wax over the top of the paper to seal. You will now never be plagued by the "mystery" cheese.

And the last step, which I think is hardest of all? You have to wait for your cheese to age. Making hard cheese is certainly not an immediate gratification hobby. Cheddar is best aged 3 to 12 months.

Cottage Cheese

I received an email last week asking about dry curd cottage cheese and whether my Super Easy Cheese would be similar. Unfortunately, they are not the same. The good news is that even though it is often hard to find dry curd cottage cheese at the market, it is fairly easy to make at home. The recipe I am about to show you will make regular cottage cheese or dry curd cottage cheese; the main difference is whether you add additional cream at the end.

I think the only hang up with this cheese is the length of time it must sit. It requires a packet of starter (available from cheese supply companies) but no rennet. As such, it must develop curds solely through bacterial action. That takes time... almost a full day. Fortunately, the actual work time in this cheese is fairly minimal. Here's how it goes:

First, pour a gallon of milk into a heavy duty, nonreactive pot. You can use any type of cow's milk from skim to whole. I used 1% for a nice low fat product. Heat the milk to 72° F. Because most of us have to use store bought, homogenized milk, it helps to add a little calcium chloride. Homogenization makes it a little harder for the milk to form firm curds and the calcium chloride helps to mitigate this issue. Add the calcium chloride mixed with a little water after the milk has reached this target temperature.

Add the starter packet, stir, and then cover. Set aside to let the milk set for about a day. Shoot for a room temperature around 70-74° F. After a day, the milk should have set and show a clean break. A clean break is where when you cut the milk, you can still see the cut when the knife is removed.

Cut the curd into roughly 1/4 inch pieces. Cut one way and then at an angle the other way. Don't forget that you need to cut the curds in pieces from the bottom of the pot up to the top as well. Let the cut curds sit for 15 minutes. See how you can clearly see the break in the curd in this picture? If your mixture does not do this, it probably needs to set a little longer.

Heat the curd gently, increasing the temperature slowly to 100° F and then hold at this temperature for 10 minutes. Stir periodically. If some of your curds seem a little too large, don't worry, they'll break down as you heat and stir them. Increase the temperature to 112° F slowly (about a degree per minute). Once at 112° F, hold this temperature as best you can, stirring regularly until the curds are firm. The whey will be completely separated from the curds long before they are firm. Go here if you need a picture of what the whey looks like when separated from the curds. This last firming step can vary in time, but be prepared for anywhere from 30-60 minutes.

You can test curd firmness by squishing one between your fingers. You want to have a little resistance, not pudding. When the curds are firm enough, drain them into a cheesecloth lined colander. Let drain. Meanwhile, prepare a bowl of cold water in which to wash the curds. Dip the curd filled cheesecloth into the cold water. This step has two purposes. First, it chills down the curds, firming them and it also rinses the curd to reduce their sour flavor. If you like more sour curds, only dip them the once. If you prefer a more mild cottage cheese, dip the curds a few times, changing the water between dips. Remove the curds from the water bath and let them drain for about five minutes.

Dump the drained curds into a bowl. Use a spoon to stir the salt into them, breaking up any clumps that may have formed. At this point, you have dry curd cottage cheese. If you prefer the more traditional style, simply mix in a little cream.

Curds may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Eat plain or with fruit, or use in cooking. This is a versatile, flavorful cheese!

NOTE: You may find that you have a hard time keeping the milk at the exact temperatures specified. Don't fret. In my experience, you do the best you can and it works out fine. Just remember to check the temperature of the milk in the middle of the pot (versus the edge) and stir frequently to avoid hot spots.


Cottage Cheese
Yield: 1 1/2 pounds
Adapted from Ricki Carroll's Home Cheese Making

1 gallon milk (skim, 1%, 2%, or whole)
1/8 tsp calcium chloride in 1/4 cup distilled water (optional)
1 packet direct-set mesophilic starter
1 tsp kosher salt (or to taste)
cream (optional)

Heat the milk in a heavy pan to 72° F. Stir in the calcium chloride mixture, if using. Then add the starter and stir. Cover and let sit in a 70-74° F room for 18-24 hours.

