Mince pie cookies

It's that time of year, and once again, my resolve to bake up a holiday storm turned to nothing. Well, almost nothing. I did manage these mince pie cookies that I saw in Jamie Oliver's Christmas magazine. I am not a fan of mincemeat pies generally, but something about this incarnation appealed. These cookies are easy to make and they taste like Christmas! Ho Ho Ho!

Mince pie cookies
From Jamie Magazine, Christmas edition

250g unsalted butter, at room temperature
140g sugar
1 egg yolk
Grated zest of one clementine/satsuma/mandarin/whatever you prefer
300g flour
One 411g jar of fruit mincemeat (I had to buy a larger bottle of PC mincemeat and measure out 400g or so)


1 Preheat your oven to 180C/gas 4 and put greaseproof baking parchment on a couple of baking trays.

2 Beat butter and sugar together until creamy. Add the egg yolk and your citrus zest and beat to combine.

3 Sift in the flour and then fold through MOST of the mince meat (you want to hold some of it back to put on top of your cookies before they go in the oven). Stir until it all starts to come together. I used my hands here – easier.

4 Pull biscuit-sized lumps from the dough, put them evenly across the trays and then press down on each one to shape into cookies. Don’t put them too close to each other – they will run out a little while in the oven.

4 Dot some of your saved mincemeat on top of each cookie, and then put them in the oven for about ten minutes. You want them to be golden, but still a bit doughy and chewy in the middle. I found that my oven needed about 15 minutes for this, but hey, ovens are famously different.

The mince pie cookies are lovely warm – with mulled wine – but the ones you don’t eat straight away can be stored in an airtight container, or frozen.

*I bought suet-free mincemeat, because, suet? Gross!
** I didn't bother topping my cookies with extra mincemeat, but you're perfectly welcome to.

Felt food

This Christmas I'm endeavoring to make my young niece and nephew into teeny tiny foodies with some felted fruits, veggies and sweets. Here's hoping they're a hit.

Berry studded baked oatmeal

Oooh, this one's a goodie.

I start most mornings -- at least when the weather is cool -- with a bowl of oatmeal (or eatmeal, as my father calls it). My standard is steel cut oats, with some sliced banana on top, and a bit of brown sugar. It's good, but sometimes standard oatmeal just doesn't it -- especially on a dark, rainy morning, the kind of which we've experienced lately.

This oatmeal dish is so inviting and yummy that it makes you want to get out of bed -- on the aforementioned cold and rainy morning, or even a bright and sunny one -- just so you can eat it in a big bowl, alongside a steaming mug of coffee. It's an easy thing to make on a weekend, and you'll have lots of leftovers to get you through the week.

So let's get started.....

Mix up the milk, eggs and vanilla. It's kinda like you're making a breakfast bread pudding! (Note the glass milk bottle for old timey goodness.)

Get your dish ready with your sliced bananas and frozen fruit. These form a tasty layer for the oatmeal.

More fruit goes on top, along with some walnuts for some crunch.

Then you're forced to wait about 45 minutes until you can dig in. People, it smells SO good while it's baking, and it's so worth the wait.

This crappy picture is testament to the fact that I was so eager to dig in, I couldn't even be bothered to frame a good photo. Make this and your morning will be better. I guarantee it.

Berry Studded Baked Oatmeal
From Shutterbean and Super Natural Every Day Cookbook
Recipe serves 6

(recipe adapted slightly from the Super Natural Every Day Cookbook)

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1/3 cup cane sugar or maple syrup (plus more for serving)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups whole milk, plus more for serving
2 large eggs (original recipe calls for 1)
3 tablespoons salted butter, melted & cooled slightly
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/2 cups mixed berries (I used 1 cup frozen blueberries & 1/2 cup frozen raspberries)
Preheat oven to 375 F. Generously butter the inside of an 8 inch baking dish. (I used a 9x13 dish)

In a bowl, mix together the oats, half of the walnuts, the sugar, baking powder & cinnamon.

In another bowl mix the milk, eggs, half of the butter and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.

