Mozzarella Cheese!

Hello again! It's been some time since I've updated this, so I figured I would share a recipe I learned today. So, I have always wanted to make cheese. I didn't realize that it was a job that you could do at home with relative ease. My first batch I used a recipe and totally jacked it up. Didn't work. At all. The second batch, I took a few tidbits from multiple recipe sites and made my own version of the recipe. I hope you enjoy this and have fun making it. Prepare yourself for a mess to clean up afterward, though! The cheese will be good for about a week after making it. There are a number of good videos on how to do this on YouTube, but the recipes vary. Rennet can be pretty hard to find. I was able to secure mine from a Whole Foods Market, but not all of them carry it. There are various online outlets that you can purchase it from if you cannot find it locally. Citric acid can be found at Whole Foods, too. Or, many other places that carry health products.

Mozzarella Cheese

Ingredients:
1 1/4 Cup of Water
2 TSP Citric Acid Powder
1 Tablet of Rennet/1 TSP Liquid Rennet (Do not use Junket Rennet for this.)
1 Gallon of Milk - Doesn't matter the type as long as it's not ultra-pasteurized
A Lot of Sea Salt.

Gear:
6-6+ quart steel/ceramic (IE Non-reactive) pot
Digital Thermometer (That starts at a minimum of 80 degrees)
Measuring Spoon
A Decent Length Knife
Slotted Spoon
2+ Cup Measuring Cup (Two would be nicer, but not necessary)
A Reasonable Sized Fine Strainer
A Like-sized Glass Bowl Filled Up with Salty Ice Water.
Another Pot That Can Hold About the Same Amount of Water. (4-6qt)
Gloves. Thick Cleaning Ones.


First of all, I'm sure if you look around this recipe will look familiar, but I've put my
own bit of learning into this.

1. Prepare the Citric Acid: Measure 1 cup of water. Stir in 1TSP of citric acid until dissolved.

2. Prepare the Rennet: Measure 1/4 cup of water, stir in one tablet of rennet or 1TSP of liquid rennet until dissolved.

3. In another pot, fill it with water and bring to just shy of boiling. (158-160º) Mix in lots of sea salt. If it doesn't taste like the ocean, you're not there yet. You will use this later on.

4. Pour the milk into your non-reactive pot, medium-high heat and stir in the citric acid mix. Sprinkle in another 1TSP of citric acid directly into the milk. Stir while gently until the milk reaches 90ºF. The citric acid gives the cheese its stretchability.

5. Once at 90ºF, remove the pot from the heat and gently stir in the rennet solution, taking no longer than about 30 seconds to do so. Put the lid on the pot and leave it for about 30 minutes. The rennet will coagulate the milk, separating the curds from the whey.

6. Once it has set, check the curd for a clean break with your finger or knife. Using your knife, cut the curds into 1-2 inch squares, making sure your knife is making it to the bottom of the curds/pot.

7. Put the pot back on a medium heat, putting your slotted spoon to the bottom and stirring the whole block of curds slowly. Once the mixture reaches 108º, remove it from the heat.

8. Using your slotted spoon, scoop out the curds into your strainer, making sure all the that can be strained out is strained out. You can also use cheese cloth, but a strainer is just as effective. This should take 5-10 minutes.

9. Using your slotted spoon, scoop out a nice hand full-sized bunch of curds. Submerge it into the salt water pot that you started prior to all of this for 20-30 seconds. This is where you'll need those thick gloves to avoid burning your hands. Pull the curds out of the water with the spoon, pick it up with your (gloved) hands and start kneading it and stretching it over itself. Keep repeating this until the cheese is glossy and smooth texture that stretches easily. (And doesn't break like after the first time or two you do this.) This process can take a number of times. Try not to over-work it.

10. Shape the cheese into a ball and place in the ice water so it will cool evenly. After 20 minutes in the ice water, the cheese will be ready for consumption - unless you choose to marinade it. The cheese will be good for about a week. Place in a container with about a cup of cool salt water in a container, cover, and refrigerate.

A salad of spring greens with freshly made mozzarella cheese, chicken and grape tomatoes. Not pictured - A homemade fig balsamic vinaigrette dressing. This mozzarella was no more than an hour old.

Another Farmers Market Entry....

So this weekend, I decided to try a new farmers market since I have been going to one almost exclusively for some time. I gathered up the family this past Saturday and went down to the Little Italy market in San Diego. This market was a really good one and one that I can see Webb Park evolving into. I really liked a number of things that I find are missing elsewhere, but are being worked in as we speak. To begin with, Salt Farm has an AWESOME selection of finishing salts that are to die for. I personally think that salt is a good deal of the flavor in any meal, so to have a selection of salts is exciting (More to come on this subject in a later post...). Another thing I liked at this market is the availability of great meats. Insane! I'm very much looking forward to Claire getting Webb Park a meat vendor.

On to the newer Webb Park Certified Farmers Market...

