I can has FAIL in the kitchen - stroppycow

I can has FAIL in the kitchen

Christmas is a time for sharing right? So I give you my latest cooking embarrassment (yes I know it doesn't really qualify as a pantry skeleton but we are talking spirit of the post rather than letter of the post).

Anyway, twas a few days after Christmas and since The Boy was still away at his father's and MFC was busy a) mutating the remnants of unfriendly strain of turkey flu before passing it over to me to incubate and b) doing some work voodoo I was left to make my own entertainment. Were I a single child like The Boy or MFC this would not present a challenge. Alas I had siblings and I have the attention span of a goldfish on speed so there's only so long the fingerless mittens, creating playlists or the pile of books from the library were going to keep me amused.

It seemed obvious at the time that attempting to make cheese curds so I could try making and consuming poutine was a brilliant idea. If you can't buy the stuff then make it seemed the path to follow.

Step 1 dismiss all the websites about cheese making that say that without the right cultures and facilities to control temperatures the results *are* going to be bad unless you stick to cottage cheese, paneer or ricotta styles.

Step 2 warm copious amounts of milk and sour with yoghurt because cheese cultures aren't an item I keep in my food cupboards.

Step 3 add vegetarian rennet and watch the curds and whey separate. Attempt to keep at the right temperature using the yog machine without its lid on.

Step 4 strain, rinse the curds and start pressing.

Step 5 offer tiny bites of the white stuff to MFC and demand his opinion on the resulting product.

Step 6 dismiss the reply of "Nope, just tastes like paneer to me" and press some more adding an extra tin to the pile on top of the plate.

repeat step 5, dismiss "nope, no squeak to it"

Step 8 offer to go buy some plastic mozzarella or some gouda to use in place of curds. Cube paneer to use another day .

Step 9 take one look outside and decide that it's too dark and wet and make risotto instead of poutine .

28.12.07 19:02

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To date 3 Comment(s) TrackBack-URL

Fimb / Website (31.12.07 17:20)
But.. But.. Sauce on chips?? Nooo.... soggy chips!!! Bad bad bad!

stroppycow / Website (1.1.08 19:41)
I know, I know. I don't "do" gravy or wet food either but I have been told it' has to be tried once at least and that if you eat it fast enough and the chips are crispy enough to start with then it doesn't feel soggy, but then again it might just have been a pack of lies to entice me =)

jag / Website (6.1.08 21:21)
Cubing it to use another day is a cool idea! :-) Happy New Year to you and yours Strop!

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