Cheese.a.holics: Fresh Cheese Uses & Subs

[Margi Cintrano]

Buon Giorno, Ladies and Gentlemen,

What are the differences amongst Fromage Blanc, Oaxaca Fresh Cheese, Lebneh and Ricotta ?

Here is a Mini Guide of the eight most common fresh cheeses with their uses and their best Substitutes ...

Cheese and Origin Tasting Notes Uses and Subs




Italian Mascarpone

Cow´s cream, used in smooth Desserts and toppings and is faintly nutty, silky and wonderful or fresh fruit.
Sub:
sweet Whipped Ricotta

Italian Ricotta

Made from ewe
or cow´s milk.

Subs: Fromage Blanc
milk with a faint vanilla or
aroma, grainy curds, soft and Small curd
moist.

Predominately used in cottage
baked pastas, fillings and pizzas cheese



French Crème Fraîche

Cow milk slightly sweet tangy dips,
spoonable thick texture. sauces,
dressings

Sub: sour
cream or
Devonshire or
clotted cream

French Fromage

Cow milk soft dense and spreadable

Blanc used for dumplings and crèpes

Ricotta for Sub


French Goat Cheese

Grainy spoonable with a
mild yet earthy fragrance and
slightly tangy.

Goat cheese Frommage
is used in spreads for bread, Blanc
dressings and savoury stuffings


Mexican Fresh Produced from goat or cow
milk, a granular texture.

Queso Fresco in Spanish is firm enough to slice, however, Farmer cheese is a fine sub.

Queso Fresco crumbles easily.

Used with small curd,
for enchiladas, tamales and cottage cheese could also sub here. Many dishes with a Latin
American flare, this works well as toppings.



Lebanese Lebneh made from either goat or cow´s milk, it is creamy in texture.

Best Sub: Greek Yogurt

tangy and tart like Greek Yogurt
and is used in dips, dressings,
toppings and Lebanese Meze
and Israeli Cuisine.

QUARK:

German or Austrian, a cow milk, soft smooth
spreadable variety.
*** Sub: Farmer used as a spread for breads

Quark also works with Vienna style sofflés, desserts and mousses.

Sub: Farmer´s
cheese or small
curd cottage


Hope this has provided some assistance ...

Have a lovely Sunday,
Ciao.
Margi. Cintrano.

 

[Skittle68]

I'm thinking about using mascarpone in a cheesecake. I've never used it before, but I heard it can give cheesecake a really velvety texture. What ratio do you think would be appropriate? Do you think it would be too soft if I used half and half? I hear it has the texture of sticky pudding. Is this right? Also, I found this recipe online. Has anyone made mascarpone before? Is it as good as store bought?

Makes about 12 oz
Ingredients:
500 ml whipping (36 %) pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized), preferably organic cream
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Preparation:
Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a wide skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the water is barely simmering. Pour the cream into a medium heat-resistant bowl, then place the bowl into the skillet. Heat the cream, stirring often, to 190 F. It will take about 15 minutes of delicate heating. Add the lemon juice and continue heating the mixture, stirring gently, until the cream curdles. Do not expect the same action as you see during ricotta cheese making. All that the whipping cream will do is become thicker, like a well-done crème anglaise. It will cover a back of your wooden spoon thickly. You will see just a few clear whey streaks when you stir. Remove the bowl from the water and let cool for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, line a sieve with four layers of dampened cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Transfer the mixture into the lined sieve. Do not squeeze the cheese in the cheesecloth or press on its surface (be patient, it will firm up after refrigeration time). Once cooled completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (in the sieve) overnight or up to 24 hours.
The first time I made mascarpone I had all doubts if it’d been cooked enough, because of its custard-like texture. Have no fear, it will firm up beautifully in the fridge, and will yet remain lusciously creamy.

 

[Skittle68]

Another recipe says to use tartaric acid, which I might use instead. It's supposed to be less likely to curdle.

 

[Steve Kroll]

Another recipe says to use tartaric acid, which I might use instead. It's supposed to be less likely to curdle.

