I've been a busy girl today:

[kestrel91316]

Started some sourdough. I really really promise I won't neglect this batch to death.
Started some sauerkraut.
Started some yogurt.
Made paneer/queso blanco.
Ground 3 lb of chuck from a big roast (I refuse to purchase mass-ground meats).

[Lucinda]

1. Is queso blanco the one that melts well?

Bill's youngest son is coming for a few days and he loves the one that they make dip out of. Would be cool if I could show him how to make it. He likes to cook!

Is it difficult?

[kestrel91316]

3. Queso blanco does not melt. As paneer, it is in the Indian dishes

peas and paneer, and spinach and paneer. I cut in 1/2-1" pieces to use. It takes up the flavor of whatever you mix it with, and can stand up to pan sauteeing.

I'm gonna use it in some sort of taco this week.

Put a quart of milk (I use 1%) in a saucepan. Heat it up til it gets bubbly, but no need to boil or scorch. Stir in 3 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice gently. Let sit a few minutes more to coagulate. Drain whey off by pouring the glop into a colander lined with muslin or several layers of cheesecloth. When it has cooled enough to handle, draw up the corners of the cloth and tie a string around it and hang from the faucet to drip more. After an hour or so, remove from cloth, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Use within 5 days.

Easiest cheese on the planet.

[grasswire]

6. have you ever used whole milk in this recipe?

If so, how did it taste?

[kestrel91316]

8. I don't use whole milk (I'd weigh 175 if I did, lol). I assume it works fine.

In India, where the recipe is from, presumably whole milk is all they had until VERY recently.

[hippywife]

9. You can make the same cheese out of

yogurt easily and I do use whole milk. I usually don't go to the trouble unless I have made it from goat's milk because of the different flavor.

[Lucinda]

7. Thanks! Will give it a try. I'm adding cheesemaking to my bread baking addicition.

:rofl:

This looks like a nice easy one.

[Gormy Cuss]

10. I call paneer "the tofu of cheeses"

because like tofu it has little flavor of its own but does take up other flavors quite nicely.

Never tried to make it from scratch. Thanks for the recipe.

[hippywife]

2. That is quite the day!

Congrats on all the accomplishments. :hi:

[kestrel91316]

4. Unfortunately it did not actually result in any FOOD. Like, for dinner.

So I made a fried egg sandwich with the last of my foccaccia from a couple weeks ago (had some in the freezer).

[hippywife]

5. Some days you toil,

so on others you can feast, no?

I haven't tried the foccacia yet but it sure did look good. I haven't deleted those pix out of my photobucket account yet so they will stay up here, but I promise not to try to pass them off as mine. ;)