A Cook's Quest

I can not believe that a month has gone by since my last post!  The month of August has FLOWN by like a whirlwind, and I now find myself adjusting to a new school schedule.  In addition to the start of school, it is also time for another round of the Secret Recipe Club . This month, I was assigned to Bewitching Kitchen written by Sally who is originally from Brazil and has traveled the world.  If you want recipes that feature fresh and healthy ingredients this blog is for you.  I was struggling to choose a recipe because all of Sally's recipes look mouth watering!  I finally settled on the Roasted Heirloom Tomato Tart that she adapted from Just a Smidgen because tomatoes are in abundance right now, and I believe that anything that calls for puff pastry is destined to be delicious! I was not wrong!  This tart was delicious with the creamy cheese and sweet summer tomatoes atop the light and crispy puff pastry.  I was not able to locate ...

I have heard of people making cheese from yogurt but I never thought of trying it. The official name is Labneh and it is a traditional Lebanese soft cheese.  After making the mascarpone , go ahead say it to yourself I will wait...MASK-ARE-PONE-AY, I decided that I wanted to try other cheeses too.  Yogurt cheese is very much like cream cheese, but not really.  Cream cheese is made with cow's milk and rennet while yogurt cheese is made from, well, yogurt.  There is no cooking, heating or mixing involved.  Just a strainer, some cheese cloth and time.  You see most dairy products are full of water.  When the water is removed cheese is very often the result.  So by allowing the water to drain off the yogurt the end result is a smooth, dense creamy cheese that is a bit tangier than the traditional cream cheese that most Americans are used to but can be used in the same way.  If you want a traditional way to serve it, pat it into a r...

I love this stuff!  Not only is the name fun to say, (MASK - ARE- PONE - AY , go ahead, say it a few times out loud), but the creamy, deliciousness of  mascarpone cheese makes both sweet and savory dishes all the better.   Eat it with fresh berries, stir it into coffee, mix in some herbs,garlic or a strong cheese like Gorgonzola and spread on toasted bread or crackers, or sweeten and add it to desserts like Tiramisu or the cream puffs that I promise will be coming soon.  Not always easy to find, this cheese usually carries a large price tag for an itty bitty tiny container.  I stumbled onto a recipe at FoodBuzz .com (check out the daily top 9 recipes on the right side of my blog)and discovered that with a little planning  a couple of ingredients, and a few household tools I can now have mascarpone cheese any ole time I want it.  Now, I know some of you are saying, can't I just substit...