For another change, Webb has moved to Sundays. I think that it's for their own good, seeing how quickly they are growing. They have brought in more vendors of ALL types. They have also brought in a couple of bounce houses for the kids, which is really nice. There is a lot more as far as the food court is concerned. There are actually two now, which is nice because it frees some space up to sit back and relax. I am still very partial to Slow Cal BBQ who makes the most awesome pulled pork and sausage sandwich that is absolutely to die for. If you hit this market up, it is 100% worth the money, if not more. Plus Mel is a Raiders fan and all around great guy.

Rumor also has it that Poppas Fresh Fish is going to make their way to the Sunday market to fill your fish, shellfish and civeche needs. If you haven't had any of Mark's goodies, I highly recommend it. Another newer vendor is Olive Hill Company who sells some salts, different oils and a ton of different honeys. This guy knows his stuff about honey. Absolutely insane. Definitely check them out and say hi.

It was a wonderful weekend for hitting up the farmers markets here in San Diego. If you have the time, I recommend either of the markets. They are both awesome, have great vendors and great managers behind them.

Enchilada Sauce

So I was playing around with some ideas for a nice little sauce to add to my mashed potatoes instead of just sour cream. I came up with this idea, which tastes great with mashed potatoes, that would be a great enchilada sauce.

1 8oz container of sour cream
2 Avacados
2 Roma tomatoes
1 Serrano chilli (More if you like it hotter.)
1-2 Cloves of garlic to taste
1.5 Tablespoons of lemon juice
3 Tablespoons of Chives
Salt and pepper to taste.

I use my Cuisinart food processor to make this easier, but you can do it how you please. A blender will get the job done, too. I drop in the garlic and chilli pepper and let the processor break them down finely. I then add sour cream, avocados, tomatoes, lemon juice, salt and pepper and let it turn into a nice saucy texture. After ensuring that the heat and salt & pepper levels are to your liking, add in the pre-cut chives and pulse the processor a few times to mix them in but avoid breaking them down too far.

You could add some corn in or cilantro also if you like that, but I like keeping this a bit more simple. Enjoy this easy recipe and let me know if you tweak it in any creative ways!

Webb Park Farmers Market

Farmers markets are a wonderful thing if you happen to have one in your city.  To live in a city that has one (And usually more) a day is fantastic.  The nice thing is, is that you can get farm fresh products that are in season.  Not only is that good for the local farms, it's good for you to push yourself into cooking new things with the seasonal ingredients - instead of relegating your cooking to the same 'ole thing.

Now, I went to Webb Park a few weeks ago and it was in disarray.  Now, for what it's worth, it was the first week it was taken over by the new managers (and vendors) Claire and Richard.  They've had an extreme uphill battle, but things are setting into place and looking really good.  The selection of different foods was really good.  It's nice to see a place where I can easily pick up duck and quail eggs along with sea urchin.

Aside from the normal vegi fare, they also had Linda from Two If By Seasfoods flash-frozen directly on the ship Alaskan salmon and Mark & Mark from Poppa's Fresh Fish Company.  Poppa's offers eat-there dishes and fish to take home.  All sorts of great products were available like yellowtail, ahi, salmon, oysters and sea urchin.  I'm sure I missed a thing or two, but that's what I saw.  Their two most popular dishes to eat there are the salmon burger and the chili relleno stuffed with goat cheese and shrimp.  A little easy on the spices, but all around great!  Very impressive for something made fresh under a tent!

If you have time to make it out to any farmers market, you should do it.  You can create new dishes or get ideas from the vendors themselves. There are a number of non-food vendors that create really unique products that are really neat.  If you are in the Rancho Bernardo/Mira Mesa area and want a close farmers market, this one is quickly becoming THE place to pick up your local farm - or ocean - fresh items!

Facebook (For up to the minute updates): http://www.facebook.com/#!/WPCFM
Website: http://www.webbparkfarmersmarket.com/
Tuesdays 11am-6pm
16826 Bernardo Center Drive, in Rancho Bernardo (Approximately) - Park directly across the street but please be mindful of the reserved spots.

Flavor.

One thing that I have noticed, since my cooking kick started, is how good food tastes when it's home made. I'm not talking about a burger or a steak, I'm talking about all the way down to the main ingredients. Today I really tore up the kitchen getting ready for our camping trip. I made some coleslaw, guacamole, peanut butter, mayonnaise and fresh burgers out of top sirloin.

I mean, I'm sure most people have made guac before, so that's not a huge deal. But have you made your own mayonnaise? It's really good and you can select what kind of mayo you want. Want a herb infused blend? Easy. Want some wasabi mayo? Easy. Does it allow for a long shelf life? Heck no. Why? Because you're taking out all the preservatives and other crap that keeps it good for long periods of time.

The peanut butter I made today is pretty good, although I have some room for improvement on the recipe. I added some locally produced honey that was made with bees who fed off local avocado trees, which added a nice flavor to it.

