Some days, I go to the playground, looking for fun, but find that it is deserted. I can see my good friends, Ideas and Inspiration, lurking in the shadows; just out of reach. As much as I coax and cajole them, they refuse to come out to play.
Then there are days, like today, when they are already there waiting.
This morning, while enjoying my breakfast of ricotta, fruit, and coffee, I was struck by the how the flavor of ricotta mingled with the coffee. I began to wonder if it was possible to unite these flavors before they hit the palate.
Ideas told me that this might be achieved by marinating the ricotta in coffee. Obediently, I brewed a fresh cup and stirred in some ricotta. A few hours later, I was dismayed to find that there was only a faint flavor of the coffee in the ricotta.
I was about to give up hope, when Inspiration suggested that because the ricotta was now a few days old, it had already ‘set’ and was not open to absorbing any more liquid, but that a fresh batch would still be porous. It seemed plausible, and because it is quick and easy, I made more ricotta.
While the fresh batch drained for the requisite 5 minutes, I brewed a fresh cup of coffee and stirred in the still- warm ricotta. This time, after only 20 minutes, the ricotta had taken on a rich brown color and tasted distinctly of coffee.
Before the ricotta cooled, I tried other flavors:
coffee caramel raspberry
Moving to the savory side, I had on hand some gelatin-filtered tomato sauce that I had infused with basil and garlic.
This tasted just like pizza!
I was having a great time playing with my friends (they get so wound up), but I had other things to do (like work). They did, however, convince me to try one more thing with ricotta before abandoning it for the day: ricotta caramel.
I cooked some sugar with a bit of water until it turned dark amber, then stirred in some well-drained ricotta. I had expected it to turn out hard and brittle, but instead it was soft and chewy, interspersed with flecks of curd. Interesting texture…more play for another day.
Playing with Fire and Water 
These look great!
What do you do with all the whey? I’ve got a few quarts in the fridge after making ricotta.
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There are infinite uses for whey…I add it to bread dough, muffins, pancake batter, or use it as a base for bisques and chowders. It’s a great liquid to use for cooking vegetables such as potatoes, leeks, and cauliflower. I also use it as a braising liquid, with OJ and miso for pork belly, or lemon zest and tomato for veal breast. Also, you can freeze it for future use.
btw…how did your ricotta turn out?
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It was tasty.
Thanks for giving me some ideas on what to do with the whey. Google didn’t do a whole lot for me. I knew that it was good for something, just wasn’t sure what. Nice to know I can freeze it, too.
I don’t have any helpful ideas for you in exchange, but how about some food links:
Ever been to Rungis, the giant food market outside of Paris?
http://fxcuisine.com/default.asp?Display=32&resolution=high
Or seen a Chicken in Half-mourning from the Pyrenees? (heads up, there’s a bulging chicken eye ball that looks right at you at the top of the page)
http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=82723&hl=
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Thanks for the fascinating links.
I have not been to Rungis, but have been to markets in Europe where they sell live chickens and game birds, stacked high in cages.
Growing up, my parents raised chickens and rabbits for meat. There were also live, writhing eels kept in a tub in a shady part of the yard. As a child, it appalled and confused me, but now, I appreciate the integrity of it.
I have friends that raise turkeys and slaughter the whole lot a few days before Thanksgiving for their lucky customers. I am often too busy at that time of year to participate, but when I have, it’s been a transcendent experience…an antidote to the detached way that we celebrate the holiday.
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hey there…I just tried melting ricotta salata from Italy on a chip in the microwave and saw fireworks! it was almost as if the ricotta had gunpowder grains mixed in? I tried the chip seperately with no results then the ricotta alone and saw sparks again…what exactly are the italians mixing in?
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Salt.
Molten salt (in the cheese) conducts electricity.
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