Guest Post - Liptauer Cheese from Mary of One Perfect Bite

I read this post for a savoury and delicious cheese recipe on my friend Mary's site, One Perfect Bite. It is a great way to use the fresh cheese we have been making here at Forging Fromage, or even with store-bought cheese, and she has kindly agreed to let us reproduce her post here. Can't wait to try this recipe!

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...
I know that early exposure helps us develop an affinity for certain foods. It's the only plausible explanation for my love of Central European food. I had my first taste of Liptauer cheese at the age of 4 and we've had an improbable love affair ever since. Lipto is a fresh Hungarian cheese that's made with sheep's milk. It has a very soft consistency, but it's so mild that it's almost flavorless. That's taken care of by the addition of herbs and seeds and spices that are used to flavor the food of the region. A little paprika, a few capers and a spoonful of caraway seeds help move the bland to "bingo." When we lived in Chicago, Lipto cheese was just a bus ride away. It became harder to find in the suburbs of New Jersey and I haven't been able to find it at all where we now live. This cheese spread is popular in Slovakia and Italy , where it's called Spuma di formaggio all'ungherese, as well as in Austria and Hungary. It's almost effortless to make and it's wonderful for those occasions where beer is the beverage of choice. Liptauer cheese spread can be made with any soft cheese. Cottage cheese, cream cheese, quark, and soft goat or sheep cheese are all great substitutes for Lipto. The cheese is mixed with sour cream, butter, and finely chopped onions. Spices like ground paprika, fresh parsley, and bruised caraway seeds are added to the mix along with mustard and anchovies. The cheese is served with crackers or dark breads such as rye or pumpernickel. Some folks serve it with vegetables and others use it to stuff vegetables. All in all, it's an amazingly versatile spread. If you add two or three extra tablespoons of sour cream to the mix, it becomes a dip that's not at all bad with chips or pretzels. Liptauer takes 10 minutes to assemble, but it's flavor improves if it's allowed to sit for a few hours before serving. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Liptauer Cheese Spread

from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
8 oz. of Lipto or cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup soft butter, softened
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 mashed anchovy fillets or 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 teaspoon capers
1 tablespoon finely minced onion
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1-1/2 teaspoons sweet Hungarian paprika
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds smashed or bruised to release flavor
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1) Combine cream cheese, butter, sour cream and anchovies in a small bowl. Mix well to combine.
2) Add capers, minced onions, mustard, paprika, caraway seeds and salt. Mix well.
3) Form a smooth mound. Make slight indentations in mound using tines of a fork. Sprinkle with paprika.
4) Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Garnish as desired. Yield 1-3/4 cups.

Remember, November's cheese challenge is Mascarpone!
*Email your cheese-filled adventures by the last day of the month.

Bonus
If you make this liptauer, or any special cheese spread or cheese ball, before the end of the year, feel free to write to us. Send in a picture and a link if you post it, and we will post an extra round-up in the new year. I think it would be a wonderful holiday appetizer.
Please direct any entries or questions...or just write to say howdeedoo...to forgingfromage at live dot com

Our Cheesy Adventure for November is.....

Yes...that is our cheese adventure for the month of November!!! This is so easy...2 ingredients!! I'm going to share the recipe that I will be using with you...it is from The Home Creamery by Kathy Farrell-Kingsley. Feel free to use any recipe you like, though.

4 cups (2 pints) heavy cream
1 Tbs. white wine vinegar

1. Pour the cream into the top of a large double boiler and slowly heat to 190 degrees F, stirring occasionally. Check the temperature with a thermometer.

2. Stir in the vinegar, and continue to stir until the cream begins to curdle. Remove the pan from the water, cover and let stand about 15 minutes or until the curds begin to firm.

3. Pour or ladle the curds into a butter muslin-lined strainer set over a large bowl. Let the curds cool completely, then cover and refrigerate for 24 hours to continue draining and to firm.

4. Discard the liquid and transfer the mascarpone to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Stir well before using.

Okay, make it and blog it and send me your link by the last day in November!! Good or bad, success or failure...share with us your cheesy adventure! And remember, if the urge ever strikes to do a guest post about a particular cheesy subject here at Forging Fromage...just say the word...and it's done! Feel free to ask any questions or make comments about MASCARPONE in the comments at the end of this post...hopefully we can learn how to do it...and what not to do...together!

Rounding up Cottage Cheese results...from our first Forging Fromage adventure!

We did it!! We successfully made Cottage Cheese. AT HOME! Only 3 of us worked our way through this month's adventure...but I would say with beautiful and surprising results!!

First up is my cheese making partner in crime...Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies. Natashya was the one who actually nudged me into starting a cheese making blog...and now I've nudged her into joining me! But we have been working our way through the successes and failures over the past few months anyway...now we can just share them with others! Look at her Cottage Cheese! Pretty, huh? She used a slightly adapted recipe from The Home Creamery by Kathy Farrell-Kingsley...allowing her to "make up" for the homogenization and pasteurization of her store-bought milk.

Next we have Susan from The Accidental Farmer...who actually posted her own recipe from many, many practice rounds right here on Forging Fromage! Her method was different in she let time (and the wonders of raw milk) do the work, instead of rennet!
And bringing up the rear is yours truly...originally posted over at girlichef. I became a convert...where I once was a bit suspicious of cottage cheese...I now cannot wait to make it (and eat it) again!! But I prefer it un-creamy. I also used The Home Creamery recipe...sans changes! See how easy that was!!!??? And super rewarding...seriously, it feels really awesome to produce your own cheese. Yes, I love cheese.

Stay tuned for Novembers Cheese Adventure...I promise you...it's SUPER EASY!!! And you can jump right in without any "special" starters or cultures. No better place or time to begin.....