Mascarpone was made traditionally with lemon juice in most Italian kitchens (and that's the way I've made it myself). It seems a little odd to me that modern recipes would call for tartaric acid as a substitute, I would think that citric acid would be a better choice, since that's the predominant acid in lemons. But I think they could be used interchangeably. I have both acids in my pantry and citric adds a tangy citrusy flavor, while tartaric is more neutral. Maybe that's why tartaric is used in some of these recipes.

 

[taxlady]

I often make quark and use it as a substitute for cream cheese. It also works well with herbs as a substitute for Boursin. Adjust the texture of the quark by how long it drips or if it's too dry, add back some of the whey.

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Skittles: Glad You Have Come Upon This Thread

Buon Giorno Skittles, Good Morning,

Yesterday evening, while sitting on our terrace, my husband and I were going through my Nonna ( paternal Grandmother ) Margherite´s hand written Italian notebooks, where she wrote all her recipes, food and kitchen notes from her Trattoria ...

I have never made Mascarpone, however, my Nonna combined 3 different cheeses for her cheesecake, and here is her recipe:

Nonna Margherite´s Trattoria Cheesecake

8 ounces whole Cream Cheese ( Philadelphia works best for this is her note)
1 cup sugar
4 eggs lightly beaten
3 tblsps. corn starch
1 1/2 tablesp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup sweetened butter at room temperature
1/2 pint Mascarpone and 1/2 pint sweetened whipped Ricotta and drain both thoroughly

Topping: fresh blueberries, pineapple, peaches, strawberries, black berries or rasberries

1. preheat oven 325 degrees farenheit
2. grease a 9" spring form baking pan
3. large bowl: with an electric mixer, combine at high speed the following: cream cheese, ricotta and mascarpone until thoroughly mixed and slowly add the sugar and beat briskly. Then add the eggs until thoroughly mixed.
4. at low speed, beat in flour, lemon juice, vanilla and corn starch.
5. add melted butter and beat until smooth yet thick ( you do not want a liquid-y texture )
6. pour into prepared pan and bake 50 to 60 minutes or until firm
7. when ready, turn off oven and let cake cool in the oven for 2 hours
8. remove cake and refrigerate until well chilled for 4 to 6 hours
9. serve with fresh fruit on top of choice and whipped cream if you wish
10. Enjoy with an Espresso on Ice or Cappucchino and a Cordial of choice

*** Skittles: I had just found this notebook, and thus, translated the recipe to post here ... I have so many notebooks of Nonna, and uncountable recipes, that I just have not had the time to try this one, however, I am planning to try it too ...

Kind regards,
Margi.

 

[Kylie1969]

Nice recipe margi, thank you

 

[Skittle68]

When I was researching mascarpone I came across a site that joked about how the people who pronounce mascarpone (mah•skar•PŌ•nay) "mar•skah•pōn" are the same people who pronounce espresso "expresso" and nuclear "nuk•u•lar". The coworker who told me about it in the first place is in that camp. I wanted to tell her about being able to make your own mascarpone because she makes her own cheesecake somewhat professionally, and she was saying how she doesn't like to make tiramisu cheesecake because it's so expensive. I tried to discretely pronounce it correctly, but she corrected me (wrong), and I had to explain that I looked up the pronunciation. In the next sentence she said something about "expresso" and "mar•scah•PŌ•nee". ::face palm:: I was trying to think of a way to get her to say nuclear, but I couldn't come up with anything.

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Skittles and Kylie,

Skittles: thank you for sharing the dilemmas of foreign pronounciation ...
Have you solved your dilemma with the possibilities of preparing homemade mascarpone ?

Kylie: thanks for your feedback ...

Have lovely August,
Margi.

 

[Skittle68]

Skittles and Kylie,

Skittles: thank you for sharing the dilemmas of foreign pronounciation ...
Have you solved your dilemma with the possibilities of preparing homemade mascarpone ?

Kylie: thanks for your feedback ...

Have lovely August,
Margi.

I think so- I'm just going to stick with lemon juice, since it's traditional, and easy to get. I'll make it the day before I make the cheesecake so I can use it the day of, and I will see how thick it is before I decide how much to use in relation to the cream cheese

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Skittles,

Thanks for reply ... Sounds delicious ...

Have great August. Margi.