(a.k.a. English farmhouse cheese)
I am not sure why I had never tried to make this fresh cheese before, but I am certainly glad that the availability of fresh goat milk (latte di capra) coupled with an impending trip steered me towards it. Different from Coulommiers, its English-style counterpart is not mold-ripened and can be eaten shortly after being made.
I followed the recipe for this cheese given in the book 200 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes by Debra Amrein-Boyes. I adapted the given recipe by diving the quantities by four and by using one quart of fresh goat milk and 1.5 quarts cow milk (latte di mucca), instead of all cow milk. Ricki Carroll's Home Cheese Making also has the recipe for it. (They are slightly different, mostly in the use of a different starter culture.) In the introduction Carroll describes the special mold used to make Coulommiers. A Camembert mold can also be used, and this is what I have done.
It was not the first time I had used this mold, so I knew that it requires special attention. After the curd is formed, thin slices of it are ladled into the mold. Draining of the whey (siero di latte) is by gravity, which takes some time, so the watchword here is "patience" (pazienza). In the photo below you can see drops of whey sliding along the side of the mold, which has small holes all around.
I filled the mold almost to the rim, waited until the curd's level dropped then added a bit more. I continued this process until all the curd was used. What happens if you go too fast? The mold has no bottom, so if you overfill it, the pressure may move it and you may end up with curd rushing out from the bottom (been there, done that).
To help prevent any movement of the mold and also to make sure there was no leaking of curd through the cheese mat, I put a sterilized piece of cloth under the mold (the green thing you can glean in the photos). This may or may not be acceptable, but it was certainly useful. If you can manage to be patient and come back to the mold over and over again to fill it, and make sure the draining occurs undisturbed, the process is actually kind of fun to watch. As you can see below, the curd level has gone down and the curd looks more compact than in the photo above.
Unfortunately, I don't have additional images of the process nor of the cheese when it came out of the mold. Just to give you an idea, the mold is 4-1/4" high and the thickness of the final cheese is 1.5 inches. The photo below shows the finished cheese resting on the mat (if it reminds you of a sushi mat, it's because that is what it is). The cheese has already been flipped, and you can see the markings left by the mat on its surface.
After a day or so in the fridge, we started consuming the cheese, whose surface glistens nicely in the light. The cheese is wrapped in a special two-layer paper, described on this page accompanying a previous cheese post.
The end product was a pretty small cheese that tasted fresh and milky. In my case, there was a also delicate tang provided by the goat milk. The cheese pairs well with my homemade bread. Pane e formaggio (bread and cheese) is really one of my favorite foods to eat during dinner. I also used it over French toast. After flipping the toast, I put on it four thin slices of the cheese and let it warm up and soften, but only slightly, to protect the delicate flavor of the cheese. This was a special French toast also for another reason, but the revelation will have to wait a couple of weeks. Let me just say that head of my Quality Assurance department (a.k.a., my husband) fully approved.
A couple of nights ago, I brought the cheese to the table together with 100% whole-grain bread (which you can see in the photos in this post) and my red beet spread: everything was warmly received. Other serving suggestions come from the cheese-making book's author. Amrein-Boyes says:
It is very versatile: try a slice with a muffin for breakfast, or drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with herbs and a few capers for an easy gourmet appetizer.
[I assume she refers to English muffin.]
I will make this cheese again, maybe using Ricki Carroll's recipe for comparison. As always, stay tuned for more reports about my adventures in cheese making.
Exciting update (June 7, 2011): my story on making English-style Coulommiers is featured in today's post on the New England Cheesemaking Supply Company blog. Such an honor!
Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post
formaggio fatto in casa: Coulommiers stile inglese
or launch the formaggio fatto in casa: Coulommiers stile inglese audio file [mp3].
[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]
I started writing this post a couple of days ago, but the recent events in Japan have understandably diverted my attention. Early Friday morning, we were woken up by a friend calling to make sure we were all right. Soon after, another call arrived, then another. We were not close to the ocean at the time of the tsunami alert, and we did not see the wave that reached the California coast and caused substantial damage to the Crescent City and Santa Cruz harbors.
Earthquake preparedness has made a difference in Japan, from the way buildings handled it to the way people reacted to it. The tsunami unfortunately was a different story. Yesterday morning, I went to a yoga class in Berkeley. The teacher started it with these words, which I share with you, because they are so true in their simplicity: "We are here by grace."
