homemade ricotta

good, fresh ricotta is often tricky to track down. when recipes call for it, i've subbed in fresh farmer's cheese many times with excellent results, but the stuff is expensive--even moreso than good ricotta, which ain't cheap either.

most people don't know that you can make it at home in roughly 20 minutes, and you need no fancy cheese-making equipment--no cultures, no rennet. you can even finagle your way around buying cheesecloth, if you feel like it (i did).

and it's delicious, surprisingly flavorful, and completely flexible. you have total control over the creaminess, the moisture balance, the salt content. i like to leave mine unsalted so i can salt it as i use it, depending on the application--more for savory, less for sweet.

i'm not going to tell you that it's cheaper than buying really good ricotta, because i'm not entirely sure if that's the case (it also depends on the quality of milk you use, of course). i used mid-range organic milks from whole foods rather than shelling out for the farmer's market stuff but feeling too squeamish to buy the rBGH-spiked kinds. i try not to preach about food politics, because not only am i feeling increasingly disenchanted by the organics movement but i'm also not convinced that eating organically actually has any real health benefits. however, when making something that is entirely a condensed animal product, something where all you are tasting is milk, i think it's important to use a good one that comes from cows that have been properly fed--if for no other reason than the final taste of your cheese. that said, use whatever price level milk makes sense to you.

note that even with very little straining, this will make a much denser, drier cheese than a store-bought ricotta, so keep this in mind during the draining stage. if you plan on eating it for dessert with fruit and honey, for example, you might leave a little more of the whey in to keep it pliable. drain it more and you'll find yourself with a cheese that you can cut with a knife, a cheese with a fantastic, almost chewy resiliency. still delicious, but a whole different animal.

ALSO, a cute fact: ricotta literally means "recooked" in italian, and similarly if you want to say you have a crush on somebody, you would say "ho una cotta per lui" which translates roughly to "i have a cooking for him." adorb.

homemade ricotta
makes about 1 1/2 cups of cheese, easily doubled (you'll just need a pretty big pot)

• 1/2 gallon whole milk
• 1 quart buttermilk (i used lowfat because it was all that was available, but i imagine using full-fat would make for an even richer final product)

combine milks in a large nonreactive saucepan over medium to high heat.

combine both milks into a large, heavy, nonreactive saucepan over medium high heat. stir occasionally to prevent scorching, until the milk is heated through. stop stirring, but scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula every few minutes to unstick any curds hanging out at the bottom. curds will start to form startlingly quickly, so keep an eye on things.

meanwhile, line a mesh sieve with a large piece of cheesecloth that has been folded to make four layers--or use a non-terry cotton towel (what i did). place the colander in the sink.

you want your milk mixture to reach about 180°F, or a little below boiling point. i don't have a thermometer, so i just waited until after roughly 15 minutes of cooking, at which point i had a pretty good amount of curds and the steam increased sharply, suggesting that it was going to boil soon (and, okay, i might have stuck my finger in to see if it felt almost-boiling). remove pan from heat and ladle curds into the lined sieve. pull up on all corners of the cheese cloth to help drain off excess whey, and then tie the corners into a knot and allow the ricotta to drain for at least ten minutes, at which point you should check to see if it's reached your desired consistency. move to an airtight container (empty yogurt tubs are perfect). if you know you're going to use all of it for a savory application, you can stir in a little salt now. refrigerate until ready to use and eat within a few days of making.