At this point, the curds should have set and the milk should show a clean break. Cut the curd into 1/4 inch cubes. Let sit for 15 minutes and then begin heating gently up to 100° F. Hold at 100° F for ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase the heat slightly and heat slowly (aim for 1 degree per minute) until the curd reaches 112° F.

Hold the milk at 112° F, stirring regularly, until the whey separates from the curd completely and the curds become firm. The whey will separate long before the curds are firm. Times may vary widely depending on your milk; be prepared for 30-60 minutes. Test the curd's firmness by squeezing one between your fingers; it should have some resistance and not squish like pudding.

Once the curds are firm enough, drain them in a cheesecloth lined colander. Fill a bowl with cold water and rinse the curds. If you prefer a milder flavored cheese, rinse 2-3 times, changing water between each dip. Drain the curds for five minutes and then pour into a large bowl. Salt the curds, mixing to evenly distribute. At this point, you have dry curd cottage cheese. If you prefer and more traditional style, add cream to taste. Cheese will keep in a refrigerated air tight container for one week.

Mozzarella Cheese

Have I got a treat for you! Despite my hectic life in these last 20 days of school with testing and mayhem, I attempted something crazy this last weekend. I decided to try making mozzarella cheese. I really enjoy making cheese and have had great success. Normally, in my experience, though, cheese-making has been a fairly time consuming process. Not this time. Hoo boy! Can you believe I made homemade mozzarella cheese in only thirty minutes?

I got the idea from my recent issue of Hobby Farm Home magazine. Apparently, the recipe in the article was based on a book I haven't yet had the pleasure of reading, Home Cheesemaking by Ricki Carroll. I have to say, I was a bit skeptical about the whole thirty minute thing. But, honestly, this cheese practically made itself. I was enjoying a beautiful, fresh caprese salad in the blink of an eye (well... maybe a few blinks, but it was fast!).

You need a few special ingredients for this cheese, but you can check out the link to New England Cheesemaking Supply here. I buy a whole bunch of the various starters and rennets and then store them in the freezer and/or refrigerator, depending on the recommendations that come with the ingredients, to use whenever the urge hits me. As easy and tasty as this cheese is, you'll want to stock up!

The first step is to pour a gallon of whole milk into a heavy bottomed stock pot. You can use regular old homogenized, pasteurized milk from the store, just be sure it is not ultra-pasteurized. Slowly heat the milk to 55 degrees F. Meanwhile, dissolve the citric acid in distilled water and set aside. Then mix the rennet and water together and set aside. Be sure you know which mixture is which! When the milk reaches 55 degrees, stir in the citric acid solution. Keep heating until you reach 90 degrees F.

At 90 degrees F, you need to stir in the rennet solution. It will immediately start to curdle the milk making it initially look like yogurt. Continue heating to 105 degrees F, stirring occasionally. In a very short period of time, there should be very distinct curds and pale whey. In the next picture, you can see how the curds and whey have separated at the edge of the pot. When the temperature reaches 105, remove from the heat. If the whey is fairly clear (it will have a slight yellowish cast), you are good to go on to the next step, if it is still a bit milky, wait a few minutes and it should clear up.

Here is what the curds will look like when it is time to drain. They are fairly loose compared to some cheeses I've made. The whey, however, is the key to knowing when it is time to drain.

I line a colander with a double layer of cheesecloth and drain the curds and whey. You can catch the whey if you like and make ricotta cheese or keep the whey to use in baked goods. Or, you can simply let it go down the drain. That's what I did this time since I was kind of in a hurry. Let the curds drain for a few minutes. They do not have to be completely dry to continue on to the next step.

