Prepared...at Home: Ricotta

I was gearing up for a homemade butternut squash gnocchi recipe that called for some ricotta cheese, and was inspired to try and make my own.

Now, I didn't just think of this. That's not a thought that pops into my head. I don't saunter down the cheese aisle and say, "Hey, it would be a great idea to make my own [insert cheese name here]."

I was watching a short program on the Channel 4 NYC Foodie show, and watched a clip by the "Working Class Foodies," instructing how to make delicious and inexpensive ricotta cheese from scratch for use in zucchini and lemon zest pancakes.

"Not too shabby," I thought.

The next day, I bought something I never buy--whole milk--and headed home with my ricotta and my gnocchi on my mind.

I tried to make my own cheese yesterday, and all I can say is that it was an epic failure for reasons that still do not understand.

The recipe called for 1 quart of 2% or Whole milk, and 2 tbsps of lemon juice.

You're supposed to bring the milk to a boil, stirring and whisking all the while, and then add the lemon juice to curdle it--which separates the curds from the whey.

You then strain the mixture through a strainer or cheesecloth to drain out the whey. What is left is your ricotta which you season with lemon zest, salt, and pepper.

I had whole milk. I had lemon juice. I did the steps.

My milk would not curdle. It refused. I added more lemon. Still nothing. I whisked and whisked and boiled and boiled until I realized that something was wrong.

I was really excited to make this, and perhaps I will try again, but all I can say is that this was not as I had hoped, and I will very well have to get some storebought ricotta for my darling gnocchi.