Carolyn Tillie

Tristar - Thanks so much for that link! I'm always looking for new resources and I'm sure I'll learn a lot there. Jupe - Welcome to eG! And thanks so much for the info and sharing your knowledge. We've been brewing a lot as well recently (a stout, a mead, and a triple bock!). One of the the things I would like to investigate is adding a beer to a cheese. I've also been intrigued with an English cheese, Stinking Bishop, which is brined in Perry (pear cider, which we also hope to make in the fall). I haven't read of any home cheesemakers' recipes which use beer. One of the other "discrepancies" which is curious to me came from a discussion I was having Rob, the cheesemaker at Point Reyes Blue... He indicated that in Wisconsin, they will let the milk sit out for three days before they make the cheese (part of Wisconsin cheese tastes so different). This is definitely not allowed in California. Is there truly an advantage in using ultra-fresh milk vs. some that has aged? I'll post again as we made our first mozzarella and have pictures. I've also just purchased six quarts of goat's milk (Trader Joe's!) for this weekend's endeavors.

Coincidentally, we walked over there on Tuesday evening! Kevin makes larb at home and so I found Neecha's a bit wanting (the meat was rather dry and chewy, while the rest of the ingredients were quite nice and fresh). I wish I knew the Thai names of the other two dishes we had but I enjoyed them immensely; a spicy red soup with mushrooms and shrimp, and a red curry dish with shrimp, tomatoes, and pineapple. Shamefully, my exposure to Thai food in general has been very limited and I'm told there is an "even better Thai restaurant in the heart of Japantown" which I have to research. Upon leaving, I noticed a number of other courses on neighboring tables which beckoned a return visit!

Pilar's is one of a *small* handful of restaurants I actually miss... Glad she is still doing well and hope that business is thriving. When folks ask me for wine country recommendations, Pilar is on the top of my Napa list.

You know, this cape thing is freaky... When I worked the Renaissance Faires a dozen+ years ago, I had a cape made from the thickest, most luxurious black wool I could find. Complete with hood, it is lined in a satin that is dark, dark midnight blue. Now, all these years later, it is the best thing for me to wear over an evening dress or gown when going to a hoity-toity dinner (who wants to wear a frigg'n London Fog raincoat over a couture gown anyway?). I seem to always get the BEST attention; doors opening, "can we help you with your cape?", admiring looks... Get a cape. Trust me.

I, on the other hand, love the starter -- I do a similar one sans onions but with a spread of goat cheese on the bottom of the crostini, a slice of roasted bell pepper, and then top (and broil) with parmesan. Always gets rave reviews. If you are comfortable with it, no need to change it. Also, having a finger-food starter for walking and talking around, is a good thing. I would discourage anything as formal as a soup. A slight nibble to start with a cocktail lessens the inhibitions.

In the NYTimes this morning... Colman Andrews heading to Gourmet

Well cool; please share -- how do you cook a hardboiled egg in 4-5 minutes? ← Interesting that THIS version of the same story expands on how various chefs cook eggs. Mrs. Beeton, for example, does it in 3.5 minutes.

A peanut-butter suggestion (now don't laugh! this is good!) Melt one stick of butter and mix it with one jar peanut butter. Add one box Rice Krispies and roll into meatball-sized balls. Coat with chocolate... They last and taste great!

For a spicier crust, I use a combination of ginger snaps (Trader Joe's, if available!) and pecans... Heavenly!

The thing about Mozzarella is that it is almost the easiest instant cheese to make (Fromage Blanc is another easy, overnight cheese). I can't answer your question about your old rennet, but I say Try It! and share so we all know... That's the great thing about this thread; hopefully we can all share our successes and failures! I haven't made a Mozzarella yet because I didn't have citric acid. I picked some up over the weekend and already have my lipase, so I think a Mozzarella will be on my list for this week.

McDuff, these lovely successes were preceeded by a number of failures. I'll take a picture of Edgar, my first blue cheese, who has rather painfully dried out (I've been told I could brine him to see if I can resurrect him, but have been a bit lazy on that front). And you can see from Earl that they may not all be successful! I'd love to have access to an appropriate cheese room and I'll shoot some pictures of my next endeavor to give you an idea how we are doing this in our kitchen. The biggest investment is TIME -- so many of these cheeses take careful watching over several hours while the curds separate from the whey. And the blue I made on Saturday is currently in a mold that has to be flipped several times a day. That brine, BTW, was equal parts wine and water with a bunch of fresh herbs and salt. As a whey cheese, it was only brined for three or four days before we ate it. the cheddars, on the other hand, won't even be tasted until close to Christmas -- so who knows if we HAVE been successful! Andiesenji, I would be interested in some of your needles! I've been using KNITTING needles.