Place the mass of curds into a microwavable bowl. Heat the curds in the microwave, on high, for one minute. Remove the bowl and stir with your hands or two spoons to mix the curds and evenly distribute the heat.

Heat two more times for 35 seconds, mixing in between. After the last time, sprinkle on the salt and then knead the cheese. At this point, it should start looking different... smooth and shiny... almost like taffy. Extra whey will come out of the cheese; it can simply be drained off. I wear vinyl disposable gloves at this point because working the cheese with your hands is much more efficient, but that cheese is hot and the gloves protect you just a bit. Knead until the cheese is smooth and can be easily shaped. If it is uncooperative, try heating for a few seconds more. Just be careful, if you overdo the heating, your cheese can become grainy, which is no good.

Working quickly, before the cheese cools, form it into whatever shape you wish. I made two logs out of it, but you could make small balls or one large ball. You could even shape the cheese in molds, if you like! Place the shaped cheese in cold, distilled water to cool.

Store tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to one week. Slice and enjoy! What a treat!

Please note that I originally posted to store the cheese in water. While I will test it again with storing in brine like you see at the store, storing in water - ultimately - was a failure. By the end of the week, the outside of the cheese was a goopy mess. Wrapping in plastic wrap keeps it plenty moist and the cheese stays fresh for up to a week.


Mozzarella Cheese
Yield: approximately 1 pound

1 gallon whole milk
1 1/2 tsp citric acid dissolved in 1/2 cup cool, distilled water
1/4 tsp liquid rennet mixed into 1/4 cup cool, distilled water
1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste

Place the milk in a large, heavy bottomed stock pot. Heat to 55 degrees F. Add the citric acid/water solution and stir to mix. Continue heating. When it reaches 90 degrees F, add the rennet solution. Stir to mix and continue heating. When the mixture reaches 105 degrees F, remove from the heat and check for curd formation.

When the milk has fully curdled and separated from the whey, drain in a cheesecloth lined colander. Let the curds drain for a few minutes and then transfer to a microwave-safe bowl. Heat the curds on high for one minute. Stir the mix the curds with your hands or two spoons to distribute the heat. Return the bowl to the microwave and heat two more times for 35 seconds each, stirring after each heating. After the second time, add the salt and begin kneading the cheese. Any extra whey that comes out of the cheese can be drained off. At this point, the cheese should start to look different and be more taffy-like. Knead until it is shiny and elastic. Form into whatever shape you please and submerse in cold, distilled water until it is cool to the touch. Drain and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Store, refrigerated, up to one week.

Cheddar Cheese Curds

I have finally managed to make pressed cheddar cheese! If you are interested in seeing how that is made, go to this post.

I often have people ask me how I originally got into cheesemaking. It was pretty innocent, actually. My husband, having been raised in the Midwest, always complained that he never got to have fresh cheese curds anymore. Apparently, his youthful visits to Wisconsin for vacations made a big impression on his palate. Well, of course, I had to help a husband out!

The good news is that cheesemaking is really not very difficult, provided you have some good recipes/instructions. The book that I started with, Making Great Cheese at Home, is pretty good, but the author really should have had a few more people try and make the cheese based on her recipes and give her feed back. I had some trial and error going on when I first started. Fortunately for you, I can pass along the lessons learned from those trials and you can just make great cheese from the get go!

Please note, however, that this is starting to get into "real" cheesemaking, which means that some specialized ingredients are required. I like New England Cheesemaking Supply but I have also used Caprine Supply. The good news is that the cultures and rennet keep well. I bought my last batch over two years ago. I typically buy a variety of cultures and what not and then they are available whenever I get the urge to make cheese. Just store the starter packets in the freezer and the liquid rennet in the refrigerator.

While this cheese takes a while to make, the actual work time is fairly small. I just plan on making curds on days when I am going to be home doing other things all day. Then I just squeeze a couple minutes of cheesemaking between chores.

