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Cheese of the Month
Fresh Mozzarella
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To make our mozzarella we coagulate farm-fresh milk by adding selected bacteria (called cultures) and rennet (an enzyme that reacts with the lactic acid that is produced by the milk) so that our milk soon resembles a vat of white jello or yogurt. Once coagulated we manually pull cheese knives through the milk to cut the curd into soft, little pieces. Immediately upon being cut, a cloudy yellow liquid called whey begins to come out of the curds. Because milk is mostly liquid, eventually there is a lot of yellow whey and a smaller amount of curds. (In fact it takes one whole gallon of milk to make two half-pound balls of mozzarella.) When the curds are mature we stretch them in hot water using a paddle to become a smooth and satiny mass of fresh mozzarella. (This is where the art of cheesemaking comes into play because there is only a small window of opportunity during which the curd can be successfully stretched and formed since the development of the lactic acid cannot be stopped...if the cheese is stretched before the pH reaches 5.2, the cheese is tough and inferior. If the pH falls too low, we have lost the cheese completely.) Next we pinch off balls of fresh mozzarella that weigh about 1/2 lb each and toss them into cool water to chill. Once chilled the balls are either briefly immersed in a brine or packaged in governing liquid which keeps them very moist. Our mozzarella is a fabulous melting cheese and is great in salads, on sandwiches and pizzas, with meats, and just plain. Because we vacuum package our fresh mozzarella it stays fresh for about 3 weeks. It can also be frozen and later defrosted in the refrigerator.
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Recipe of the Month
Spaghetti with Shrimp, Scallops and Fresh Mozzarella
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4 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound raw peeled and deveined shrimp
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound bay scallops
3 tablespoons capers
4 tablespoons chopped pitted Calamata olives
1 4-ounce jar sliced pimentos
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1 teaspoon salt plus 1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice
16 ounces spaghetti
8 ounces Fresh Mozzarella, 1/2-inch cubed
1/4 cup large fresh basil leaves cut into thin strips
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
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Pour the olive oil into a large skillet and place over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp and saute for a minute or two, stirring as necessary. When the shrimp begin to turn a faint pink on one side, add the garlic, turn the shrimp over and continue sauteing for a minute or two. Add the scallops and cook for one or two additional minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the capers, olives, pimentos, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper and lemon juice. Set aside.
Pour hot water into a large serving dish to heat it. When heated and just before serving time, discard the water and dry with a dish towel.
In a large heavy stockpot, bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of salt and then the spaghetti. Stir to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Allow the pasta to boil until cooked al dente, according to the directions on the package, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour the pasta and water into a colander that has been placed in the sink.
Once drained, shake the colander and then pour the pasta into the skillet containing the seafood. Place the skillet over low heat and toss to combine. Heat the ingredients until the spaghetti absorbs all the liquid in the skillet. Remove the skillet from the heat, add the Fresh Mozzarella and the basil, and toss briefly, only to distribute the ingredients. The heat of the pasta will melt the cheese as it is distributed throughout the pasta.
To serve, transfer the pasta to the heated serving platter and sprinkle the thyme over the pasta.
Serve immediately. Serves 8
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Copyright by Paula Lambert, 2007, Cheese, Glorious Cheese, all rights reserved
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Mozzarella Company
Calendar |
March 5
Talk
Highland Park
Presbyterian Church
March 6
International Grand Tasting
Savor Dallas
Dallas
March 11
Cheese Presentation & Talk
Le Cordon Bleu
Dallas
March 23 & 24
Cooking Classes
Les Gourmettes
Phoenix
April 14 - 19
Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival
Austin
April 19 - 24
IACP Conference
Portland
May 3 - 12
Cooking Classes
Central Market
Ft. Worth: Mon - May 3
Dallas: Tue - May 4
Plano: Wed - May 5
Houston: Thu - May 6
San Antonio: Fri - May 7
Austin, North Lamar: Sat - May 8
May 15
Fort Worth Herb Festival
May 21 - 25
National Restaurant Show
Chicago
Join Paula in a
Culinary Trip to France
at
La Combe en Perigord
June 6 - 13, 2010 (sold out)
October 11 - 18, 2010
June 2011 and October 2011
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Mozzarella Company
Class Schedule
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Beer and Cheese Pairing Classes
Thurs March 18
Tues April 27
6:30-8:30 pm
Wine and Cheese Pairing Classes
Mon March 29
Tues April 13
6:30-8:30 pm
Hands-on Cheesemaking Classes
Sat March 20
Sat April 10
3:00-5:00 pm
Visit
www.mozzco.com/classes.html
to learn more about
Pairing Cheese with
Beer and Wine
and Tea and Chocolate
Private Classes
Available upon request
Call: 214.741.4072
or Email: info@mozzco.com
to make your reservations
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Cheese of the Month
Blanca Bianca
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Blanca Bianca is our creation. It was inspired by cheeses that I have enjoyed during my travels in France. It is a soft-textured, very flavorful cheese. It is a pale, red-orange-colored wheel about 6 inches in diameter that weighs less than two pounds. Because it is a washed rind cheese, it has a pungent aroma that comes from natural bacteria linens that develops on the exterior of the cheese. It has a tender rind and a creamy interior paste. Its flavor is assertive but not too strong.