Arrange the bananas in a single layer at the bottom of your baking dish. Sprinkle 2/3 of the berry mixture on top. Pour the oat mixture on top and then slowly drizzle the milk mixture on top of that. Give the baking dish a few thwacks (love that word!) on the kitchen counter to make sure the milk moves all around the oats. Scatter the remaining berries and walnuts on top.

Bake in the oven for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is nicely golden and the oat mixture has set. Remove from the oven and let cool. Drizzle the remaining butter on top and serve. Drizzle maple syrup on top and top with a little bit of milk. Enjoy!

*I used slightly less than 1/3 cup of maple syrup and it was the perfect sweetness: not too cloying, but also not requiring further sugar when you eat it

**The frozen fruit was a President's Choice mix of cherries, blackberries and blueberries. I think it's an organics power mix or omega mix or something new agey and healthy.

*I didn't bother to toast the walnuts beforehand, or add the remaining melted butter before serving. Because I'm a rebel.

Nut-stuffed squash

Now that it's (somewhat) colder, this is a great, filling and warm supper. The stuffing here is hearty and tastes almost like sausage, even though there's no meat in sight. It makes a great week-night dinner, but it does take some time to bake, especially if you use a butternut squash as I did here. If I make it again, I'll put the squash in the microwave for few minutes to give it a head start before it goes in the oven.


Here they are, ready for baking.

And here's the finished product, just waiting for you to dig in.

Nut-Stuffed Delicata Squash
(recipe from Shutterbean)

3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 medium onions finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
pepper
2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
1/3 cup almonds, chopped
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
1/3 cup cashews, chopped
1/3 cup plain greek yogurt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 delicata squash, halved lengthwise (about 2 lbs.) *I couldn't find a delicata, so I substituted butternutsplash olive oil (optional topping)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt butter in a medium fry pan on medium high. Add the onions & garlic and cook until softened. Add the sage and cook for 1 minute. Set aside, and add nuts to the pan. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs and combine them with the cheese and yogurt. Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt & sprinkle with pepper. Add the nuts to the mixture and fill each of the halves of squash. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes. The squash should be soft when tested with a knife. Top with some sprinkles of cheese and a splash of olive oil.

Shakespeare n' stuff

What a horrible headline! It's all I could come up with to introduce this piece I wrote. Back with more food n' stuff soon.

Black grape focaccia

This is probably one of the most beautiful recipes I've ever made. It's by no means light on labour, but the resulting loaf of grape-studded goodness is worth the effort. Believe me.

First you start by choosing your grapes. I selected Coronation grapes (speaking of Corrie, have you been watching? CBC is now airing one hour a night so we can catch up with the episodes in the UK. That's a lot of street talk, let me tell you. Thank goodness for fast forward buttons on the PVR). While not seedless, they contain small, edible seeds that don't require removing. They're also not the super sweet variety that gets turned into kiddie juice.

But, they do require de-stemming, which is a crazy making activity. Notice the pile of stems to the right of my scale? It probably took me 15 minutes to get my 400g of fruit stem free. Loco!

And don't those grapes look much happier nestled into all that warm dough? If only they knew their future involved a hot oven.

The recipe doesn't call for rosemary, but I thought it would make a nice addition. I was after a more savoury product than a sweet treat. Plus, I happen to have lots of rosemary growing in my backyard, so it was a good opportunity to use some up.

Ta-da! Okay, so this is a bit dark, I admit, but it's still pretty, non? Definitely more unique than anything you could buy at the store, and much, much better. The grapes burst and run during cooking, creating almost jam that ribbons through the bread. And the crust was crisp, and topped with a trace of crunchy sugar and some sea salt, while the inside was moist and chewy. Dare I say it was grape combination?

Black grape focaccia
From Tender Vol. 2, by Nigel Slater

This is excellent with a fresh, mild cheese. Serves 8.


450g strong white bread flour

1 sachet of easy bake yeast (7g, 2 tsp)

1 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp caster sugar

350ml warm water


For the topping:

400g sweet, black grapes

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp caster sugar

a little icing sugar


Put the flour into a large bowl, add the yeast, the sea salt (if you are using coarse salt, crush it finely first), then the oil, sugar and warm water. Mix with a wooden spoon then turn the dough out on to a generously floured board. Knead the dough lightly for 5 minutes or so. You need not be too enthusiastic. A gentle pummelling will suffice.

