ricotta | The Rambling Epicure

Rosa’s Musings: The Warrior Cook and Questch Plum Eton Mess

Published by Jonell Galloway + Friday, September 21, 2012 Permalink 0

A cook, when I dine, seems to me a divine being, who from the depths of his kitchen rules the human race. One considers him as a minister of heaven, because his kitchen is a temple, in which his ovens are the altar.—Marc Antoine Désaugiers

by Rosa Mayland

Even though being betrayed by your camera or computer, denied access to your blog platform, or lacking all inspiration is bad enough, having your cooker die on you is probably one of the worst things that any food blogger and pastry lover can experience, as it leaves you feeling completely lost and powerless. Without this essential home appliance (my personal favorite together with my KA), your major working tool, you are absolutely nothing! Well, that’s exactly what happened to me not long ago and it was one terrible and stressful nightmare, especially wince we were quasi-penniless and could not afford to buy a replacement straight away.

Switzerland: Fresh Fruit Séré/Quark Cheese Mousse

Published by Jonell Galloway + Wednesday, August 1, 2012 Permalink 0

by Jonell Galloway

In Switzerland, séré, as it is called in the French-speaking part of the country, or quark, as it is called in the German-speaking part, is a fresh cheese similar to curd cheese or cottage cheese and to ricotta, but the process of making it differs somewhat. Milk is first soured, then warmed until the desired degree of denaturation of milk proteins is met. It is then strained, so that it is smooth in consistency.

It is good eaten simply, with fresh fruit and a touch of sugar, but it can also be used for cooking.

When summer fruit is so abundant, this fresh fruit mousse makes for a different way of eating it.

You can buy either the full-fat version or a low-fat one. The full-fat version will be marked séré de crème in supermarkets; the full-fat version will be marked séré maigre or quark “maigre,” meaning low-fat. For this recipe, it’s best to buy it homemade from the cheesemonger or the full-fat version.

If séré is not available in your area, follow this easy recipe to make it yourself.

Switzerland: Pan-fried Sérac Cheese & Potato Salad Recipe

Published by Jonell Galloway + Friday, August 5, 2011 Permalink 0

Spontaneous Cuisine, by Jonell Galloway

Swiss Sérac cheese, a fresh cow’s milk cheese made with whey

Whey cheese is produced when the curds are separated from the whey to make cheese. Ricotta is also a whey cheese, but unlike Sérac, it is often made with sheep’s milk. As a result, you can use your local cheesemonger’s Sérac in most recipes that call for ricotta.

Photo courtesy of FribourgRegion tourist office.

Photo courtesy of Fribourg Region tourist office.

Sérac is made in most regions of Switzerland, and each region has its own version. Some regions smoke it; others flavor it with herbs, spices or pepper.

Sérac cheese is soft and creamy in texture, so it is easy to spread it on bread to make a healthy sandwich or snack, but Sérac is not only a snack cheese. It can also be used to make healthy, quick meals, such as the recipe below. In the summertime, I often use it like mozzarella, with tomatoes and basil or other Italian-inspired recipes.

It is a great way of teaching your children to eat healthy snacks. Top it with fresh fruit to make a healthy, low-fat dessert, or use it for between-meal snacks on chunky whole-grain bread.

Since it is a fresh milk cheese, it does not keep, and should be eaten shortly after purchasing. Because it is made from fresh milk whey, it is also naturally low in fat. In Switzerland, it would have about a 3.8% fat content, the same as milk.