Homemade Cheese Class: Latin Cheeses

So I've decided to become a cheesemaker. I got the idea wandering about a cheese shop in LA and when I found classes in San Francisco taught by someone known as "The Milk Maid," that sealed the deal. My new hobby was born. 

To prepare for my first class I decided to dedicate the entire day to cheese. This wasn't hard to do as the classes are held at the Ferry Building, which is like a mecca for the creamy delicacy. My first stop was Hog Island Oyster Co. where for the first time I managed to resist their amazing Kumamotos for a shot at their ultra rich grilled cheese...

Mezzo Secco, cave-aged Gruyere and Fromage Blanc
w/house made pickled vegetables

This is a serious sandwich. It's not all doctored up with clever fillings, just fabulous bread stuffed with a perfect combination of sinfully delicious cheeses. The pickled vegetables are a brilliant side too (and my next hobby - stay tuned!). 

Cheese Left to Right: Capriago (Sebastopol, CA),
Herbiette Tomme de Bordeaux (France), Pleasant Ridge Extra Aged Reserve (Wisconsin),
California Crottin (Redwood Hill Farms)

That's right, I kept going. I followed a meal of bread and cheese with a snack of, well, bread and cheese. I did swap the Cava for Pinot Noir though. And it was after a couple hours of shopping, maybe one. My favorite was the Capriago, an Asiago-style cheese made from goat's milk. 

After a long afternoon enjoying all the Ferry Building has to offer, it was time for class. Just outside the doors a table of illustrations and smiling faces led me to the CUESA Dacor Outdoor Teaching Kitchen, where Urban Kitchen SF holds the events. Here's a peek at my first adventure with queso... 

Meet Louella Hill, the Milk Maid. She's my cheese hero.
In her hands, fresh Queso Blanco. They were slicing and frying this upon arrival! 

Fried Cheese: the perfect way to start, well, anything. 

Reacting to perfectly set milk.  

My fellow classmates cutting the curds. 

Heating and stirring the curds. This takes 20 minutes so while switching off
stirring duty we enjoyed a taco intermission... 

Freshly grilled tortillas from Mijita (in the Ferry Building) topped with avocado, 
cilantro, lime and Queso Fresco.  

Draining the whey. (Save it! There are several uses for whey,
Louella made ricotta with it after class.) 

Salting the curds. 

After squeezing and working the curds thoroughly, packing the fresh cheese.
At the end you can add flavors, this batch has dried peppers. 

Take Home Kit: Lipase, CaCl, Rennet

This week I'll begin my Queso Fresco/Blanco experiments. I'm feeling pretty confident but this may be because Louella is a fantastic teacher and made it look very easy. These are good starter cheeses though, and I'm determined. Once I get the hang of it I'll post my favorite recipes. Wish me luck! 

Friendly Friday: Briana Rawleigh's Cheesy Mushroom Pull Apart Bread

What's up Foodies, 
We love it when readers submit recipes for the site whether it's from our Facebook page (http://facebook.com/girlsonfood) or our Twitter (http://twitter.com/girlsonfoodblog). Today's comes from Briana Rawleigh who resides in Sacramento, CA. 

I wanted to post this one because it's Friday, and Fridays should be all about fun finger foods you can share with your friends and co-workers. Also, any recipe with lots of butter and mushrooms deserves a serious shout-out. Enjoy! 

CHEESY MUSHROOM PULL APART BREAD - you'll need:

*For the mushrooms:
12 oz sliced mushrooms or 1 8oz can of mushrooms
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp thyme

Drain water from the mushroom can, take a towel to dry them, put mushrooms in a bowl and set aside. Heat a medium skillet on medium. Add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the mushrooms. Cook 4-5 minutes until they start to sweat. Add the thyme and continue to cook another 2-3 minutes.

Set mushrooms aside and allow to cool.