Once the dough feels elastic and "alive" put it into a floured bowl, cover with a clean cloth or clingfilm, then put it somewhere warm to rise. It will take approximately an hour to double in size. Once it has, then punch it down again, knocking some of the air out. Tip it into a suitable baking tin or sheet, about 28cm in diameter. Gently knead half of the grapes into the dough, scattering the remaining ones on top. Set the oven at 220C/gas mark 7.

Cover the dough once more and return it to a warm place to rise. Once it has expanded to almost twice its size, drizzle over the olive oil, scatter with the caster sugar and bake for 35-40 minutes till well-risen, golden brown and crisp on top. It should feel springy when pressed. Leave to cool slightly before dusting with icing sugar. Cut into thick wedges and eat while warm. It will not keep for more than a few hours. (*actually I found it kept for two days, well wrapped)

Creamy tomato soup

I do realize that tomato season is now over, but you'll see from the last post date that I've been away from this blog for quite some time. And, fact is, tomatoes were still in season, and quite plentiful in gardens and at the market, when I made this soup. I had quite a few of them on my windowsill as it happens, and didn't think I'd get a chance to use them in sandwiches or salad before they turned, so I opted for soup.

This recipe comes from Chuck Hughes, from Chuck's Day Off on the Food Network. He's a bit scary to look at, with tattooed arms and a somewhat annoying English Montreal accent, but his enthusiasim for food is pretty infectious. And if the food as his restaurant in Old Montreal is as good as it looks on the show, or as good at this soup for that matter, then I'm sold.


The method's pretty simple. Soften some onions and garlic in a pan, then drop in some chopped tomatoes. And some brown sugar too, to reduce the acidity. I added a bit too much for my altered amount, and the result was a bit sweet, but some sugar is neccessary.

Next you add some water, some thyme and the rind from some parmesan cheese for a yummy flavour boost. The rind just softens as the soup cooks and imparts a salty richness that's hard to describe. You simply remove it at the end once it has done its job.

Simmer for a bit, then remove the rind and the thyme, and blend in the pot.

Then you strain the whole thing to remove the skins and seeds.

And in goes a bit of cream to finish. The result is like a kicked up version of Campbell's tomato soup -- only so much better tasting. It's like a comforting bowl of summer.

Creamy Tomato Soup
From Chuck's Day Off

2 tablespoons olive oil (30 ml)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 large tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons brown sugar (30 ml)
1/2 cup water (125 ml)
unit Parmesan rind (Optional)
4 sprigs of thyme
1/4 cup of 35% cream (60 ml)
2 tablespoons butter (30 ml)
unit Salt and pepper

1.Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and continue to cook for 5 minutes until translucent. Add tomatoes and sugar and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Add water, Parmesan rind and thyme. Cook for about 25 minutes.
2.Remove the Parmesan rind and the thyme. Purée the soup in a food processor or with a hand blender. Pour purée through a strainer over a pot. Stir in the cream and butter. Season with salt and pepper.

Plum pie

At the market this weekend I saw the first squashes on offer. That's a sure sign of fall. Also a sign? The cooler temperatures we've had this week. It has been so tempting to turn on my new furnace, but I have resisted so far. It has been nice to sleep with the duvet again, though.

This recipe still feels vaguely summer-like, and there are still some late-season plums available. I'm not a huge fan of eating plums "raw", but I do like them cooked in things. Who better to turn to than Nigel Slater, who is a master at transforming most fruits into a sweet or savoury experience. This recipe is from his Tender Vol. II book, and his attempt looks like this.

I took the tin pie plate to be optional and made mine in a ceramic pie dish.

First wash your plums. I used an assortment of blue and yellow, as you can see. The yellow pits were a pain to remove. I don't think swearing at plums affects the flavour.

And here the are, split and swimming in cinnamon and a little sugar. Can't get much easier than that.

Did I mention this is a single crust pie? Chalk up another point on the easy scale!

