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Friday, October 31, 2008

Cottage Cheese

The origin of cottage cheese, as it exists today, is as old as the cheese making itself. From the historical point of view, the cottage cheese making, appeared as a delicacy in the ranch houses and homes of Central European countries was later adopted by the colonial America and the modern industrial cottage cheese making originated in the U.S in about 1915. It is also called as Pot cheese in USA and some times Dutch cheese.

However with the advent of cyber technology and seemingly shrinking world, the geographical significance of cottage cheese, as styled after American cheese has lost much of its local flavor and standard types of cottage cheeses are emerging in the international market to cater to the taste of the informed customers of the new era.

Cottage cheese is a soft unripened variety of cheese made from skim milk to which some cream and salt are added. It serves as a good source of high quality milk protein and less in calories (since skim milk is used in the preparation of cottage cheese). It is the best type of cheese suitable for overweight and health conscious people.

The technology of manufacture (production technology) of cottage cheese is as follows

* Fresh, good quality milk free from antibiotics and preservatives is selected for preparing cottage cheese.
* A good quality and active starter is generally for coagulating the skim milk to prepare cottage cheese.
* The solids not fat of milk is standardized to 9.0% by fortifying with skim milk powder.
* Pasteurization of the milk is done at 63°C for 30 min or 72°C for 15 seconds (normal pasteurization time temperature combination).
* The pasteurized milk is cooled to 30°C.
* Calcium chloride is added at the rate of 10 g for every 100 litres of milk.
* Starter culture is added at the rate of 4 - 6%.
* Rennet, the important coagulating agent, is added at the rate of 0.04 g per 100 litres. After the addition of rennet, the milk is incubated at a temperature of 37°C for 60 - 75 min.
* Next step in the manufacture of cottage cheese is cutting. Cutting of the cheese curd is done when the whey acidity reaches 0.50% lactic acid. It generally takes about 3 - 4 hours.
* Then cooking of the cheese curd is done. Cooking is nothing but slow heating of the curd to a required temperature for a particular duration. Initially cooking is done at 40°C.
* Final stage of cooking is completed when the temperature reaches 55°C.
* Then the cooked cheese curd is washed with water at a temperature of 27°C for 10 min.
* Second washing is done at 17°C for 10 min. Third and final washing is done at 8°C for 10 min.
* Finally, the cheese is added with cream in such a proportion so that the final fat percentage comes to 18%. Now it is called as cottage cheese.


In the end we get a mellowing and refreshing cheese that is nothing but cottage cheese.


By Thenmozhi Kathirvelu


Check Out the Related Article : A Quick Guide to Cheese

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Thursday, October 30, 2008

A Delicious Cheese Puff Recipe Makes a Special Holiday Tradition

My youngest daughter wrote in her journal at school the other day about her grandmother's cheese puffs and her delighted anticipation of visiting her grandmother that very night, then going home with her Aunt Jo and mother to make batches and batches of cheese puffs for family Christmas parties.

This is our third year of making them together now that my mother isn't able to make them anymore.Here's what always happens, this is what my daughter witnesses at the big family Christmas party, with all the cousins and aunts and uncles, the cheese puffs - little cheddar and bread appetizers - coming hot out of the oven, quickly placed on plates, passed from guest to guest, greedy hands grasping, the plate emptying, another sheet pulled from the oven, another plate passed, "Shirley's cheese puffs are ready! Did you get a cheese puff? Are there any more?" There are never enough to satisfy demand.

My mother made these by herself, but it takes three or more, a group is ideal. There are wonderful challenges to be met: Unsliced bread must be found, and not all stores have it available. This year I found five loaves, first try. The crusts must be sliced from the loaves, then the bread is cut into fluffly white cubes, bite-size. (My sister Joanna is an excellent crust trimmer.) We improvise a double boiler to melt the blocks of cheddar cheese, butter, and cream cheese. (There's nothing low-fat about this treat.) Eggs are separated, whites are whipped stiff, and must be every so gently folded into the melted cheese. (Joanna taught Franci how to separate the eggs, and I showed her how to whip them 'til just right.) Dipping takes practice, patience! The cubes must be lowered by spoon, gently tossed for complete coating, and placed on cookie trays for freezing. (I've become the best dipper.) In the morning, the frozen puffs are placed in ziplock bags for the waiting period for the parties. . . .

Unable to travel, my mother will not be at the party this year, but we will bring the cheese puffs to her. Someone shared this recipe with my mother, and I'll share it with you:

Hot Cheese Puffs Recipe

1 loaf firm un-sliced white bread

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

½ cup butter

¼ lb. sharp cheddar cheese

2 egg whites stiffly beaten

Trim crusts from bread. Cut into 1"cubes (or less). Melt 2 cheeses and the butter in a double boiler 'til of rarebit consistency. Remove from heat and fold in egg whites. Dip cubes in cheese mixture until well coated. Place on cookie sheet. Refrigerate over night or put in freezer for future use. Bake in a hot oven 400 degrees 12-15 minutes.

Enjoy!


By Kelly Dumar


Check Out the Related Article : A Quick Guide to Cheese

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Tuesday, October 28, 2008

A Quick Guide to Cheese

Cheese. It's a wonderfully versatile food. We use it to top pizzas, to sprinkle on our spaghetti, to spread on crackers. And without cheese, a grilled cheese sandwich would be nothing but buttered toast.

Cheese is produced in many parts of the world, two of the most well known countries being France and Italy. There are many varieties of cheese, but they are all made in a similar fashion. Milk and cream consist of two parts, the solid milk fats, and the whey. Cheese is produced by causing the fats to come together, forming curds. This is done by either adding acid or various bacteria to the milk or cream, causing it to curdle. The curds are then processed in different ways to form different cheeses. The type of cheese made depends on the type of milk used, the percentage of fats in the milk, and the process used to make the cheese. Most cheeses come from cow's milk, but cheeses are also made from goat's milk, sheep's milk, and real mozzerella cheese is made from water buffalo milk. Cheese is generally categorized by it's texture, hard, semi-firm, semi-soft, or fresh.

Hard cheeses are generally aged for 12 months or more. They usually have a sharp salty taste, and are excellent for grating over pasta or salads. Parmesan, Asiago, and Romano are examples of hard cheeses.

Semi-hard cheeses may or may not be aged. In general, the longer the cheese ages, the sharper the flavor will be. A taleggio, which only ages for about 6 weeks will have a milder flavor than a cheddar that has aged for months. Semi-firm cheeses are good melting cheeses, or good to eat on their own.

Semi-soft cheeses like Camembert are good cheeses for spreading on crackers or crusty bread.

Fresh cheeses range from a mild cream cheese, to a rich creamy marscapone. These cheeses can be eaten spread on crackers, but are also commonly used for cooking desserts. Marscapone is an essential ingredient in tiramisu.

While talking about cheese, we can't forget to mention blue cheese, which is a cheese, with blue-green veins of mold, which gives the cheese a sharp flavor and aroma. Blue cheeses include gorgonzola, roquefort, and stilton.

If you are going to be serving cheese as part of a cheese course, hard, semi-firm, and semi-soft cheeses shoud be allowed to stand at room temperature for an hour before serving. Fresh cheeses, should be served chilled. Choose three or four types of cheese, either cheeses with similar characteristics and flavors, or contrasting cheeses. If you like, you can serve the cheese with crackers or crusty bread. Also some people serve their cheeses with a variety of fruits, apples, pears, figs, and seedless grapes would be good choices, as well as shelled walnuts.

Whether you like using cheese for cooking, or eating on it's own, cheese delivers it's own goodness and flavor.


By Tim Sousa

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