He later reminded us (some 40 people) that we were sitting on a fault. As I watch the third part of the disaster in Japan unfold (I am quite worried, having experienced the consequences of Chernobyl's accident, when I was living in Italy), I will keep repeating to myself those words, and remind myself of the basic concepts of earthquake preparedness that I learned by taking classes. Being prepared at a personal level makes a difference. Your city or county may organize dedicated classes (like basic disaster preparedness, light search and rescue, fire safety, disaster first aid). If so, I strongly encourage you to attend those classes. Also, check this entertaining slide presentation by the City of Berkeley Office of Emergency Services illustrating 5 critical steps to prepare for an earthquake (terremoto).
I just can't believe that the wave arrived all the way here, this show how strong the quake was. We are not religious but while visiting the Mission Dolores we prayed for the people of Japan who were hit by the tsunami. What a tragedy.
On a different note, I would love to taste this cheese, it looks so tasty.
Ciao!
Posted by: Laura | March 13, 2011 at 05:32 PM
I love making cheese at home, but it dos take time. I never made a cheese like this, I should try, you did a great job!
The earthquake in Japan is tragic, I lived there a few here, I am Italian, and now I live in New Zealand, so I am pretty used to earthquakes happening around me (fortunately I never been in a really major one) but what really worries me is what we are building on fault lines, and Tsunami prone areas, like nuclear power stations...
Posted by: Alessandra | March 13, 2011 at 11:59 PM
As Disaster Coordinator for our Department (amongst many other things), thank you for your post about being prepared for any disaster. Japan is probably the most prepared country in the world. My heart goes out to them.
For those of us in CA, carry an earthquake kit in your vehicle and in your home. There are plenty of sites which can help you with prepared kits or make your own. Make sure you have at least three days of water available for each person in your household. Carry a warm blanket in your vehicle or one of those silvery blankets to keep warm. One of the last telephone communications to go down in a disaster is the text (usually) so see if you can text if you can't call. Try not to panic and hopefully, everything will turn out OK.
I so wish I was over there to pass out blankets, water, food and warm hugs.
Posted by: Debbie | March 14, 2011 at 05:20 AM
I'll have a look for the slipcote recipe Simona, but need to find it first, can't remember where I put my notes! Please be patient, in the meantime go and have a look at my hme made halloumi, you don't need raw milk for it (can't believe that it is illegal in California!!!)
Posted by: Alessandra | March 14, 2011 at 09:40 AM
I guess we have something in common. Both were living in Italy when Chernobyl hit! Your cheese looks wonderful. I keep seeing all these homemade cheeses, ricotta etc .... I really have to get down to trying to make this myself one of these days.
Posted by: Chris's GourmetFashion | March 14, 2011 at 09:52 AM
brava, potresti pubblicare anche tu un libricino di formaggi home made ^______^ baciuzzzz
Posted by: astrofiammante | March 14, 2011 at 01:21 PM
Ciao Laura. And it was not a small wave, either. It's an enormous tragedy and I hope the Japanese people start getting better news.
The cheese was a pleasant surprise. I'll definitely make it again.
Ciao Alessandra. We visited New Zealand a few years ago and have great memories from that trip. You had your share of earthquake this year, though not near where you are.
Making cheese takes a bit of time, but that varies. I think one can find a cheese that fits his/her schedule. For example, the French Neufchatel I made a short while ago needs little attention, just time to do its thing.
Hi Debbie. Thanks for sharing words of advice. I have a kit in the car and we have a bin full of supplies outside the house. Nowadays it is also easy to find special products that take up little space and have a long shelf life. I am awed by the way the Japanese people have reacted to this incredible disaster.
Ciao Alessandra. Take your time, please. I'll take a closer look at the halloumi post. I made it once and though I was not thrilled, it was appreciated at the table. However, I did not use all goat milk. The legality of the sale of raw milk is at the county level, not the state. In most counties it is actually legal. I wish I had access to a distributor of raw milk like there are in Italy, especially in northern Italy.
Hi Chris. The events in Japan have brought back memories and I certainly hope we don't have a repeat. Thanks for the kind words. I recommend you give making cheese a try: you can keep it easy and still get great results. For example, homemade mascarpone is wonderful.
Ciao Astro. Le ricette che seguo non sono mie, pero' potrei annotarle con suggerimenti basati sull'esperienza. Magari un giorno organizzero' un mini-workshop a casa mia. Che ne dici?
Posted by: Simona Carini | March 14, 2011 at 10:07 PM
Simo, dico che il mio sorriso arriva da un orecchio all'altro....potrebbe però essere anche il contrario, ovviamente il mio ruolo sarebbe quello dell'allieva ^_____^
Posted by: astrofiammante | March 15, 2011 at 02:42 AM
Must be wonderful. I love the idea of making cheese at home and even tried making cheese (mozzarella) once at home. The result was indeed cheese, but not mozzarella... more of a 'string cheese'. Guess I aimed too high for my first try! Farmer's cheeses sound like the ticket. Cheers!
