Homemade Ricotta Cheese & Apricot and Ricotta 'Crostini'

There are some foods in life that are just better homemade - pie crust, your trustee chocolate chip cookies and ricotta cheese.  When I first conjured up the idea to make my own, I was initially a little unsure that I (someone with zero Italian in me) could make the silky and creamy cheese that the family-owned Italian specialty store around the corner churns out each day.  But I am dubbing ricotta cheese as the lazy man's recipe - it only uses three ingredients - milk, cream and lemon juice and the majority of its 'cooking' time is letting it drain in a cool place for up to two hours.  Once all of the draining was complete, I was left with the same quality of cheese that Italian grandmothers have been making for years - it was light and silky perfect for layering slathering on a piece of crusty bread or on apricots like I did here. Continue for more...

Herbed Goat Cheese

I must admit, there was a time not too long ago that I did not like goat cheese. I really couldn't get past it's tart aroma.  However, one day, I ordered a salad not knowing that it came with and instantly fell in love with the tang that originally made me turn away from this variety of cheese. Today, I love goat cheese, whether smeared on a cracker, in an omelet or a salad.  One of my favorite types of chevre to buy is the log bathed in herbs, however, instead of buying that version this time around,  I opted for the regular type and decided to add my own herbs from our garden.  The results were much better than the store bought version. The earthiness of the sage and the freshness of the parsley added another depth to the cheese.  This is great for a simple, yet flavorful snack or to serve as an appetizer. Continue for recipe...