To make Blanca Bianca we heat farm-fresh cow's milk and then add cultures and rennet. Once the milk coagulates, we cut the curds and gently stir them as they mature. Finally the curds are poured into molds to drain. The cheeses are salted in a brine and then placed on racks to dry. During the next two months, whilst the wheels of cheeses are maturing, they are massaged daily with white wine. The USA laws governing raw milk cheeses mandate that all raw-milk cheeses must be aged for a minimum of 60 days before they are sold. So, after 60 days, Blanca Bianca is ready to sell. But we have found that additional aging allows the flavor to intensify and texture to soften, so we age our Blanca Bianca for three or four months.
We have a limited quantity of Blanca Bianca because we produce only 20 wheels at a time.
It is wonderful with both red and white wines, and it pairs very nicely with late harvest dessert wines. It is good with fruits such as pears and apples. It's also great with toasted nuts and dried fruits as well as fruit pastes, jams and chutneys. It is especially good in salads and on sandwiches. It is great as an hors d'oeuvres or after a meal in a cheese course.
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Recipe of the Month
Minestrone with Blanca Bianca Croutons
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4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion, coarsely chopped
1 rib celery, cut into 1/4-inch thick pieces
1 potato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 small carrot, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1 14.5-ounce can peeled tomatoes, coarsely chopped with juices
6 cups water
3 vegetable bouillon cubeso taste
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2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon herbs of Provence
1/4 teaspoon whole black pepper corns
1 15-ounce can Cannellini or another white beans, drained and rinsed
1 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch thick round
3 cups (2 ounces) fresh baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
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Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
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Croutons
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2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 baguette, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
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1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Blanca Bianca, divided use
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Heat the olive oil in a stockpot, add the onion and celery and saute until limp. Add the potato and carrot and continue to saute for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the water, and the bouillon cubes. Add the bay leaves, herbs of Provence, and black peppercorns. Simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Add the beans and the zucchini. Continue cooking for 15 to 20 additional minutes, until the zucchini is soft. Remove the bay leaves, add the spinach and parsley, stir well and remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
For the Croutons, pour the olive oil into a large skillet and place over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the bread cubes and toss to coat with the oil. When the bread begins to turn a very light brown, add the garlic and continue sauteing until the bread is golden brown. Remove the skillet from the heat and sprinkle 1 cup of Blanca Bianca over the croutons. Stir and toss to coat well. Set aside.
To serve, ladle the soup into large soup bowls and sprinkle the croutons on top. Place the remaining 1/2 cup of Blanca Bianca in a small dish to pass separately to sprinkle over the soup. Serves 8
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Copyright by Paula Lambert, 2007, Cheese, Glorious Cheese, all rights reserved
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Mozzarella Company
Calendar |
February 2
Ft Worth Garden Club
Mozzarella Company Tour
February 11
Talk
Dallas Junior League
February 24 - 26
NASFT Board Meeting
Las Vegas
February 28
Les Dames
Raiser Grazer at FIG
March 5
Talk - Highland Park
Presbyterian Church
March 6
Savor Dallas
March 11
Cordon Bleu Dallas
Talk & Tasting
March 23 & 24
Cooking Class
Les Gourmettes
Phoenix
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Cheese of the Month
Rosemary Montasio
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Originally I began making Montasio with goat's milk. Recently I decided to try making Montasio using cow's milk and flavoring it with rosemary. It turned out to be absolutely delicious! So now it has become one of our main stays!
We make our Rosemary Montasio by adding cultures and then coagulating pasteurized milk with animal rennet. Once the milk has set, we repeatedly cut the curd until it is the size of corn kernels. Then we heat and cook the curds in the whey. Eventually we stir fresh rosemary leaves into the curds. Finally the matured curds are drained into large squares of cloth that are twisted closed to contain the cheese. A branch of rosemary is placed inside each cloth before it is knotted, and the cheeses are pressed overnight. When unmolded the next morning, a rosemary branch is embedded in the top of each wheel. The cheeses are then rubbed daily with salt for two weeks. Finally they are left to dry and cure for several months. At this point our Montasio is ready to sell. It can also continue to age and develop more intense flavors.
Our Montasio is a mellow, flavorful cheese. It is great for snacking. It is a wine-friendly cheese and is wonderful with both white and red wines. It also can be sliced, shaved and grated and used in any dish where a hard cheese such as Parmigiano would be appropriate. The robust flavor of the rosemary accents the most mundane dishes and makes them sparkle.
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Recipe of the Month
Rosemary Montasio Bread Pudding
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4 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup creme fraiche
1/2 teaspoon salt
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1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 baguette
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Rosemary Montasio
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Break the eggs into a large mixing bowl. Add the milk, creme fraiche, salt and pepper and whisk until well combined. Cut the baguette in half, then cut into quarters and finally into 1-inch cubes. Add the bread to the eggs and toss to combine. Leave to soak up the liquid for 5 to 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400F. Generously butter a casserole. Transfer a third of the bread to the casserole, sprinkling a quarter of the cheese on top. Repeat layering the bread and cheese until the casserole is filled. You should have 3 or 4 layers of bread and cheese. Pour any remaining egg mixture over the bread. Finish by sprinkling a thick layer of cheese on top.
Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until the bread pudding has puffed up in the center and the top is crusty and golden brown.
Serves 8
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Copyright Paula Lambert, 2009, all rights reserved
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You can watch Jim White's video of Paula
making Rosemary Bread Montasio Pudding.
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Mozzarella Company
Calendar |
January 11
Cooking Class
Lake Austin Spa & Resort
Austin
January 16
Cheese Tasting
Cowgirl Creamery
San Francisco
January 17-19
Fancy Food Show
San Francisco
February 2
Ft Worth Garden Club
Mozzarella Company Tour
February 10
Talk
Dallas Junior League
February 28
Les Dames
Raiser Grazer at FIG
Dallas
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Cheese of the Month
Christmas Cheese
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The telephone calls begin in early November ... When we will have it? When will we make it? When will it be ready? When can they buy it? The answer is NOW is the time!
What is Christmas Cheese? It's a once-a-year treat that we make only from Thanksgiving through New Year's. It's a crumbly, spreadable round of cheese festively flavored with a combination of chiles. It's a pretty cheese...a vibrant red round topped with a swirl of green jalapenos strips. Some might call it a Mexican cheese, but you'll just call it "good" when you taste it! It pairs nicely with beer, wine, and mixed drinks. Just one bite won't be sufficient.
It all began many years ago as a mistake. Something happened to one batch of our cheese. It just did't turn out exactly as it should have ... it wasn't a bad cheese, it just wasn't the kind of cheese it was supposed to be! So, we decided to convert our mistake into something new. Because Christmas was coming, we wanted to create something good for the holidays. We decided to add a variety of red chiles to make it spicy. We molded it into small discs that would be perfect for serving when guests stop by. We decorated the top with a star made of green chiles. And voila...Christmas Cheese!
Now our mistake has become a Mozzarella Company annual tradition, and many of our loyal customers have made Christmas Cheese part of their family holiday traditions. They flock to our cheese factory for our special, little, handmade cheese. Many buy 10 to 20 cheeses because they make perfect gifts for neighbors, teachers, and friends. And they are great to have on hand for quick, last-minute hors d'oeuvres and hostess gifts. Wheels of Christmas Cheese weigh a little over a half pound each and cost $12. They are great for snacking as well as for melting. They stay fresh for a month or longer...but they won't last that long at your house!
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Recipe of the Month
Lentil Salad with Christmas Cheese
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1/2 pound small French Le Puy lentils
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons minced green onions
4 to 5 ounces (1/2 disc) Christmas Cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
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Vinaigrette
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh cilantro or parsley
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Sort through the lentils and remove any debris. Place them in a small saucepan and cover with water. Stir and then drain them in a colander. Return the lentils to the pan and cover with fresh
water, 2 inches above lentils. Add the garlic and the salt and cook over medium heat until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain the lentils in a colander. Reserve the garlic clove for the vinaigrette.
For the Vinaigrette, in a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, allspice, salt and pepper until emulsified. Retrieve the garlic from the lentils and smash it flat and work into a paste using the side of a knife on a cutting board. Whisk in the garlic and cilantro. Set aside.
Place the lentils in a large mixing bowl and drizzle as much vinaigrette as desired over them. Add the onions and toss well. Allow the lentils to cool to room temperature. Just before serving, crumble the Christmas cheese over the lentils and toss gently. Place in a serving bowl. Grind black pepper on top. Pour the remaining vinaigrette into a small pitcher.
Serve at room temperature. Pass the vinaigrette at the table to drizzle over the lentils. Serves 6.
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Copyright Paula Lambert, 2009, all rights reserved
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Mozzarella Company
Calendar |
January 11
Cooking Class
Lake Austin Spa & Resort
Austin
January 16
Cheese Tasting
Cowgirl Creamery
San Francisco
January 17-19
Fancy Food Show
San Francisco
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Cheese of the Month
Goat Caciotta
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Goat's Milk Caciotta is a cheese that we developed many years ago and have been producing in limited quantities ever since. It has a wonderful sharpness and assertiveness, especially if it is aged for 6 months to a year.
Our Goats' Milk Caciotta is made by pasteurizing fresh goats' milk and then adding cultures and rennet. Once coagulated, the curd is cut into small pieces and stirred until the proper acidity is achieved. Next the curds are poured into perforated molds and placed in a warm chamber to incubate until mature. During this period the curds mat together and form a wheel of cheese that weighs approximately 5 lbs. The cheeses are then immersed in a brine for 8 hours and subsequently placed on shelves to dry in our aging room. Eventually the wheels are waxed, replaced on the shelves, and turned weekly while they age to perfection.
Our Goats' Milk Caciotta is available Plain or flavored with Ancho Chiles or Mexican Marigold Mint. It is a wonderful with beer, wine and even cocktails such as scotch and bourbon. It is great on salads, in sandwiches, and it can be used as an accent in many dishes from vegetable purees to souffles to soups.
Goat Caciotta Mashed Potatoes are a perfect Thanksgiving dish!