Posted by: Frank | March 15, 2011 at 05:17 AM
I love making cheese at home, too :) I usually make mascarpone and can't wait to make ricotta. Tha additon of fresh goat milk sounds pretty great to me!
My whole family feels very sorry for the people in Japan. I can't believe it and I'm really glad that we live in the middle of Europe without any sea nearby. I hope there won't be any other earthquake in Japan and any other people dying. It's really horrible and sad and we have to hope it's gonna be better.
Posted by: Catalina | March 15, 2011 at 07:12 AM
Certo, qui o da te, mi farebbe piacere comunque. E che da me e' piu' facile perche' ho i miei "ferri del mestiere." ;)
Ciao Frank. Making good mozzarella is tricky: I did it a few times and got "string cheese" as you say, but not the mozzarella I grew up eating (there are some reasons and maybe one day I will write more extensively about them). So, I make other kinds of cheese. There are many options for beginner's cheese and a number of resources to tap into (including my page on making cheese at home, so i encourage you to try again.
That's great, Catalina: making mascarpone at home is very satisfying. I grew up in a part of Italy that is quake-prone, so moving to California made no difference in that respect. But seeing the tsunami wipe out everything in its path is terrifying.
Posted by: Simona Carini | March 15, 2011 at 08:06 AM
Yes, I remember Chernobyl too. My admiration for the Japanese people grew stronger with this event. They were prepared, they surely made all they could, and they are reacting with great strength. I would be totally unprepared for such a natural disaster. I'll have a look at the link you provide.
Cheese eludes me: even mascarpone was a failure! I have to say I am not trying that hard now, that I live in a place where I can buy great cheese, but when living in the UK I would have been desperate to produce such a nice cheese.
Posted by: Caffettiera | March 15, 2011 at 01:30 PM
Ohhhh my.....
I am so envious of your cheese making abilities. It looks wonderful. I love making cheese, though I've never made any good enough to share with someone who is not already a very dear friend.
I will use this post and pictures as inspiration to get back at it.
Cheers,
Andy
Posted by: Andy | March 15, 2011 at 02:11 PM
Ciao Caffettiera. There are some simple things you can do to make sure that you are better prepared to handle an emergency. Here in California it's a lot of about earthquake preparedness and also fire (including prevention). I was just reading about the group of 50 workers who are at the nuclear plant: they are true heroes, putting their life on the line to help everybody else. I hope their efforts succeed and I hope the protective gear they are wearing is the one thing that works in this disaster.
What happened with the mascarpone? I was buying imported one from Italy until I learned to make it at home. There are a lot of great cheeses here, but famous Italian cheeses are often produced industrially and have nothing in common with the original save the name.
Hi Andy. I also share my cheese only with friends or in a controlled environment, so to speak. The great thing about homemade cheese is that if it comes out not great as a standalone cheese, you can always use it in cooking - well, almost. It's sort of embarrassing to say it, but I managed to get bad cottage cheese twice, using two different recipes, so that cheese is off my list for good.
Posted by: Simona Carini | March 15, 2011 at 03:48 PM
What an amazing cheese. I didn't know that you lived on the western coasts Simona. Glad you are okay and what happened to Japan is very tragic. Greece is also one of the most seismogenic places on earth and I have lived a couple of strong ones, the last one in 1999. We have learned living with smallers earthquakes but it is horrifying what may happen one day.
Posted by: Ivy | March 16, 2011 at 05:56 AM
La tua esperienza nel mondo dei formaggi diventa sempre più ricca :D
Posted by: Milen@ | March 16, 2011 at 11:09 AM
Ciao Ivy. Yes, part of the time we live on the coast. Events like that in Japan really shake us and make us feel insecure in what can happen on a large scale. I hope the Japanese people get some good news soon: they deserve to be able to start the reconstruction process.
Ciao Lenny. Ho paura di essere irrimediabilmente innamorata di questa cosa qui. E non desidero che mi passi ;)
Posted by: Simona Carini | March 16, 2011 at 03:03 PM
Found you by chance when googling 'English Coulommiers'. I plan on making it as my next cheese. I'm delighted - it looks like I stumbled upon an absolutely wonderful blog!
Posted by: One Day At A Time | February 20, 2013 at 12:56 PM
Welcome to briciole, Robin and thanks for your kind words. I hope you'll have fun with this cheese, because it is fun to make and you get to taste it quickly.
Posted by: Simona Carini | February 20, 2013 at 11:37 PM