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November 17, 2006
Paper Scraps Vol 6 : Ricotta 101
* Ricotta is a fresh unripened Italian cheese made from whey (the watery residue left over from making other cheeses such as mozzarella)
* The name ricotta is derived from the Italian word recocta, which means "recooked". This refers to the second stage of making ricotta, where the leftover whey is cooked again to get the final product.
* Ricotta is a smooth cheese with a creamy mild taste and a thick texture. Its light flavour and low salt content make it perfect for using in sweet or savoury dishes. It can also be air-cured or dried in the oven to make it into a harder, sharper tasting cheese that can be grated.
* A great source of calcium and magnesium, ricotta is the ideal cheese for people watching their weight, it's fat content of around 10 per cent is quite low compared to the 34 per cent in regular cheeses.
* Ricotta is vailable fresh all year round in most delis and supermarkets. Packaged ricotta has a higher moisture content. Use fresh ricotta while baking to avoid soggy cakes and pastries.
Posted by Gel at November 17, 2006 4:59 PM
