What are you been cooking today

[I Love Bimby!]

It started raining here this morning so I thought I'd cook,   with the TMX of course!!. 

It has that effect doesn't it! All day at work all I wanted to do was be at home and cook! 

[achookwoman]

Andi,  have good holiday.

[judydawn]

What a great day cooking you had Chookie - it's nice to have days like that.

[meganjane]

Andi, you make MOZZARELLA!!      How? My goodness, you never cease to amaze me with your incredible culinary skills!
Hope your trip is safe and enjoyable.

Send some rain this way everyone! It's so dry here, our town dam is low and our water is starting to be affected. There were brown floaties in the water I poached my eggs in this morning.

[Very Happy Jan]

Have a great holiday Andie. Drive safely

[andiesenji]

Mozzarella in 30 minutes -  this time I made just half a batch so the milk would fit into the TMX.  I generally use a large crock pot to heat and hold the milk at the desired temp and I use a "remote probe" thermometer that signals when the milk is the correct temp.  that way I don't have to constantly stand over it. 
I also save the whey, freeze it and when I have enough, usually from three or four batches, I make ricotta cheese from it.  Ricotta is one of the few cheeses that can be frozen and still works well in cooking or baking. 

The instructions with pictures are at the following site.    I do recommend rubber or latex gloves, even the thin ones will help.
I can promise that you will be amazed at how much better the flavor is compared to the commercial stuff. (With the exception of the buffalo mozzarella but that is a whole other level.) 

Ricki's 30-minute mozzarella

I am rather a fanatic about cheese and in fact, on my journey am stopping at a couple of specialty cheese shops that are reputed to carry many hard-to-find European cheeses.  I have a fridge in my van which makes shopping for dairy items much easier than it used to be when I had to rely on cold-packs which were less than optimum. 

I buy most of my cheesemaking supplies from Ricki's company - the various cultures, the cheese press and the real cheesecloth, not the gauzy stuff sold locally.   
I have been making cheese for as long as I can remember.  Mostly fresh, soft cheeses, cream cheese, etc., but also some aged cheddars, blues, bloomy-rind cheeses similar to brie, and also chevre as I have a friend who has a goat dairy and sells it to me cheap or trades it for baked goods. 

[judydawn]

Thanks for the tip that ricotta can be frozen Andie.  Can't get the fresh variety at my local shops so I will now be able to pick some up when I venture out further to shop, stick in in the freezer and ready to go whenever I need it.  Brilliant.

[I Love Bimby!]

that is very handy to know!

A few years ago I did a cheese making course locally. Had a ball!! We could choose to do a cheddar, homuli, fetta or a couple of others and then made ricotta at the end with the whey.

I'll track down the name of the lady who does it as she sells all the cultures and supplies too if anyone's interested in a victorian supplier....

[maddy]

Well after my metal in the cupcake fiasco this morning......I decided to make the carrot/almond cake instead for Mum.



But midway through making, I realized I didn't have enough carrots, so supplemented a zucchini to make it up.
Will be interesting to see how it tastes, and if it alters the texture.
Also had no slivered almonds, so milled whole almonds instead.
Seemed to be one of those cooking days 

Had also planned to make some ferrero rochers, but realised I didn't have nutella.
Once I cooked the cake, the realization came to me, that I could have made the nutella in the TM!......another der-der moment from me 

[andiesenji]

I have to add that I mentioned getting the small cheese press from Ricki's store.   My old cheese press was somewhat larger and looked like it belonged in a medieval torture chamber.  I could make bigger cheeses in it but it became just too difficult for me to move and operate.  The frame and pusher gear and wheel was made of cast iron and the base was maple (I think) and 4 inches thick with channels cut into it for the whey to drain.  It was on a solid wood cart but had those old-fashioned iron wheels and I simply didn't have the strength to push it around. 
I sold it to a friend who is a baker and chef - he has no problem being 6'8 and weighing close to 300 pounds.  He can turn the press wheel with one hand where I would have to use both hands and lean my whole weight to turn it.   The new one is practically effortless. 

I'm signing off for now.  I may check in tomorrow evening, otherwise it will be Sunday (Mar 7 here) evening.  My van is packed so all I have to load tomorrow morning is the dog and me. 

Ta!

[cathy79]

Maddy, the cake looks fantastic.  Please let us know how the zucchini substitution turns out.

[achookwoman]

Only made Celery Soup today,  have posted recipe (photo on blog).   Andi,  we also have a frige in the back of our car.   It is the best thing as you can go shopping, store the cold things, and not have to hurry home.  Also , on a trip it is fantastic.    Maddy,  that cake is beautiful.  Us mum really do appreciate the thought and effort that goes into such gifts.

[quirkycooking]

Gorgeous cake, Maddy!

[judydawn]

Tonight I have made the Chocolate Alternative from the Vegetarian book and just whipped up a batch of banana/avocado ice-cream - will post recipe.

[meganjane]

Sounds interesting JD...

Thanks for the info on cheese making and the link andie. Great news about freezing ricotta as I can't buy it locally.