And here's what you get for your very minimal efforts. Very nice with some cream, as Nigel suggests, or ice cream, or even custard. Make some while summer's still here.

A single crust pie for particularly juicy plums

From Nigel Slater's Tender Vol. II

For the pastry:

butter, 100g
golden caster sugar, 100g
an egg, lightly beaten
plain flour, 175g
baking powder, ½ tsp
a little milk for brushing

For the filling:

ripe plums or greengages, 800g-1kg
golden caster sugar, 2-3 tbsp
ground cinnamon, a knifepoint

Cream the butter and caster sugar in a food mixer till light and fluffy.

Mix in the lightly beaten egg, then gently add the flour and baking powder. Remove dough from the mixing bowl and roll into a ball on a heavily floured work surface. Knead the dough for a minute or two until smooth and soft. Wrap in greaseproof or waxed paper and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.

Set the oven at 180C/gas mark 4. Cut the ripe plums or greengages in half and remove their stones.

Cut the fruit into large pieces, toss with the caster sugar and cinnamon and put into a lightly buttered 20–22cm baking dish.

Roll out the pastry on a floured board, then lift carefully on to the pie. There will be a little left over. The crust is very short and it really doesn't matter if it tears as you lower it over the fruit. Some of the juice will probably erupt through it as it cooks anyway. At least I hope so.

Brush the pastry lightly with milk and bake for 40 minutes. The pastry should be pale-biscuit coloured. Dust with caster sugar and serve warm with cream.

Morning shake

School starts next week and that will mean hectic mornings for a lot of folks. My mornings aren't particularly frenzied, but I never seem to have enough time to do all the things I need to do before I head out the door.

This breakfast shake requires some preparation the night before, but it's quick to come together in the morning, and you can drink it en route if you take it with you in a coffee mug or thermos. What I like best about it is how filling it is, and it really holds you through those first hours of the day. Plus, it's basically a chocolate shake without the fat, and there's nothing in it that's terribly bad for you. Convinced yet? You should be!

Okay, as I said, you have to start this preparation the night before. So, grab two bananas, peel 'em and wrap them in a bit of plastic. Chuck them in the freezer and leave them there 'til morning. Done!

Next, in the morning, while you make your coffee, assemble everything else into the blender you also got ready the night before.

Pour 1/2 cup of oats into the blender. They'll look like this.

Blend them 'til they're a fine powder. It will take about 20 seconds or so.

Dump in the frozen bananas next. They'll still be soft enough to break into pieces. Add a heaping spoonful of dark cocoa powder and another of peanut butter. Finally, squeeze in a teaspoon or so of honey if you like. Top everything off with a cup or so of milk. The amount will vary depending on the size of your bananas.

Blend until smooth. Again, this will take a while for everything to come together.

Pour into a glass (or travel coffee mug mentioned above) and enjoy. When else can you break out your Guinness glass at 7:30 a.m.?

Fresh peach cake

In the great Finger Lakes re-cap of 2011, I forgot to mention the yummy peach salad I had at the Stonecat cafe. It featured local greens, goat cheese and tempura battered local peach slices. The fruit was encased in this light, crisp batter, but remained soft on the inside. It was a really interesting way of serving and tasting peaches -- one of my favourite summer fruits.

Which brings me to the recipe below for Ina Garten's fresh peach cake. I saw her make this on her program, and she make a big deal of sourcing the fruit from a local farm shop in the Hamptons, run by two college-aged girls with trust funds almost as big as their chests. I'm glad Ina's supporting her local economy, but a basket of peaches grown generally in Ontario is good enough for me.

A whole basket of peaches is a lot for one person, but I seem to go through them pretty quickly. I have them sliced on oatmeal in the morning, or mixed with yogurt. And then I freeze some too, to add to smoothies once summer's over. Practially the only thing I don't like about peaches are the inevitable fruit flies that accompany them. I think I've trapped and killed hundreds in my kitchen over the past few weeks (here's my secret method: put bits of fruit, or peelings or whatever, in a small dish and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Then poke several holes in the plastic and leave on your counter. The flies are able to get in the dish, but aren't smart enough to get out. Once you've got a flock going, nuke 'em in the microwave before they breed).