*For the bread:
1 unsliced "loaf" or "round" sourdough bread
12 ounces Provolone or Mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup finely diced green onion
1-2 Tbsp of "crushed" or "minced" garlic (depending on your tolerance)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the bread lengthwise and widthwise without cutting through the bottom crust. This can be a little tricky going the second way but the bread is very forgiving. Place loaf on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Insert cheese slices between cuts. Pour the mushrooms between the cuts and use your fingers to push the mushrooms down into the loaf. Combine butter and onion and drizzle over bread. Wrap in foil; place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Unwrap the bread and bake another 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

California Love: Wurstkuche

I'm dieting. It's lame. It's terrible. I have to allow myself one day a week where I can eat all I want and enjoy a beer with it. 

Los Angeles is a town crammed with junk food options- and they are all trying to one up each other with something crazy. I just relocated form Seattle to Venice and apologize for not keeping up with the GOF bloggin' as of the past couple of weeks, but I am back with a foodie vengeance. 

Wurstkuche Venice

625 Lincoln Blvd
Venice, CA 90291
http://www.wurstkuche.com

My thighs are not going to like that I live walking distance to this place. The draft beer, Koestrizter Schwarzbeir, was the perfect blend of malty and sweet and it's only 6 dollars. Wurstkuche is known for incorporating exotic meats in their sausages, such as Rattlesnake and Rabbit, Crocodile and Pork, and Buffalo with Beef and Pork. I was feeling a little less adventurous but I decided to go with a Greek vibe. I got the Lamb with Mediterranean Spices (which was super flavorful) topped with Sweet and Spicy Peppers. I also had a side of Tzatziki to add on top, which took me back to Athens. The fries are thick cut (that's a "small" order in the picture, FYI) they were steaming hot and I dipped them in their Blue Cheese, Walnut and Bacon dip. Everything I ate was amazing. I know there's another location in downtown LA, but I prefer Venice's quieter vibe. 

Also, an hour after I ate here, a car crashed into the building! Close call, am I right? Since the incident they added an awesomely ironic sign out front: 

Nashville Eats: City House

Juno - Junipero Gin, Blanc Vermouth,
Prosecco, Grapefruit

When I first started traveling to Nashville for work I wasn't quite sure what to think. It's not exactly a "foodie" city and I'm not a country music fan. Two strikes. It did surprise me though. First, you have to love a city with live music at the airport. Second, you have to love a city where cute, gentlemanly boys can refer to you as "sweet love" and it's charming, not offensive. (West Coast Boys: This is not recommended, possible drink-in-the-face results.) And the final thing that made me do a complete 180 on this city was the discovery of one of my favorite restaurants in the country...

City House 

1222 4th Ave N. 

Nashville, TN 37208

cityhousenashville.com

Reservations are recommended but if you show up and there's a long wait, sit it out at the bar and enjoy one of their fabulous cocktails! They are all incredibly intriguing and fun but my favorite is the "Juno." Close runners up include the "Bandit" (Averna, Grapefruit Juice, Ginger Ale, Lime) and the "Moose" (Cynar, House-Infused Lemon Vodka, Peach Bitters, Bitter Lemon Soda).  

Frico - Montasio Cheese, Potato

It's a shared plates type of dining experience and they're all good so you can't really go wrong but I feel compelled to share the staple items we just can't bring ourselves to skip no matter how many trips we make back here. The "Frico" above is the first and simplest dish, cheese on potatoes, but it's not to be taken lightly. The seven year old inside you will scream with delight at the first bite. My feeling, you have to admire a restaurant of this caliber serving fried cheese with confidence. 

House Made Garlic Sausage, Lemon, Red Onion, Parsley - with Cheesy Grits

Another favorite is their sausage - always different, always incredible. It comes with your choice of sides and while all have sounded great we always seem to go with the cheesy grits. Without regret.

Pizza - House Made Belly Ham, Mozzarella, Grana Padano, Oregano, Chilies - with a Sunny Side Egg

When you're scanning the menu choose your pizza first, it's what they do best. Then factor in the egg you'll have to add on top because, trust me. And build the rest of your menu around that. The egg option isn't on the menu, you have to ask. Definitely ask.  

With one more trip out on my calendar I'm looking forward to finally trying out their "Sunday Supper," a special menu designed to test out new dishes. I'm especially intrigued by the entire section labeled "Pork Snacks"! Oh City House, you get me. 

