Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Everything From Scratch


Guess what I did last night!

****

Give up?

I made fresh mozzarella!! 

It took only two hours.  I have recently been on a mission to make as many food staples as possible from scratch.  I like to control the ingredients and cut down on preservatives in my food (not only because I am an admitted control freak, but also because I want to live healthier), so the effort and time investment is worth it to me.  Monday night two of my very good friends took me to a cheese making workshop where we learned the basics of ricotta, mascarpone, chevre, and mozzarella.  I think this will prove to be one of the more valuable life skills I have acquired, ranking up there with perfecting chicken. I wanted to put my new knowledge to the test right away, so I decided to start with one of the cheeses I didn't have a chance to get my hands on the night before.

It just so happens one of Andrew's favorite things to eat is caprese salad, so mozzarella was really a no-brainer decision. When the mozzarella was ready, I sliced it, piled it with halved cherry tomatoes (so they don't squirt or jump away from your fork), and some basil leaves, which I like to chiffonade so they're easier to eat and don't overpower the other flavors in one bite the way a whole leaf would.  I drizzled a little olio ai funghi over the whole thing, gave it a sprinkle of sea salt, and voila! Dinner.

5 comments:

Koriann said...

I'm excited for more cheesemaking on Thursday! :)

Monica said...

Me too! I can't get enough!

Katie @ The Well-Fed Newlyweds said...

Do you have directions/a recipe you could share for this? I would love to try making fresh mozzarella!!

Monica said...

Yes! I do have a recipe, but the instructions are a kajillion times longer than the ingredients list. I'll type it up and email it to you.

kate @ undeniable style said...

WOW. again, you continue to make me insanely jealous! :)