You'll need a large double boiler for this process. I just have two stock pots that fit inside one another. Put a couple of inches of water in the bottom pot. Remember, in a double boiler, you do not want the top pot to touch the water in the bottom pot. Turn on medium heat and raise the temperature of the milk to 85 degrees F.

When the milk reaches 85 degrees, remove it from the heat and add the starter culture. Stir to mix, cover the pot and let it sit at room temperature for an hour. After the hour is up, mix the rennet and cool water and add to the milk. Stir, recover, and let sit another hour.

At this point, the milk should have "curdled" (but in a good way!). Cheesemakers talk about testing the milk here to see if it "has a clean break." First, I gotta tell you, it is really challenging to take a good photograph of a "clean break." But the idea is that if you run your knife through the milk, it will leave a clean line and if you try and pull the milk apart where you've cut it, it will pull apart cleanly. See how the line that I've cut in the milk is still visible? That's what you're looking for.

Now it is time to return the milk to the double boiler. You want to heat the milk up to 100 degrees F slowly. Shoot for raising the temperature of the milk by 2 degrees every five minutes or so. The good news is, in my experience, the milk is fairly forgiving here. Try to hit the guidelines, but if you are a bit off, it won't be the end of the world. Once the milk, now curds, has reached 100 degrees, hold it there for another 30 minutes. You'll start to see the whey separating from the curds... that's a good thing!

Periodically stir the curds with a large spoon while heating. Don't mix too much, but a few stirs here and there is required. Notice how loose the curds still are. A lot more whey needs to come out before they're ready to be drained.

Here we are ready to drain. The curds came up to 100 degrees slowly and then I kept them at that same temperature for about half an hour more. Notice how distinct the curds and whey are. This is what you want before going on to the next step.

Pour the curds into a cheesecloth lined colander. Have a clean bowl underneath even if you are not going to save the whey (it can be used in baking or to make ricotta cheese). Unless your sink is very clean, the splashing can cause contamination of your curds. Let the curds drain until the whey stops dripping and they no longer look really wet. I find I have to raise one side of the curds and make little "drainage channels" with the edge of a spoon to help the whey on the top of the curds drain. Note that I have drained my curds in a large colander so that my cheese mass is fairly thin throughout. This is easier for draining and for curd cutting.

When the curds are done draining, gently turn the mass of cheese onto a large cutting board (make sure it is clean!). Be careful not to break the mass. At this point they are slightly rubbery but still fragile, so be gentle.

For some reason, I really like the pattern of the cheesecloth on the curds.

Cut the curds into small pieces. I like about 3/4 inch x 1/2 inch pieces, but it is really personal preference. Just don't go too big or too small. Somewhere between the 1/2 and 1 inch range is good. Again, be gentle. Until the curds are cheddared, they are going to be fragile!

Cheddaring is a process by which excess whey is extracted. This is what gives cheddar it's firm, slightly rubbery texture. To cheddar the curds, place them in a bowl floating in warm (about 100 degree) water in the sink. The warmth will cause more whey to be expelled. Notice the excess whey when I tip the bowl. Periodically drain off this whey and gently mix the curds around to keep them from matting together. Cheddar the curds for a couple of hours. When the curds are done cheddaring, add the salt. Stir to coat well.

The last step is to dry the curds out slightly. Place curds on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in a cool spot (or in the refrigerator). Periodically turn the curds. It is okay to leave the curds out of the refrigerator for up to 36 hours after finishing the cheese providing the ambient temperature is no higher than 76 degrees. Drying the curds out at the higher temperatures gives them a sharper flavor. Remember, real cheese curds are fresh cheese that have not been aged, so they will not taste like regular cheddar from the store. You can take this process one step farther and make cheese rounds by pressing the cheese in a cheese press, but I haven't had a chance to build mine yet so I can't post pictures of how to do it yet. Cheese presses are also available for purchase online, but they are not cheap.