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Recipe of the Month
Goat Caciotta Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions
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Caramelized Onions
4 tablespoons butter
1 red onion, very thinly sliced
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
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2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold or new potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 to 1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups shredded Goat Caciotta (6 ounces)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
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For the Caramelized Onions, melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until it begins to turn light brown. Reduce the heat and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the excess liquid evaporates and the onions begin to caramelize. Set aside.
In the meanwhile, wash and peel the potatoes. Cut them into 2-inch pieces. Place them in a large saucepan, add enough water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch, sprinkle with salt, place the pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the saucepan with a lid placed slightly ajar, and simmer the potatoes for 20 to 30 minutes, or until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Preheat the oven to 350F. When the potatoes are cooked, pour them into a colander to drain. Return the potatoes to the pan and place in the oven uncovered, to dry out for 5 minutes. Heat the milk to a simmer in a small saucepan. Remove the potatoes from the oven and pass them through a potato ricer or a food mill fitted with the fine disk. Alternatively, the potatoes may also be whipped using an electric mixer. Add the milk. Continue whipping the potatoes with the mixer or by hand. Gradually add 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of the Goat Caciotta to the potatoes, while continuing to whip them. Pour the potatoes into an oven-proof casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese over the potatoes. Cover with the caramelized onions. The potatoes may be set aside at this point and later reheated for 20 to 30 minutes, or they may be placed directly in the oven and held at 200F for up to 30 minutes. Serve hot. Serves 6
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Copyright Paula Lambert, 2009, all rights reserved
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Mozzarella Company
Calendar |
November 3
Wine and Cheese Pairing
La Cima Club
Irving
November 5
Farmers Market Hoedown
Dallas
November 5
Katy Trail Best Friends
Dallas
November 5 & 6
NASFT Board Meeting
Washington DC
November 9
Dallas of Taste
Dallas Formers Market
November 17
Cooking Class
Market Street
Colleyville
November 20
Lake Highland Women's League
Dallas
November 20
Beaujolas Festival
Dallas
January 11
Cooking Class
Lake Austin Spa & Resort
Austin
January 17-19
Fancy Food Show
San Francisco
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Cheese of the Month
Montasio
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I created our Montasio about 25 years ago. It began as a combination of cheeses that I learned to make in Northern Italy and a recipe for Montasio from a cheesemaking book. Our Montasio is made from goat's milk and it is a firm cheese. When I created Montasio I fantasized that it was similar to the hard cheeses made high up in the mountains and thought the name fitted it well, since monte means mountain in Italian. I had never tasted the real Montasio, a famous Italian cheese from the Veneto. Nonetheless, our Montasio is delicious, and it is also unique.
We make our Montasio by adding cultures and then coagulating the farm-fresh goat's milk with animal rennet. Once the milk has set, we cut the curd until it is the size of corn kernels. Then we heat and cook the curds in the whey. Finally the matured curds are drained into large squares of cloth that are twisted closed to contain the cheese. They are knotted and the cheeses are pressed overnight. You can see the indentations from these knots on our cheeses. They are rubbed daily with salt for two weeks. Finally they are left to dry and age for several months. At this point our Montasio is ready to sell plain or to be encased with a puree of ancho chiles and aged for another month.
Our Montasio is a mellow, flavorful cheese. It is a wine-friendly cheese and is wonderful with white and red wines. It also can be grated and used in any dish where a hard cheese such as Parmigiano would be appropriate. It is available in two varieties ... plain and with a dark red ancho chile rind.
A few years ago we introduced a version of our Montasio using cow's milk that we flavor with fresh rosemary.
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Recipe of the Month
Spinach Risotto with Montasio
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4 tablespoons butter, divided use
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, minced, about 1/2 cup
1 cup Arborio rice
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4 cups chicken broth, heated
10 ounces fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Pecorino Romanon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
and salt to taste
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Preheat the oven to 400F. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and the olive oil in a heavy stockpot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and saute until limp, but not browned. Add the rice and saute with the onions, stirring occasionally, until both are lightly browned. Add 1 cup of chicken broth and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add another cup of broth and continuing cooking and stirring until it is absorbed. Repeat this process until the rice is al dente, hard in the center of the kernel, but somewhat soft on the exterior. Remove from the heat. Add the spinach and cover the stockpot. The heat from the rice will wilt the spinach. Once the spinach has wilted, add the Pecorino Romano and stir to mix the ingredients together.
Butter a ring pan, such as a bundt or angel food cake pan, using the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Pour the Risotto into the mold, place on a baking sheet, and transfer to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes.
To serve, loosen the Risotto from the sides of the pan using a flexible rubber spatula. Place a serving platter on top of the ring pan, flip and invert the mold containing the rice onto a serving platter. If some of the rice sticks to the pan, spoon it atop the mold. Reshape the rice into the form of the mold, if necessary. Serves 8
Note: The secret of this dish is baking the risotto in a heavy bundt pan at a high temperature long enough so that the rice mold gets toasty and browned on the outside. It may fall apart when you unmold it, but don't worry, just push it back together into a ring shape before serving.
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Copyright Paula Lambert, 2009, all rights reserved
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Mozzarella Company
Calendar |
October 2 - 9
La Combe en Perigord
October 6
Tasting for Dallas Chefs Assn.
