[shahar]

I made a cheese for my daily menu but have no clue how to name it.

I started by making yogurt(clocks at about 7% fat). Brought it to scald and let it curdled. Hanged it for four hours. Shape into logs. Brined it for two days. washed it and now they're firming up in the walkin. It's about 25% fat now and is somewhat like a firm tart light on the salt feta. It's not "Labaneh" which I already have on the menu. I can't find any recipe out there for a cheese of this style. It sort of ~biblical~ or beduin in it's technique.

Help?!

ps. I'm serving it with quince jelly and cardamon almonds.

[cakerookie]

Why not Heavens Own Cheese. Just a thought......Since you said it was sort of Biblical in its technique..

[panini]

Labana? might be rolled though.

[shahar]

Biblical Cheese it is.
Sold like crazy last night. Now it would be three more weeks before I have another batch...

[thetincook]

Shahar, Congrats on the success of your cheese!

Can you clarify some of your technique for me?

-What concentration of brine did you use?

-Did you use the same brine to wash the cheese?

-What kind of milk and yougurt culture did you use?

-How long did you age it? It sounds from your posts that you aged it about 17 days in the fridge. Did you age it uncovered or wrapped in plastic?

-I was a little confused by this part of your technique

I started by making yogurt(clocks at about 7% fat). Brought it to scald and let it curdled....

Does this mean that you scalded the yogurt itself so it would curdle from the heat, or does it mean that you scalded the milk, added the culture, and let it curdle into yougurt?


Thanks for taking the time to read my post and hopefully for answering my many questions. And thanks for letting us know about your awesome cheese!

[shahar]

This is based on pre renin two thousand year old recipe I encountered. I saw some bedouins making something similar when I was a kid, but I put some major adjustments on it.

I started by making flavored yogurt.
Brought 8 liters of whole milk and 4 liters of half and half to 180ºf. Added thyme and mint and let it cool to 130ºf. Strained and added half a liter old yogurt, covered and put in and oven on pilot for fourteen hours.

I put the yogurt back in the pot and slowly brought up to 190ºf at which point the yogurt curdled from it's own acid. Put in a cheese cloth and hanged for four hours(I took the whey and cooked it down to a milk vinegar).
The curds I put in the food processor to smooth out. I shaped cakes out of the mix and put in brine(not sure about the concentration, I did that part by taste. Next batch I'll check and inform).
The cakes I left in the brine in the walking for two days, after which I gently washed them in clean water.
I let them age uncovered in the walkin for about two weeks to dry and solidify.

That's about it. Next time I think I'll puree some brie into them. See what happened.

What else?! Ahh, the culture I used is called. Streptococcus Thermophilus. I got it off a commercial brand and mixed some arab style yogurt culture of good measure. I had to make about ten batches before the the culture loosed up enough for my needs(The commercial brands keep their bacteria all mild and tamed).

Any more questions Thetincook?

I currently have three different kinds of homemade cheeses on the menu. I'll share the others later(when I'm not busy making them. My restaurant is a one man show. No cooks, sous or preps. And I serve a changing mezza menu with more than thirty options!)

[kuan]

This just brings tears to my eyes. What a great place you have.

Do your own dishes too?

[shahar]

I was during prep time. But I'm telling the owners enough is enough. I gave them an 18% menu that can be served to more than a hundred people on Saturday night, with check time average of three minutes. They should be able to spend some money on staff...

[AprilB]

(Sorry, I'm not trying to be glib...uh, no...yes I am!...LOL)

Holy cheese! (as compaired to swiss)

Mother Mary Mediterranean Cheesewheel.

Biblical Brie

Faith Feta

I'm still thinking...

April

[thetincook]

Sharhar you are the Best!! I think I want to be like you when I grow up.

I'll make a batch of this cheese this week and let you know how it works out.
I'll use a 5% brine, and make half with regular yogurt cheese to see how it turns out...

[shahar]

Thetincook - How's the cheese came out?

My brine is 10-12% BTW. Also My last batch I brought up the fat% to 40~.
Serving it with papaya jam now. And pita chips.

Working on a new kind of cheese this week. Using figs for curdling.