LA Eats: Huckleberry, Milo & Olive

A short trip to LA made me fall hard for their cuisine, so much so that I was dreaming of my next trip on the plane ride home. Here's a peek at two of my favorites... 

Huckleberry Bakery & Cafe

1014 Wilshire Blvd.

Santa Monica, CA 

huckleberrycafe.com

If I lived in LA this is where you would find me every weekend. It's not exactly a hidden gem so you have to be prepared to fight the crowd a bit. And wait. Don't be intimidated by the full seats and long line though. They take your order in line and by the time you pay a table usually opens up. At least, it did for me both days I brunched. (Yes, I went here two days in a row on a three day trip. Unheard of if you know me. It's that good.)

Quiche - Tomato, Bacon, Goat Cheese, Butternut Squash

I'm a quiche snob and this little bite from the pastry case did not disappoint. A perfect treat to share along with your breakfast. 

"Green Eggs & Ham" - LaQuercia Prosciutto, Pesto and  Arugula on a House Made English Muffin

Breakfast Burrito - Scrambled Eggs, Roasted Onions, Fiscalini Cheddar, Roasted Potatoes, Guacamole, Creme Fraiche and Tomatillo Salsa

These two don't look like much but underneath that pile of arugula and inside that simple toasted tortilla are fabulous flavors that promise to delight. It's simple food done very well. And for me, that's the definition of a perfect brunch. 

Milo & Olive

2723 Wilshire Blvd. 

Santa Monica, CA 

miloandolive.com

After a late brunch and a bike ride along the beach a friend and I found ourselves famished just before the dinner hour, which is apparently not allowed in LA where every restaurant closes down from 2:30pm to 6pm. After an exhaustive search for decent afternoon eats we remembered that Huckleberry has a sister restaurant! This little cafe with a wood fired oven ended up being my favorite surprise of the trip.

Crostini - Smashed Avocado, Roasted Beet, Ricotta Salata

I'll admit, this is a strange combination. Paired with their fabulous homemade bread though, I would devour just about any topping. Luckily, this proved to be a delightful dish that I should never have doubted. 

Free Range Chicken Meatballs - Tomato Sauce, Arugula, Red Onion

Our server recommended this favorite and it was hard to resist paired with the garlic knot below. If you dine here, order both. I haven't stopped thinking about them since and am going to attempt to recreate this meal in my kitchen. 

Wood Fired Garlic Knot - Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sea Salt

Stuffed with a handful of heavenly roasted garlic!

Oh, garlic knot. You may be the best thing I've tasted this year. Pizza dough, roasted garlic, olive oil. So simple! And yet, shockingly good. The menu warns of a 20 minute wait but don't let that deter you. Sit back, munch on some starters, sip on champagne and wait... to be blown away. 

Meatless Monday: French Vegetarian at Table Verte NYC

It's Meatless Monday!


Table Verte
127 E 7th Street
New York, NY 10009
(212) 539-0231


Lucky for us here in New York City, no matter what you're in the mood for, there is surely a restaurant that caters to your every craving or diet. Table Verte grabbed my attention with their take on French Vegetarian cuisine. I have never been a fan of many vegetarian restaurants because all they sell are faux-meat replacements for the real thing. And in an age now where people are avoiding soy and wheat, Table Verte made a point to have no fake meat products, so we wandered down to the quiet east village eatery and checked it out.





We started off with the french onion soup. It came to the table piping hot out of the oven in a small cute ceramic bowl. The soup is made with vegetable stock and topped with their house made onion bread and melty swiss cheese. MMmmm vegetarian comfort food... The onion bread was a fabulous added bonus to the soup. And finally! French onion soup without beef stock! Thank you Table Verte!