Cheddar Cheese Curds
Yield: 3-4 cups of curds

1 gallon whole cow's milk (do not use ultra-pasteurized)
1/4 tsp mesophilic starter powder
1/2 tsp liquid rennet mixed with 1 TBS cool water
1/2 tsp kosher salt or to taste

Heat the milk in a double boiler to 85 degrees F. Remove from the heat, add the starter powder, cover, and let sit for one hour. After the hour is up, add the rennet and water mixture. Stir and recover for another hour.

After the rennet has worked for an hour, test for a "clean break" (see above). If the milk is ready, continue. If not, let the rennet continue to work until it does show a clean break. Return the cheese to the double boiler and slowly heat (over a period of 30-40 minutes) to 100 degrees F. Stir gently periodically with a large spoon. When the temperature reaches 100, hold it there for another 30 minutes. When the curds are very distinct from the whey (see picture above), they are ready to drain.

Drain curds into a cheesecloth lined colander. Let them drain for 30+ minutes, until they stop dripping. Turn the solid mass of curds onto a clean cutting board. Unfortunately, if the curds will not hold together, then something went wrong and cannot be saved. I have never had this happen to me but am told it can. Cut the mass into small curds with a sharp knife.

Cheddar the curds by placing them in a large bowl that is sitting/floating in a couple of inches of warm (about 100 degree) water. This warmth will cause more whey to be expelled from the curds. Periodically drain off this excess whey and gently move the curds around to keep them from matting together. Cheddaring takes 1-2 hours. When done cheddaring, add the salt and mix.

Dry the curds on a parchment lined sheet for 12-24 hours in a cool, dry place. Your curds are now ready to enjoy. Either eat them plain or create a yummy vinaigrette for them.

Cheese Ravioli

Making your own homemade ravioli is a very rewarding endeavor. It is so tasty and, while a little time consuming, you can make a lot at one time and freeze the remainder to use later for a quick and easy meal. I use my Super Easy Cheese in this recipe, but if you want to make this without having to make your own cheese, you can substitute crumbled queso blanco or queso fresco cheese, available at most supermarkets now.

Homemade Cheese Ravioli

For the Pasta:

3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 TBS olive oil
2 TBS water

Mix all ingredients together well. It is easiest in a food processor or stand mixer. Knead dough together slightly to finish it off and get a nicely formed dough. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and set aside for at least half an hour.

After the dough has had a chance to rest, prepare a pasta machine with a flat roller. While you can use a hand-crank one, it is much easier and quicker to use a pasta roller attachment for a stand mixer. Cut dough into about 6-8 balls. Using generous amounts of flour to keep the dough from sticking, run the dough through the pasta maker. Run a few times through the widest setting before gradually decreasing pasta thickness with the machine settings. Do not roll too thinly. On my KitchenAid roller, I roll through setting 5.

For the filling:

1 cup Super Easy Cheese curds (or crumbled queso blanco/fresco cheese)
1/2 cup crumbled chevre cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1 TBS minced parsley (fresh or dried)

Thoroughly mix together. It is easier to mix if the cheeses are at room temperature.

Forming the ravioli:

Roll the pasta into long sheets the width available on your pasta roller. Lay out on a generously floured counter. Using a spoon or a disher scoop (I use a #100 scoop), place small balls of filling about 2 inches apart in a line on one side of the dough (about 2 tsp of filling). Smoosh the balls slightly. Using a pastry brush, brush egg wash (one whole egg mixed with a splash of water) around the filling. Fold pasta over and press down firmly. If there are air bubbles, use a cake tester or toothpick to make a small hole to press the air out. Use a pizza cutter or crimping wheel to cut pasta apart. Set onto floured plastic wrap or parchment in only one layer thickness. You can cook immediately, or freeze until solid and then place in a ziptop bag until ready to use.

To cook and sauce the ravioli:

You can make any type of sauce you want for these pasta, but my favorite is an easy cream sauce. Boil the pasta for 5-7 minutes (the longer time if they were frozen) in salted water. Drain pasta and splash with olive oil to keep it from sticking together. Meanwhile, in a sauce pan, add 1 TBS butter and 1 large clove of minced garlic with 1 cup of light cream and 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese. Add a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and parsley. Cook over medium heat until it gets bubbly. Pour over ravioli, serve, and enjoy!

