How to make your own ricotta cheese

This yields about 400 g. of ricotta

2½ l. whole milk
700 ml. buttermilk
Juice from ½ a lemon
Cheesecloth
Colander


Pour whole milk and buttermilk in a large saucepan (stainless steel) and turn your stove to high heat. Stir until the milk is warm and add lemon juice. You’ll soon see lumps of curd form on the surface. When you start to see more and more whey (watery) remove the saucepan from the stove and start to transfer the curds to the cheesecloth lined colander. Leave them to drain. And that’s how you make ricotta.

Macaroni-and-cheese

This weekend I decided to try out Martha's macaroni-and-cheese. I only made half a batch and today monday there's still left-overs. It's really easy to make, great for comfort food. When I was younger you could buy a package with ready-to-make mac and cheese - and while stirring the pot you would feel all-american:-) With this recipe there's no reason why you shouldn't make your own macaroni-and-cheese.

I used more cayenne pepper than the original recipe to give it a little more bite and I served a mixed salad with arucula to match the fullness of the bechamel sauce.

Rocket pesto with walnuts

Having just bought 1 kg. of Parmigiano-Reggiano (yum-yum) I'm wondering what to do with it. This excuisite and versitile cheese with all its flavours and history too. Well for starters anyway I've made a pesto. And since its winter and my pantry is full of walnuts (very funny; among other things, okay) I decided to make an alternative pesto recipe. Try it - it's very tasteful!

Rocket pesto with walnuts

100 g. rocket, rinsed and stems trimmed
1 -2 garlic cloves, halved
50 g. walnuts, roasted and cooled
50 g. parmesan
50 - 70 ml. extra virgin olive oil
Lemon juice, mustard, freshly grounded black pebber, salt.

Roast the walnuts, rinse the rocket. Put walnuts, garlic, rocket and parmesan in your blender, stir and now and then scrap down the side. When the mixture is smooth, pour in the olive oil bit by bit and add lemon, mustard, pebber and salt to your liking.

If refrigerated pour it in a jar and top it with a little olive oil. It can keep for about a month then. If you want to freeze the pesto (if you've made a larger batch), I suggest you leave out the parmesan for later. When you want to use the pesto mix in the parmesan.