Have you ever had a freshly ground burger? I mean, I never know what is in the raw hamburger when I buy it. But by doing it this way, you can control what cuts you use and how much fat you allow to be in it. A NY Strip burger is especially tasty. The KitchenAid meat grinder works very well for this. I'm sure I could use my Cuisinart, like I do on a lot of other things, but this is one of those instances where I like the consistency that the KitchenAid produces.

Anyway, I challenge YOU to make a fresh meal out of nothing processed. Like my fettuccine from a post ago. Is it going to take you longer? Yup, sure is. But you add so much more pride, not to mention flavor, when you do it this way. Good luck!

Roasted Red Pepper Fettuccine

Well, I figure it's been a waayy too long, so it's time for an update. I got a new tool (And by tool, I mean kitchen toy!) today. A Cuisinart Elite 16 Cup Die-Cast Food Processor. Now I know what you're all saying: "Oh Brian, you've already got more than adequate knives.." or "Brian, you've got a blender and a KitchenAid, what more do you need?" Well, here's what I have to say to that: This thing rocks. This thing is a pure workhorse. A rock star for a kitchen tool. So, after getting it home, I couldn't just let it sit there until I decided to cook something, so I had at it.

Roasted Red Pepper fettuccine w/ Fresh Tomato Roasted Pepper Cheese Sauce
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Pasta Dough
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2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Wheat All-Purpose Flour
1 Tbsp Salt
2 Large Eggs
1 Egg Yolk
3 Small/Medium Red Peppers
1-2 Tbsp Olive Oil

First, you're going to want to make your red pepper puree. Preheat your oven on to 425°. Next, using a brush, coat your peppers with the olive oil. Put some down on the baking sheet, too. Put the peppers in the oven and let them roast for about 15 minutes. Rotate them to the next side. Repeat that until nice and blistery. When complete, remove the peppers from the oven and place in a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the peppers sweat for about ten minutes. Strip the peppers of their skin, seeds and tops. Puree them in a food processor or blender.

Next, (Now, I'm going to explain how I did it with the Cuisinart. You can accomplish the same goals here by making a nice mound with the flour and making a well in it and mixing it all together) put all the dry ingredients into the mixer with the dough blade in. Pulse the mixture a few times to make sure it gets evenly devided. Put the top on and open the feed spouts. Mix the eggs, yolk and about 2/3rds of your pureed red peppers together. Start the mixer on the dough setting and slowly pour in the wet ingredients. You will see it start to form into a ball. Stop the machine and see how sticky the ball is and if it is too sticky add a bit more flour. Once it is to the consistancy you like, (I like mine with a little bit of sticky, but not too crazy) pull it out, place it in a bowl and cover it with a damp towel. In about thirty minutes you can flatten it and cut it.

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Tomato Roasted Pepper Cheese Sauce
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4lbs of Fresh FIRM Tomatoes
3-4 Fresh Sprigs Oregano
8-12 Basil Leafs
5-10 Garlic Cloves (At least five.. I like more)
1 Large White Onion
1 1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Cup Parmesan Cheese
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Start off by peeling the tomatoes. You could always steam them, but I don't like cooking them twice. You don't need to get every little piece of skin off, but if you're OCD like me, you will. Remove the stems, too. Place them aside. Mince your garlice, basil and oregano. Lightly puree your tomatoes. I like to leave some chunks. Put a fine chop on your onion. In a pan, on medium-high heat, pour in your olive oil. Next, put in your garlic and onions and let them soften up a bit. Once they are to that point, pour in your tomato puree and the remaining roasted red peppers along with your herbs. Let this cook for a bit, test it and add salt and pepper to taste. Let this simmer for about an hour then add your cheese. Let the cheese melt in then enjoy it over some of your freshly made fettuccine. Garnish with some additional cheese and oregano.

I loved it. A lot. Lena and Madeline did too. I hope that you enjoy it as much as we did!

Imperia Pasta Maker

Well, another tool (Said: Toy) for my kitchen: An Imperia Pasta Maker from Williams Sonoma. I love this little bugger! Yes, I could have gotten the fancy one that attached onto my KitchenAid stand mixer, but there was just no way in hell I was paying twice the price for the same thing. I already paid for the motor, why should I get nailed again? I like doing it by hand anyway, so that I can control the speed. I have fond memories of this pasta maker as my dad used to have one.

Anyways, making pasta isn't hard. ESPECIALLY if you have a KitchenAid or a Cuisinart. It's almost too easy. For a simple recipe, you can use 2 cups of all-purpose flour, a tablespoon of salt and three eggs. It doesn't get any simpler than that, really. It tastes SO much better than the store-bought stuff. Making sauce isn't much harder. Anyways, if you're interested in pasta, these little machines cost a whopping $69.95 and will be your new best friend. You can make lasagna noodles, spaghetti, angel hair and fettuccine.