Herbed Cheese Spread

So, now that you have made a batch of Super Easy Cheese, what are you going to do with it? It's not really the sort of cheese you just sit around munching... unless you doctor it up a bit. That's what this recipe is all about. Add just a few subtle ingredients and watch this plain, fairly flavorless cheese blossom into a tasty, flavorful, spreadable cheese. It is really great spread all over your favorite cracker. And it is great for company; not only does it look and taste good, but it's a great conversation starter when guests ask where you got the cheese and you say, "Why, I made it myself!"

Herbed Cheese Spread
Yield: 1 cup of molded cheese (double or triple as desired)

1 cup fresh Super Easy Cheese curds
1 tsp minced shallots
1 tsp minced chives
1 tsp minced parsley
1/8 tsp ground white pepper
1 - 2 TBS light cream
1/4 - 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Mix curds, shallots, chives, parsley, and pepper in a bowl. Stir to mix. Add enough cream so that the cheese is somewhat smooth and creamy but still can hold its shape. Add the salt to taste. Line a ramekin (see picture) or other similar 1 cup container with plastic wrap. Spoon full of cheese, firming lightly. Fold remaining plastic wrap over the top of the cheese. Refrigerate for at least four hours, preferably over night, before serving. This chilling time allows the flavors to meld and for the cheese to firm up. To serve, turn out onto a serving plate.

Super Easy Cheese

Cheese is one of those items that most people probably never think about making, but it can be very fun and rewarding to make. While some cheeses are quite time consuming and/or require special materials, that is not the case with all cheeses. This recipe is a very easy cheese that can be made in just a few hours (you're not working the whole time) and with no special ingredients.

There are a number of things that you can do with the cheese; I will outline two of them over the next couple of days. The recipe is based on a queso blanco, a very basic white cheese. It can be molded and pressed into a block, but that requires special equipment. For the loose curd cheese recipe here, the most specialized equipment needed is cheesecloth. When was the last time you used cheesecloth to actually make cheese? Maybe it's time!

Super Easy Cheese
Yield: 3-4 cups of cheese curds

1 gallon whole cow's milk (do not use ultra-pasteurized milk)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (plus 2 tsp, if needed)

Pour the milk into a double boiler over medium-high heat. I do not have a special double boiler, I just sit one stock pot inside of another. The double boiler is not strictly needed, but I find that without it, I sometimes get cheese scorching slightly on the bottom with I add the vinegar.

Place a candy thermometer into the pot to keep track of the temperature. Heat the milk until it reaches 175-180 degrees F. This step should occur over a period of about 20-30 minutes. Stir periodically. Once the milk reaches 175-180 degrees, hold it there for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, add the vinegar and stir to mix. Continue to hold at the same temperature while the curds form.

Curd formation can take up to one hour to completely develop, but you should see some curds form almost immediately. Stir periodically and check the temperature frequently. As the curds form, you will be left with a pale colored whey. Be sure to wait until the whey is very clear before draining. This picture shows when you might be tempted to drain but don't yet! Be patient! To be fair, draining early will not ruin your cheese in the slightest, you just won't get as much of it.

If, after 50 minutes, your whey is still not pale as in the second picture, add two more teaspoons of vinegar to finish the process. Once your curds and whey look like this, you're ready to drain.

Have a colander lined with a quadruple layer of cheesecloth prepared. Drain curds into colander. You can save the whey if you wish and use it in baked goods, etc., or just let it go down the sink.

Tie up the cheesecloth into a little bag and hang on a wooden spoon across the corner of a sink to drain. Let it drain for about 2 hours, or until the bag stops dripping.

Once drained, the curds are ready to use. If not using immediately, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to eight days.