There are several items on the menu that are labeled vegan and gluten free, which is becoming a welcome addition to more and more restaurant menus. We decided to try the Stuffed Roasted Squash. It was acorn squash stuffed with corn, spinach, tomato, mushrooms, beans, rice and spices, and served with a salad. I really enjoyed the homemade feeling of this dish. It was filling, healthy, dairy and wheat free, and I didn't feel like I was cheating on my diet. ;-)





And for the indulgent vegetarian: try the Gnocchi Parisian au Gratin. The gnocchi was baked with a cream sauce, swiss cheese and a truffle essence. It was rich and delicious, and anything truffle related is a-ok with me. This is one of those dishes that when paired with a large glass of white wine turns a bad day into a good day. But don't forget to BYOB! They don't have a alcohol license yet. :)

Meatless Monday: The Best of the Ballard Farmer's Markets

WARNING: This market is not meatless. There are meat, seafood and poultry stands, but I am choosing to showcase the fun items the vegetarian/vegans and meat lovers can enjoy. 

You all know I'm a sucker for a free sample and there's stinginess or shortage of them here. All the vendors want you try their products and are all very knowledgable on them. 

Ballard Farmer's Market 

http://ballardfarmersmarket.wordpress.com/

Sundays 10 AM - 3 PM

Street Parking (get there early or take a bus, it's brutal!)

5300 Ballard Ave NW

Seattle, WA 98107

I already miss you Seattle. I miss the drizzle, I miss the overcast skies but most of all I miss your Winter produce. The Winter veggies are the best in Seattle (broccoli, kale, spinach, lettuce, squash) and it's so sad when February kills it. So of course when I decided to showcase all the vegetables, they had died down quite a bit. This market has so many other vegetarian/vegan friendly eats though. 

Soda Jerk  

https://twitter.com/Sodajerksoda

I was a fanatic of Dry's Lavender soda for while, but now that I've had Soda Jerk, I'm converted. Soda Jerk's Lemon Lavender soda has a much better flavor than Dry's. It's has the perfect amount of sweet and sour from the lemon and the lavender isn't overwhelming or medicinal. The Elderflower is almost like a soda version of St. Germain and the Apple Ginger was also fantastic. 

They have soda dispenser's at their stand and you can also purchase a growler of them. The gentleman running the stand told me they mix up their flavors (they're seasonal flavors), so if you go there it may be different. The sodas are also all natural, organic and local ingredients. Soda Jerk is a must try and will added to our "Best of" list (nudge nudge Tiffany). I am sad I can't pick up a bottle at Whole Foods now that I'm in Venice. Woe is the life of a Soda Jerk lover. 

Firefly Kimchi by Firefly Kitchens

http://www.fireflykitchens.com/

https://twitter.com/FireflyKitchens

Kimchi is a Korean style fermented cabbage that is often used as a topping and sometimes cooked in with food. I love to add it on hot dogs and spread it on crackers the most. Firefly Kitchen is a Seattle based fermented jarred foods business. Unlike a lot of pickled and persevered products you see in the stores, Firefly uses natural fermenting, which is better for you since it preserves natural enzymes and good-for-you bacteria. Natural fermenting doesn't cook the food either so if you're on a raw food diet you can use this as a topping.  Firefly Kimchi is considered Firefly Kitchen's "go to" topping, it's the perfect blend of spicy, garlicy and the cabbage holds it's uncooked texture very well. 

Jonboy Caramels

http://jonboycaramels.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/jonboy-caramels/128044084603

https://twitter.com/jonboycaramels

Jonboy Caramels make a great gift with their unique flavor pairings and party-ready packaging. The Fluer de Sel is an ultimate mash-up of sweet, buttery and salty flavors. My favorite Jonboy Caramel is the Absinthe with Black Salt. Not only do they use the local Pacifique Absinthe from Woodenville, WA, but also has a fennel and anise flavor to it. Jonboy is like a more sophisticated version of those wrapper caramels I got at the Sweet Factory in the mall growing up. 

West Seattle Farmer's Market Love: If you're at the West Seattle Farmer's Market during the Winter, you must try the Kale varieties at Five Acre Farms. Their Kale grows a lot bigger and with fuller leaves than the ones you find in the supermarket. Their Broccoli stems are so large and tasty you can snack on them raw or dip them in hummus. Their website is here (http://www.facebook.com/fiveacrefarm) and until next Winter she is just selling her organic Chicken Eggs, but email her for market scheduling. 

I leave you with pretty Tulips...