I'm bumping this in hopes that other cheesemakers know something about cheese salt. How/Why is it different than Morton's, Kosher flake, and/or sea salt? I have been googling around and trying to research it, but am coming up blank. I am out of the small bag I purchased mail order and would like to think that I could use something over-the-counter... Thoughts?

Finally getting off my lazy ass to post some pictures... These are three cheddars that we have been making throughout the week. Kevin and I perversely name all our creations so I would like to introduce you to Earl, the sloppy bulgy cheddar, Carlton, the Caraway cheddar, and Henry, a cheddar to whom we added cream. They need to sit and air-dry before we coat them in wax before aging. For perspective, these cheeses are 5 1/2 inches in diameter and 2" high. One of our other experiments has been the production of cheese from the leftover whey. We have tried the Norwegian Mytost with limited success but a better effort was Wolfgang, a Ziegerkase which we brined in wine and herbs. He was 2" across and just over 1/2" high. The advantage was that while we won't be tasting our cheddars for several months, this was one we could at after several days. It was a bit grainy and mild like an under-salted feta (keeping in mind it is cow's milk!). We actually used a ricer as a press for this one... This weekend, I am making a stilton...

You have to wonder at who thinks of these things... Full Story

Honestly, the only reason I bought it was because through one of the duty-free shops in Central America (Nicaragua), it was only $85.00! (I bought two at that price and am jazzed that I'll be heading back that way at the end of August!)

Margo True, the Assistant Editor, left almost six months ago and is now at Sunset... Since there are/were undoubtedly a number of articles in the pipeline that had both True's and Andrew's fingerprints on them, it will be more interesting to look at Saveur a year from now and see how it is different.

Very nice report, Suzi! Sorry I didn't know you'd be in Japantown... I would've walked across the street to at least say 'hello!' I love that bookstore and there were a number of great places you guys could have walked to (non-Japanese) in this neighborhood that you could have ate at which would have included some vegi options. Que sera. Glad you enjoyed your stay in our fare city!

116--yeesh!!! Our last day in Calistoga, it was already something like 98 degrees--about 10 degrees hotter than San Francisco--and people there were remarking about the heat. I hadn't realized that part of California gets so hot as our previous trips had always been in the spring or autumn. ← The weird part is that the Calistoga area can generally get 10+ degrees hotter than "down-valley" in Napa. When I lived in Napa, if we got to 90, I knew it would be over a hundred up valley. And then, even a bit hotter in the Lake District. The part of no longer living in Wine Country that I DON'T miss!

A Pim's Cup is served with a cocktail (1 jigger or two of Pims served with Ginger Ale/Sprite/Fuzzy Water, garnished with cucumber) but it is still on the sweetish side -- tasting a bit like an elegant, watered down, alcoholic Coca-Cola, IMHO. Have you considered Sangria? Beautifully served in a pitcher, you could mix-up a bunch of dry red wine with your fruit juice of choice and sliced citrus -- VERY refreshing when its hot!

Mizducky, I was much like you except that my rut was martinis or greyhounds. Gin-based cocktails were the norm for me. My recent experiments have introduced me to Pim's Cups, Sidecars, and various flavors of Mojitos (a bar near me makes the classic mojito, and then several with fresh fruit including raspberries, mangoes, and their "Hawaiian/Chinese" version with lychee and pineapple). I'm liking the Sidecars most.

You should try duck tongues....

I'd like to add that I started with The Cheesemaker's Pantry from Hoegger Goat Supply. Honestly, it did not impress me as the accompanying book didn't really explain that you make your own mesophilic starter from their "buttermilk starter" (the packages were not very well labeled). Also, I purchased a press from them that no longer on their website (I was looking to show a link) -- good reason too as it kinda sucks. I mentioned it to Ms. Carrol when I called her at the New England Cheesemaking company to order more starter and she somewhat assented. The Hoegger press's screw bolt needed to be entirely re-tooled and it does not go deep enough to get the required 50 pounds of pressure. We have to put in shims just to get it to work. I'll get some pictures up at some point... I paid about $230 for their press and the above-mentioned kit. I am seriously considering this press which will get up to 120 pounds (although I have yet to read a recipe that needs more than 50). But I am tired of having to dick with my cheap press that actually bows on the base when I apply 50 pounds and has no drip spout! There are some interesting presses here, but again, I don't see a drip spout OR a regulator (most recipes say things like "press at 10 pounds for 15 minutes, 20 pounds for 2 hours, and then 40 pounds for 24 hours...").

1st - Regarding the In-N-Out, the recommended secret menu request is to order it "Animal Style" where the onions are grilled, the patties are grilled with the sauce, and it is served with pickles. 2nd - Thank you for reminding of Zankou Chicken!!! I forgot how amazing it was... <snif>

You made me remember that 35 years ago, both Taco Bell AND Del Taco were actually good places to eat! (Okay, I was a kid, but I remember enjoying Taco Bell's tostado and Del Taco's burritos).

That's just freek'n gorgeous, man!