Ina's cake is a nice way to use of peaches. But like all cakes make with fresh fruit, it doesn't have a long shelf life. So you'll have to eat it quickly, or share with co-workers as I did. The texture's a bit like coffee cake, and the nuts are a nice addition to the sugary top. So go buy some peaches (from a stand in the Hamptons, or your local grocery store) and whip up this cake while summer's still around. And don't forget to peel your peaches before you put them in the cake, or else it'll be like eating a mouse! (or so says my mother)



Fresh peach cake
From the Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That?

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large, ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar for 3 to 5 minutes on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, then the sour cream and vanilla, and mix until the batter is smooth. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until combined. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon.

Spread half of the batter evenly in the pan. Top with half of the peaches, then sprinkle with two-thirds of the sugar mixture. Spread the remaining batter on top, arrange the remaining peaches on top, and sprinkle with the remaining sugar mixture and the pecans.

Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Gooseberry compote

I bought a box of gooseberries for the first time from the farmers market a couple of weeks ago. I've always been curious about these berries, but had never tasted one until a few weeks ago. They're kind of like a tiny, slightly tart grape, though they weren't as sour as I'd expected them to be. And they look quite pretty here, don't they?

Once I got them home, I had to decide what to do with them. I scoured my British cookbooks, since the fruit seems to be a favourite of cooks there. But since I didn't have enough for a pie or jam, I compromised and decided to make a compote, loosely adapted from the River Cottage Every Day cookbook that I borrowed from the library (highly recommended, by the way!).

The recipe itself is fairly simple: add the fruit, water and sugar to a pan and cook for about 10 minutes. Before I got to that stage though, I had to top and tail the berries. Holy hell was that an annoying task! It took me close to half an hour to take off the tiny stems and the little bits of brown at the bottom. I'm quite sure I would go nuts if I had to prepare an entire pie.

Anyway, after it was all cooked and cooled, I ended up with this -- basically a thick, jam-like concoction. I'd say I started with about a cup of fruit (or just over 280g, because I weighed them), and I added maybe 2 or 3 tablespoons of water, and maybe the same amount of sugar. The compote wasn't terribly sweet, but I liked it that way.

And yes, I realize it looks like a bowl of slightly seedy snot, but I turned it into a fool, by folding it in to whipped cream and crumbled up meringue. It only looked vaguely nasaly after that. :)

Fabulous Finger Lakes

I took a late July roadtrip to New York state's Finger Lakes region. I've been reading a lot lately about how that wine region is a real up and coming tourist destination. Considering it's only about a five-hour drive from Ottawa, it seemed like a doable trip to see for myself.

There are lots of wineries lining each side of Seneca lake (and others). After having lived in the Okanagan Valley for a few years, this area reminded me a lot of it, except not quite as desert-y (or as bible thumpy!).

I sampled a few wines during the trip, some distilled gin, and some locally-made "Champagne" in a cute single serve bottle (see above). Don't worry, I promptly alerted the French authorities about this misuse of this term as soon as I returned to Canada.

I stayed at a really nice hotel at the bottom of Seneca Lake in a small town called Watkins Glen. This was the sunset view from the harbour.

And the harbour, sans sunset.

And a view of the hotel itself. The room had a nice balcony that overlooked the water.

Lots of state parks in the area, and several waterfalls. This one has a name I'm sure, but I didn't bother writing it down.

The trip also included a jaunt to Ithaca, to see the Cornell University, and to Corning to see the glass museum, where they had a paperweight for sale for a measly $43,000 (I bought two). Foodwise, I enjoyed some very nice meals here and here. Maybe my next trip will be in the fall to see the leaves!

Salt & Vinegar Potato Salad

I'm not a fan of mayo-based potato salad, so when I saw this recipe on line, it spoke to me. So much so, that I bookmarked it and thought about it for over a year, keeping it to make for a summer day. It's a great dish to make to accompany a barbecue, or any other warm weather main.

Let's get started...

Start by marinating the onions in vinegar. I didn't have cider, so used red wine instead.