Fresh Point
Dallas
October 10
Zoo To Do
Dallas
October 26
World Osteoporosis Day Dinner
Dallas
October 29 - 31
Southern Foodways Symposium
Oxford MS
November 5
Farmers Market Hoedown
Dallas
November 5
Katy Trail Best Friends
Dallas
November 5 & 6
NASFT Board Meeting
Washington DC
November 17
Cooking Class
Market Street
Colleyville
November 20
Beaujolais Festival
Dallas
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Cheese of the Month
Deep Ellum Blue
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To make our Deep Ellum Blue, we inoculate pasteurized cow's milk with cultures and then coagulate it with rennet. The curds are broken into large pieces using perforated scoops and are stirred very gently so that they remain very moist and soft. The curds are poured into large square molds placed on mats and left to drain until mature. The cheese is drained and turned and dried for about a month, and then it is washed with blue Penicillin Roqueforti mold spores. After aging for at least two additional months, it is finally bathed with extra-virgin olive oil. Deep Ellum Blue has no actual rind, only a diamond-scored, blue-mold-mottled exterior.
Deep Ellum Blue is subtly flavored, not too strong and not too salty. Its flavor is robust and earthy. Its texture is soft, creamy and spreadable. It is delicious in salads or atop chicken, beef and veal dishes. It is especially good with Port and dessert wines.
Deep Ellum Blue is named for the location in Dallas where our cheese factory is located, and its name also recalls our neighborhood's legendary blues singers of past years.
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Recipe of the Month
Chicken Salad with Grapes, Toasted Almonds and Deep Ellum Blue
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2 split chicken breast halves, 1 lb total
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup slivered almonds, about 2 ounces
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
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1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh minced tarragon
1 1/2 cups (8 oz) halved seedless green grapes
1/4 cup (4 oz) crumbled Deep Ellum Blue
1 head Bibb lettuce
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Place chicken breasts in a medium-sized saucepan and cover with cold water. Add the salt, pepper and garlic. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn over the breasts and continue to simmer for 10 additional minutes. Remove from the heat and leave the breasts to cool to room temperature in their poaching liquid.
Preheat the oven to 350f. Place the almonds on a small baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes, until the almonds are golden brown. Remove from the oven to a cake rack to cool.
Remove the breasts from the poaching liquid and cut them into 1/2-inch cubes. Combine the chicken breasts with the onion, mayonnaise, sour cream and tarragon in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Add the grapes and Deep Ellum Blue and stir gently until all ingredients are well coated. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or longer before serving time.
Gently break off the leaves of the lettuce from the head, wash, spin and pat them dry using a cup towel. Arrange three or four lettuce leaves on each of six individual plates to form bowls to hold the salad. Mound the chicken salad on top of the leaves and sprinkle the almonds on top. Serves 6
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Copyright Paula Lambert, 2009, all rights reserved
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Mozzarella Company
Calendar |
September 2
Fort Worth Chefs Assn
Colonial Country Club
Fort Worth
Sept 10-12
Private Cooking Classes
Missoula, MT
September 12
Ride DART to Deep Ellum
To shop at Mozzarella Company!
September 17
Wine and Cheese Pairing
Kappa Kappa Gamma
Austin
September 19
Cooking Class
Grapefest
Grapevine
September 22
Talk
Issues and Interests
Dallas
September 24
Dessert First
Altrusa Club
Dallas
September 25
Cooking Demonstration
State Fair of Texas
Dallas
September 26
Cooking Demonstration
Uptown Dallas Festival
Dallas
October 2-9
Culinary Class
La Combe en Perigord
France
October 10
Zoo To Do
Dallas
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Cheese of the Month
Fresh Ricotta
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Our fresh ricotta is made the traditional way - from the whey of our mozzarella curds. But just what does this mean? When we make our mozzarella we coagulate the milk by adding cultures and rennet so that our milk soon resembles a vat of white jello or yoghurt. Once the milk is coagulated we pull cheeses knives through the coagulated milk to cut the curd into soft, little pieces. Immediately upon being cut, a cloudy yellow liquid called whey begins to come out of the curds. Because milk is mostly liquid, eventually there is a lot of yellow whey and a smaller amount of curds. When the curds are mature we stretch them with hot water to become fresh mozzarella. Simultaneously we drain off the whey and heat it. When it is almost boiling, we add an acid that precipitates the remaining solids in the whey. This is evidenced when soft, white frothy curds of ricotta float to the top of the vat of hot whey. We use perforated ladles to scoop these curds into basket molds imported from Italy. After draining overnight, the baskets are inverted and we have heavenly cakes of ricotta that weigh about 3 lbs each. Our ricotta is very low in fats and calories and a soft, wonderful cheese for cooking or just eating: for breakfast or dessert drizzled with honey and sprinkled with cinnamon or toasted nuts or as a savory dish drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkled with black peppercorns or fresh herbs.
And did you know that ... the name Ricotta means "recooked" in Italian because the whey from the mozzarella curds is reheated and a secondary cheese is produced. Ricotta very nutritious , low in calories and good for you! It contains the "noble properties of the milk."
