(no subject)
meh. i didn't study for astronomy. i still think i did okay. now i have three hours to write my 250 word response to a question on The Reader.
so, last saturday, lasagna.
i started by making ricotta- mix milk, citric acid and salt, heat to 95, form curds, hang for 1/2 hour until its the firmness i want. to simple to talk much about.
made mozzarella. somewhat harder. milk and citric acid. heat. rennet. heat more. form curds. let sit. cut curd. heat more. pour off the whey. heat in the microwave. pour off more whey. heat more in the microwave, pour off the last of the whey, add salt. and then stretch like taffy!! only with gloves on, because it 135 degrees. ice water bath.
for those of you that tried what i brought last summer, my mozzarella has firmness now.
you shred, instead of spread it.
so i started with the sauce, which had to be moist enough that the no-boil noodles could soak a lot of it up without leaving the final product too dry.
do i had 1/2 a minced onion, garlic, sauteed in a pot. then i added 4 oz each of ground beef and italian sausage. let that cook down. then 1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, with 1/4 cup reserved juice, and 1 4 oz can of tomato sauce, and 2 tbsp cream. i just used some of my whole milk from making cheese. i'm not buying cream just to use 2 tablespoons. so, the sauce simmered. i mixed ricotta, basil, egg and parm. then i assembled my mini lasagna in a loaf pan, with layers of sauce, noodle, ricotta and mozzarella. baked it for half an hour. it was really good. the basil was nice. and i have enough stuff left over that i can make the manicoti recipe later this week.
last night, made garlic cheese biscuits on a whim, just because i wanted to.
so, last saturday, lasagna.
i started by making ricotta- mix milk, citric acid and salt, heat to 95, form curds, hang for 1/2 hour until its the firmness i want. to simple to talk much about.
made mozzarella. somewhat harder. milk and citric acid. heat. rennet. heat more. form curds. let sit. cut curd. heat more. pour off the whey. heat in the microwave. pour off more whey. heat more in the microwave, pour off the last of the whey, add salt. and then stretch like taffy!! only with gloves on, because it 135 degrees. ice water bath.
for those of you that tried what i brought last summer, my mozzarella has firmness now.
you shred, instead of spread it.
so i started with the sauce, which had to be moist enough that the no-boil noodles could soak a lot of it up without leaving the final product too dry.
do i had 1/2 a minced onion, garlic, sauteed in a pot. then i added 4 oz each of ground beef and italian sausage. let that cook down. then 1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, with 1/4 cup reserved juice, and 1 4 oz can of tomato sauce, and 2 tbsp cream. i just used some of my whole milk from making cheese. i'm not buying cream just to use 2 tablespoons. so, the sauce simmered. i mixed ricotta, basil, egg and parm. then i assembled my mini lasagna in a loaf pan, with layers of sauce, noodle, ricotta and mozzarella. baked it for half an hour. it was really good. the basil was nice. and i have enough stuff left over that i can make the manicoti recipe later this week.
last night, made garlic cheese biscuits on a whim, just because i wanted to.