Mastering Basic Cheesemaking

IntroductionPart I - Prep Pep TalkChapter 1: Why Make Cheese?Most cheese lovers know that fancy, delicious cheeses can be experienced at a variety of places - from a cheese plate at a restaurant to the cheese case at any major grocery store, but increasingly people are learning the pleasure in making equally fine cheeses at home - and sharing the results with impressed friends and family. In this chapter we'll talk about the re-emergence of the craft of milk fermentation and cheesemaking. I'll also cover a bit of the history of at home cheesemaking in the western world from its humble origins in the farmhouse to its en vogue position in high rise lofts and urban dwellings today.Chapter 2: Milk and More: Understanding IngredientsChapter 2 covers every ingredient needed to make cheese, including how to source the needed ingredients, how to choose milk - including differences between goat, sheep, and cow milk , and alternatives for situations when ideal ingredients cannot be found.Chapter 3: Renneting and Ripening: Steps and TechniquesSimple explanations and helpful photographs of techniques and methods are included in this chapter to help the reader quickly grasp the skills that they will need to combine and convert the ingredients from the last chapter into successful cheeses. Without going into deep science, I'll give some easy to understand and implement methods for cheesemaking success - and troubleshooting when things don't go just right.Chapter 4: Pots and Presses: The Cheesemaker's Tool KitMost of the tools needed to make cheese at home can be found in the average kitchen. In this chapter, I'll cover how to choose and use these tools and those that must be sourced elsewhere. I'll also cover how to improvise and find some creative solutions to some home cheesemaking challenges - including properly aging of cheese without a handy cellar or fancy cave. Part II - In the Cheese KitchenChapter 5: Quick and Simple The first chapter in part two starts the reader off making the most simple and instantaneous of cheeses - cheeses that will make the reader immediately feel both pride and proficiency. The first, exciting lessons in milk chemistry are learned by combining milk, heat, and acid to create such classics as whole milk ricotta, mascarpone, and paneer.Chapter 6: Fermented Milk and CreamThe next skill in cheesemaking is the use of bacteria to ferment milk. In this chapter the reader will make several simple, yet delicious and practical cultured milks and learn how the same bacteria that occur naturally in milk and nature can work to reimagine plain milk into entirely new products. Chapter 6 classics include: Cultured buttermilk; cultured butter and true buttermilk; kefir and kefir cheese; yogurt and yogurt cheese; and sour cream and creme fraiche. Chapter 7: Culture, Time, and a Touch of RennetBuilding on the experience and fun of the last chapter, this section adds the element of thickening the milk by both using bacteria and a touch of coagulant to create spreadable and tender cheeses. The reader will make simple whole milk cheeses such as quark, chevre, and fromage blanc; creamier cousins like cream cheese and Neufchatel ; and their first cheese with curds, American style cottage cheese. Chapter 8: Relying on RennetNow the reader will graduate to a group of classics that will take them to a new level of accomplishment and satisfaction - coagulant curdled, sweet curd cheeses. Classic recipes include: Mozzarella - quick set and medium set; farmer's cheese; Greek feta; and a bonus recipe for making delectable burrata. Chapter 9: Your First Aged CheesesMoving up to the next level of complexity, this chapter introduces the first cheeses meant to be aged - providing both new possibilities for flavor as well as skills. In chapter 9 we'll learn how to make and age cheddar, gouda, Colby, and parmesan. Bonus recipes include my original "Monkey Cheese" and whey ricotta. Chapter 10: Red, White, and Blue Ripened CheesesTaking it to the ultimate level of home cheesemaking, Chapter 10 gives the reader a foundational course in making the most complex of cheeses - those that depend on molds and special bacteria to transform them into some of the most prized cheeses in the world. Classic recipes include white mold aged baby Brie, blue mold streaked Roquefort, and red surface ripened Reblechon.Part III - Final TouchesChapter 11: Taking it to the Next LevelWe finish the book with a comforting and thoughtful chapter meant to inspire the reader to continue forward with their cheesy adventure - either through advancing their cheesemaking skills or enhancing their cheese enjoying experiences. For those wishing to go beyond the basics, I'll provide a glimpse of the skills, techniques, and science that must be embraced when moving to the next level. AppendixResourcesReading GlossaryIndex