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Recipe of the Month
Spaghetti with Zucchini, Ricotta & Mint
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4 medium zucchini squash, thinly sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
6 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb spaghetti
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1/2 lb. Fresh Ricotta
2 Tablespoons minced fresh mint
1 Tablespoon minced fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
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Saute the squash, onions in 4 Tablespoons olive oil over high heat until soft. Stir in the garlic towards the end of cooking and then set aside. Cook the pasta al dente in rapidly boiling salted water over high heat. Once cooked, drain the pasta in a colander and then pour into a heated serving bowl. Drizzle with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, crumble the Ricotta over the pasta, add the mint and basil, and toss well. Distribute the squash and onions over the pasta, drizzle on oil from the pan, season with salt, pepper and Parmigiano and toss again to distribute all ingredients.
Serves 4
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Copyright Paula Lambert, 2009, all rights reserved
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Mozzarella Company
Calendar |
August 1
Joanne Bondy's
James Beard Dinner
The Gaylord
Grapevine
August 5-8
American Cheese Society
Conference
Austin
August 13
WCR Unite for a Bite
Cheesemaking Class
August 30
AIWF Caesar Salad Competition
Dallas
September 8
Cheese & Wine Pairing
KKG Night Group
Dallas
September 19
Cooking Class
Grapefest
Grapevine
September 22
Talk
Issue and Interests
Dallas
September 26
Cooking Demonstration
Uptown Dallas Festival
October 10
Zoo To Do
Dallas
November 5 & 6
NASFT Board Meeting
Washington DC
November 17
Cooking Class
Market Street
Colleyville
November 20
Beaujolas Festival
Dallas
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Cheese of the Month
Capriella
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Years ago, after lots of experimentation, we discovered that it was impossible to make a soft and moist fresh mozzarella from goat's milk alone. So we combined goat's milk and cow's milk, it worked perfectly! Thus Capriella, a cheese with the soft, moist texture of our Fresh Mozzarella and the tangy flavor of goat's milk was born.
Soon after it was created, our new cheese won an award from the American Cheese Society. At that point we just called it Goat's Milk Mozzarella; however, we didn't think that name was sexy enough for an award-winning cheese so we contacted The Dallas Morning News. They wrote an article saying that our prize-winning cheese needed a name. We received hundreds of entries and chose the name Capriella -- Capri for Goat and Ella for Ella Fitzgerald!
To make our Capriella we inoculate the milk by adding cultures and rennet. Once the milk has coagulated we manually pull cheese knives through the milk to cut the curd into soft, little pieces. Immediately upon being cut, a cloudy yellow liquid called whey begins to come out of the curds. We use this whey to make ricotta. When the curds are mature we stretch them in hot water using a paddle to become a smooth and satiny mass of mozzarella. Next we pinch off balls of Capriella that weigh about 1/2 lb each and toss them into cool water to chill. Once chilled the balls are briefly immersed in a brine and then they are ready to enjoy! Our Capriella is a fabulous melting cheese and is great in salads, on sandwiches and pizzas, with meats, and just plain. Because it is vacuum sealed it stays fresh for about 3 weeks. It can also be frozen and later defrosted in the refrigerator.
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Recipe of the Month
Watermelon and Capriella Salad
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4 cups 1/2 to 3/4-inch seeded watermelon chunks, cold
4 scallions, trimmed to 6" in length, very thinly sliced crosswise
3 tablespoons thinly sliced calamata olives
2 tablespoons minced chives
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
4 large leaves basil, cut into a fine chiffonade
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 ball (8 ounces) Capriella, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
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In a large bowl, combine the watermelon, scallions, olives, chives, lemon rind, and basil. Pour olive oil and lemon juice over and toss well. Season with salt and pepper and toss again. Distribute the Capriella over the salad. Toss very gently to distribute the cheese throughout the salad. Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and refrigerate until serving time.