You can mix up the dressing while the potatoes cook. The secret ingredient here is Old Bay seasoning, which is commonly used in seafood dishes. It's salty blend of spices, and works well in this salad. I'm not sure if you can buy it in Canada. I managed to pick up a tin on my last trip to the U.S.

Put those asbestos fingers to use and peel the taters once they're boiled. Cooking them with the skin on helps keep the shape, and you probably could stip this step altogether if you really wanted.

Mix the still-warm potatoes in the dressing and add in the onions. The result is a spicy salad, with the creamy texture of the Yukon golds. Serve at room temperature, but keeps very well in the fridge for a few days.

Salt & Vinegar Potato Salad
Found on Shutterbean (adapted from Gourmet Magazine)

1 large red onion, cut lengthwise into 1/3 wide wedges and layers separated
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
4 lb. medium yellow fleshed potatoes such as Yukon Gold
2 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Toss the onion & 2 tablespoons vinegar with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Marinate at room temperature, tossing occasionally until slightly softened and pink. This should take about 45 minutes.

Cover the potatoes with salted cold water in a large pot, simmer, uncovered until just tender. Takes about 20 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, whisk together 2 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and remained 1/2 cup vinegar in a bowl.

Drain potatoes in a colander, and peel off skins when they are cool enough to handle. Cut into 1/2 inch wedges. Toss the warm potatoes with the vinegar mixture in a larger bowl. Add the onion mixture & oil. Toss to combine. Add more Old Bay seasoning, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Ricotta cheese

What's the traditional way to celebrate Canada Day weekend, and the arrival of Will and Kate in Ottawa? Make homemade ricotta, of course!

Er, maybe not, but perhaps I invented a new tradition that will sweep the nation by this time next year. Yep, while the crowds were on the Hill, sweating and crammed in like sardines to see the royals, I boiled up some milk and got down to cheese making. Hard to say who had a more glamorous time -- me or Kate -- but I did don a fascinator for the occasion.

Anyway, the recipe's from the new Jamie Oliver magazine, and I thought it looked both interesting and relatively easy, so opted to give it a try. Funnily enough, it starts out by stating that ricotta's a good way to use up leftover milk. But who has two litres of milk just left over? And left over from what is a better question.

Start by bringing the milk to a boil in a large pot. Two litres is a lot of milk, let me tell you, and you'll be shocked at how little cheese it makes.

Once you add in the vinegar and let the mixture sit for a while, you spoon out the curds into a strainer. I didn't have any cheesecloth to line mine, so I used a (clean) linen tea towel.

This is what the cheese looks like after 15 minutes of resting in the strainer.

And this is what it looks like after it's all bundled up and the remaining whey is squeezed out. There's a lot of whey! (And a lot of blue veins on my wrist. I ought to have that checked out.)

And here's the finished product. The recipe says it produced 300g of cheese, and while I didn't weigh it, I'd estimate it at just over a cup or so. Honestly, I found the texture of this a little disappointing. I was hoping for something creamy and salty, but it was pretty dry and a little bland. I'd chalk this recipe up to more of a fun science experiment than a roaring success.

It tasted better on toast though, with some roasted asparagus and drizzled with some olive oil. Makes a great lunch!

Cheat's Ricotta
From Jamie Magazine, June 2011 edition

2 litres full-fat milk, cow or goat
1 tsp sea salt flakes
100 ml rice vinegar or white vinegar
A large piece of muslin or cheesecloth

1. Pour the milk into a large, deep saucepan and place over medium heat. Add the salt and stir to dissolve.

2. As the milk comes to a boil, you'll see small bubbles forming. Remove spoon and add in vinegar all at once. You'll see small lumps form and rise to the surface as the milk curdles.

3. Once the mixture starts to boil, turn off the heat. Cover pan and leave for 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, line a sieve or colander with the cheescloth and place over a large bowl.

5. Remove lid from pan and gently lift the separated curds into the sieve. Or, slowly pour mixture from pan into sieve. Allow curds to sit in strainer for 15 minutes.

5. Wrap the fabric around the cheese and squeeze gently to remove more liquid, until you reach desired consistency. Unwrap the ricotta to serve, or cool commpletely then store in fridge for two days.