Recently I taught a class on hors d’oeuvres at Williams-Sonoma. The Rosemary-Parmesan Icebox Crackers featured in the class were so good and yet so easy that I decided I should share them here. Rosemary-Parmesan Icebox Crackers 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon sel gris or kosher salt 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 1 teaspoon [...]

Categories: baking, cheese, entertaining
Tagged: baking, cheese, entertaining

Chèvre is a cheese that commands a premium in the marketplace. I always assumed that there was a real art to making good chèvre. Turns out that it’s embarrassingly easy!

Categories: cheese, home creamery
Tagged: cheese, home creamery

A couple of weeks ago I was out at Kookoolan Farms to take a goat cheese class. While I was there I picked up a nice basket mold for ricotta salata. Raw goat milk was available at a nearby farm. I had everything I needed to try to make ricotta salata.

Categories: cheese, home creamery
Tagged: cheese, home creamery

Mascarpone, the queen of dessert cheeses. At least it is when it’s freshly made. The mascarpone available in most stores is a little rubbery and a bit too citrusy. The real thing has a texture like whipped cream about to turn to butter and an ethereal, ever-so-slightly tart flavor. To make mascarpone you’ll need tartaric [...]

Categories: cheese, dessert, gluten-free, home creamery, vegetarian
Tagged: cheese, dessert, gluten-free, home creamery, vegetarian

Strawberries may well be my favorite food, and this is the time of year when Hood strawberries are just right! To celebrate my birthday I made strawberry tartlets.

Categories: baking, cheese, dessert, pastry, shortbread, vegetarian
Tagged: baking, dessert, fruit, shortbread, vegetarian

I’d just finished making ricotta. It was so soft and creamy that I just had to use it for supper.

Categories: Lunch, cheese, entrée, side dish, supper, vegetarian
Tagged: cheese, Lunch, main course, side dish, supper, vegetarian

Traditional ricotta is whey recooked with vinegar. This version of ricotta doesn’t require you to make another cheese first and it produces a very finely textured cheese with great flavor.

Categories: cheese, home creamery, technique
Tagged: cheese, home creamery, technique

Gelato is the truly ethereal version of ice cream that originates in Italy. Most important to a gelato is to start with a good base and to finish with low-speed churning that incorporates as little air as possible. There are two standard gelato bases, white and yellow. The white base is made without eggs, the [...]

Categories: dessert, gelato, gluten-free, home creamery, mother recipe, mushroom, vegetarian
Tagged: dessert, gelato, gluten-free, home creamery, mother recipe, mushroom, vegetarian

Yogurt cheese is great stuff. Use it to replace cream cheese on your toast or bagel and you’ll cut down somewhat on fat without sacrificing any flavor at all. And it’s easier to spread as well.

Categories: cheese, gluten-free, home creamery, yogurt
Tagged: cheese, gluten-free, home creamery, yogurt

Yogurt is an important component of a healthful diet, providing lots of calcium and friendly bacteria. Many people who are lactose intolerant can tolerate yogurt, because the bacteria cultures that cause it to be tangy and thick convert the lactose into lactic acid. Yogurt can be made from milk quite easily, and from soy or other non-dairy [...]

Categories: gluten-free, home creamery, pantry, yogurt
Tagged: gluten-free, home creamery, pantry, yogurt