Serve chilled. Serves 6 to 8
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Copyright Paula Lambert, 2009, all rights reserved
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Mozzarella Company
Calendar |
July 9
Cooking Class
Central Market Plano
July 16-18
Cooking Classes
Studio b
Alys Beach, Florida
July 22-24
Culinary Trust Board Meeting
Portland
July 25
Children's Cooking Class
The Gaylord
Grapevine
August 1
Joanne Bondy's
James Beard Dinner
The Gaylord
Grapevine
August 5-8
American Cheese Society
Conference
Austin
August 13
WCR Unite for a Bite
Cheesemaking Class
August 30
AIWF Caesar Salad Competition
Dallas
September 8
Cheese & Wine Pairing
KKG Night Group
September 19
Cooking Class
Grapefest
Grapevine
September 22
Talk
Issue and Interests
Dallas
October 10
Zoo To Do
Dallas
November 17
Cooking Class
Market Street
Colleyville
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Cheese of the Month
Burrata
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We make two styles of Burrata. Our original Burrata is made in the style of Burrino. It is a fresh Italian-style cow's milk cheese made by completely encasing a soft, creamy lump of sweet cream butter with soft, fresh mozzarella. Its name comes from its buttery center: burro means butter in Italian. It is a seductive cheese. To make our Burrata, we begin by pasteurizing and then coagulating farm-fresh cow's milk. Simultaneously we churn fresh cream to make sweet cream butter. Once the cheese matures, we pour hot water over the curds and stretch them to become mozzarella. We then hand-form the fresh mozzarella around one-ounce pieces of butter to conceal a soft, creamy center inside the Burrata. Each and every step of this process is done by hand. Finally the Burrata is briefly immersed in brine before it is wrapped in parchment paper and packaged. The flavor is fresh, milky and buttery. This Burrata is lovely when cut in half to reveal the creamy node of butter in its center. It is best when served at room temperature. Enjoy it by spreading the soft, luscious center onto crusty hearth-baked bread with accompaniments of cured meats, olives and sun-dried tomatoes. Our new Burrata is a small 2-ounce ball of mozzarella that is filled with creme fraiche. We developed this cheese last year for Stephan Pyles to serve on a big slice of tomato. When cut open, the creme fraiche oozes out and onto the tomato. Both are delicious paired with fresh tomatoes, fragrant basil and a generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
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Recipe of the Month
Crostini with Burrata and Anchovy Sauce
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Anchovy Sauce
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Fried Capers
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1 2-ounce tin anchovies packed in olive oil
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons drained capers
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
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2 tablespoons drained capers
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 baguette
1 8-ounce ball Burrata (Burrino style)
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
Zest of one lemon
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For the Anchovy Sauce, combine the anchovies, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and capers in the workbowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
For the Fried Capers, pat the capers dry and set aside on paper towels. Pour the oil into a small skillet and place over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the capers, and fry until they burst open and are slightly browned and crisp. Be careful when adding the capers to the oil, because they splatter at first. Remove the capers with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Position an oven rack 3 inches below the heat source. Preheat the broiler on high.
Using a serrated knife, slice the baguette diagonally at an angle into 1/4 inch thick slices. Place the bread on a baking sheet and toast until top of bread is lightly browned; turn the bread over and toast the other side. Remove the toasts from the oven, but leave them on the baking sheet. Divide the Burrata among the toasts and return them to the oven. Heat only long enough for the cheese to soften and just begin to melt, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and, using a spoon, drizzle the anchovy sauce over the cheese. Sprinkle the toasts with the fried capers, parsley and lemon zest. Serve immediately, while still warm. Serves 12 to 20. (Makes 40 toasts)
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Copyright Paula Lambert Cheese Glorious Cheese, 2007, all rights reserved
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Mozzarella Company
Calendar |
June 3
Fresh Mozzarella & Italian Wines
Mitchell at Vino 100
Dallas
June 7
Sheri at Bolsa
Farmers Market
Oak Cliff
June 23
Paula with Jim White
KRLD Wine & Cheese Tasting
Centennial Store on Preston Road
June 25
Paula's Cooking Class
Central Market Southlake
June 26
Paula's Mozzarella Making Class
Artisanal Cheese Center
New York
June 28-30
Paula and Mitchell
Fancy Food Show
New York
July 9
Cooking Class
Central Market Plano
July 16-18
Cooking Classes
Studio b
Alys Beach, Florida
July 22-24
Culinary Trust Board Meeting
Portland
July 25
Children’s Cooking Class
The Gaylord
Grapevine
August 1
Joanne Bondy’s James Beard Dinner
The Gaylord
Grapevine
August 5-8
American Cheese Society Conference
Austin
August 30
AIWF Caesar Salad Competition
Dallas
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Cheese of the Month
Creme Fraiche
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Creme fraiche is not actually a cheese. It is cream that has been left to sour and thicken. It is rich and creamy in texture and slightly tart in flavor. In France Creme Fraiche is commonly used in place of heavy cream. It can be added to savory sauces and also sweetened with sugar or honey to serve with desserts. Our creme fraiche is very thick, yet it is pourable. Some supermarket brands may be closer to the consistency of sour cream. It's thickness depends on the acid development in the cream.
We make our Creme Fraiche by adding lactic cultures to heavy cream that we have pasteurized. Once the cream is inoculated with the bacteria, we keep it warm so that the sugars in the cream begin to interact with the bacteria and produce lactic acid. The longer the cream is incubated, the thicker it becomes. We monitor the acid development, and once it has reached the perfect point, we place the Creme Fraiche in a refrigerated walk-in cooler. By the following day it is thick and luscious and ready to use.
Creme Fraiche is fabulous poured over berries and other sweet, ripe fruits. Our creme fraiche can be whipped because its butterfat is above 33%. It is delicious sweetened as a topping for tarts, cakes, puddings, and other desserts. And it makes homemade ice cream so very good because it lends a hint of acidity. Creme fraiche can also be used in sauces and soups because it can be heated without difficulty. It makes a fabulous sauce for pasta, especially when used with fresh herbs, mushrooms and truffles.
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Recipe of the Month
Fettucine with Creme Fraiche and Fresh Herbs
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1 tablespoon butter
1 shallot, minced
1 cup (8 ounces) Creme Fraiche
9 ounces fresh fettucine
1 tablespoon salt plus 1/4 teaspoon
1 cup (4 ounces) grated Parmigiano Reggiano, divided use
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1/3 cup finely chopped fresh herbs,
any combination of 3 or 4 of the following herbs: basil, thyme, tarragon, rosemary, oregano, parsley, etc.
