A Delightful Day for Cream

Dear Bloggers,
      Today I embarked on a journey that I thought was a simple snap in between my fingers, making cottage cheese. I had my rennet, my milk, I thought I was set.... until I looked at the recipe, 6 tablespoons of cream it read... I didn't have a drop of cream and thought it probably wouldn't cause much of an effect if I omitted the cream. It's the coagulating process of whey separating from the fat in the milk. I was using 1% milk, I thought that would be enough. Well, to my four hours of patient waiting I came to find nothing had happened. Well, cottage cheese, we must meet again, but I better not waste a half gallon of organic milk again, or else!

     Nonetheless, I also tackled two more recipes from Cooking With Frogs. I managed to have my boyfriend pick up some cream, since I yet again failed to have what I really needed. Firstly, I cracked open those pistachios and damaged my fingers severely and added them to the melted butter in the pan along with the cream, chicken stock, and mascarpone. By the way, Anna, I love mascarpone cheese, it has been there for me through some dark times with a slice of fresh bread. I wish Americans realized the true quality difference between cheeses. Cream cheese has been banned from my refrigerator. I chose to use whole wheat pasta in exchange and tossed it in with the creamy sauce and plated it. I could not have been more pleasantly surprised. The smoothness that the mascarpone brings with the nutty, sweet flavors from the pistachios. It was an 10, hands down. I will opt to cook this recipe when I am feeling the need for some serious comfort food.

     I served the pasta with some beautiful bread I brought back from San Francisco, the one and only with lactobacillus sanfranciscensis. That tangy, sour, magnificently glutenous bread was topped with some freshly roasted garlic, Stonehouse olive oil. If you haven't checked them out, please do so here. They have one of the largest selections of olive oils that are so well bodied with the most fragrant, olive flavor. I topped the roasted garlic with some oregano, basil, and chili flakes. Bread always pleases.
    To end the evening, I opted for Ava's banana bread and was yet again happy. I am not a huge fan of banana bread, to be honest, but this bread was so simple that I forgot how good banana bread is. I loved the soured milk idea, although I wasn't sure scientifically how that would change the bread. Have any thoughts Taylor? Anyways, the banana bread might just have to reserve a place in my heart as being one of the most moist, flavorful breads I have tried. I hope you have the opportunity to appreciate and create some of these decadent dishes. Until next week, or maybe the week after, stay healthy and happy cooking!