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and saute for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the Creme Fraiche.
In a large heavy stockpot, bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the fettucine. Stir to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Allow the pasta to boil until cooked al dente, about 5 minutes. It will float up to the top when it is cooked. Dip a cup into the boiling water and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Using tongs, transfer the cooked pasta from the stockpot to the skillet. Add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, the herbs, and the pepper and toss. If the pasta is too dry, drizzle in the reserved pasta-boiling water until the pasta has proper moisture. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of Parmigiano over the pasta and toss to distribute.
Serve immediately. Serve the remaining 1/2 cup of grated cheese separately in a small bowl that can be passed at the table.
Serves 8 as a small first course and 4 as a main course.
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Copyright - 2009 Paula Lambert
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Mozzarella Company
Calendar |
May 2
Janie at Whole Foods
Richardson
May 3
Sheri at Sunday Farmers Market
Bolsa Restaurant
Oak Cliff / Dallas
May 4
Days of Taste
Dallas Farmers Market
May 16
Sheri at Herb Festival
Fort Worth Botanical Garden
May 16-19
National Restaurant Show
Chicago
May 22
500 Inc Art Fest
Dallas
June 3
Mozzarella Making
and Italian Wines
Mitchell at Vino 100
Dallas
June 25
Cooking Class
Central Market Southlake
June 26
Mozzarella Making Class
Artisanal Cheese Center
New York
June 28-30
Fancy Food Show
New York
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Cheese of the Month
Goat Cheese
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Soon after founding the Mozzarella Company in 1982 I realized that I needed to expand our product line beyond Fresh Mozzarella. I loved goat cheese and so I thought that would be the perfect new cheese to make. But where would I find goat milk? It was during the fall of the year, and so my thoughts immediately turned to the State Fair of Texas. In the Dairy Goat Barn I found a goat lady who could supply milk and I was on my way. Next on the agenda was to find a customer who wanted to buy goat cheese. I soon met a young chef who was opening a new restaurant in Dallas - it was Stephan Pyles and the restaurant was Routh Street Cafe. The rest is history: Stephan and other Dallas chefs were thrilled to have a locally-produced goat cheese, and I was thrilled to have a market for my new cheese. We buy our goat milk from local farmers who deliver it direct from their farms. We pasteurize the milk upon arrival, cool it, and then add cultures. Next we add a very small amount of vegetable rennet, such a small amount, in fact, that we use an eye dropper for measuring. The milk coagulates overnight and the following day it is hand-ladled into small perforated molds. The curds drain in the molds for 24 hours; then the delicate little cheeses are unmolded onto mats where they are salted and left to drain. We turn and salt the cheeses for a couple of days to encourage even drainage. And then it is ready to sell! Our delicate goat cheese can be consumed at this point. Its flavor intensifies as it ages and it can be kept for several months. Our goat cheese is available plain, topped with herbs of Provence, rolled in cracked black peppercorns, laced with fresh herbs, and wrapped in fragrant hoja santa leaves. Our goat cheese has always been very popular because it is so mild and creamy. It is quite versatile and it is great for snacking as well as cooking in savory and sweet recipes. It ranks as our second most popular cheese to Fresh Mozzarella, in terms of pounds of cheese that we sell.
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Recipe of the Month
Ravioli with Green Chile-Goat Cheese Sauce
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Green Chile-Goat Cheese Sauce
1/2 cup (4 ounces) soft, fresh Goat Cheese
1 cup (8 ounces) Creme Fraiche or heavy cream
1 4-ounce can roasted green chiles, drained
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1 20-ounce package cheese ravioli
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Cotija cheese
1/4 red bell pepper, minced, for garnish
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For the Green Chile-Goat Cheese Sauce, combine the goat cheese and creme fraiche in a large skillet and heat until the cheese melts. Cut the chiles into thin strips about 1 1/2 inches in length. Add the green chiles. Remove from the heat and set aside.
To cook the ravioli, bring an abundant amount of water to a boil in a large stockpot or wide saute pan. Add 2 teaspoons salt. Slide the ravioli into the boiling water and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until all the ravioli puff and float to the top. Remove the cooked ravioli with a slotted spoon and place, one by one, in the skillet with the goat cheese sauce.
Place the skillet containing the goat cheese over low heat and bring to a simmer. Transfer the ravioli in the sauce to a serving dish. Sprinkle with the Cotija and sprinkle with the chopped red bell pepper. Serve immediately. To serve, sprinkle the red bell pepper over the ravioli. Serves 4.
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Copyright - 2009 Paula Lambert
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Mozzarella Company
Calendar |
April 4
Cheese Sampling with Janie
Market St in Plano
April 4
Turtle Creek Chorale Fundraiser
with Erika
Flight Museum at Love Field
Dallas
April 5
Farmer's Market
with Sheri
Bolsa Restaurant in Oak Cliff
Dallas
April 26
Taste of the World
Union Station in Dallas
May 4
Days of Taste
Dallas Farmers Market
May 16-19
National Restaurant Show
Chicago
May 16
Fort Worth Herb Festival
with Sheri
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