Cheese Class at Someone's In the Kitchen

Yesterday, I did a cheese class at this quaint cook ware store in Libertyville, IL. 

Not only did I make ricotta cheese as pictured here (I believe you can see the curds and whey separating), I also made a mushroom crostini with oyster and portobella mushrooms along with Fontina and Gorgonzola cheeses.

Next, came a spinach salad which included a pureed dressing consisting of fresh strawberries and ricotta.  This was then followed by a pancetta/mozzarella/bean paste panini.

And, of course, there was dessert!  Brownies which had a sour cream filling topped with whipped cream and marscapone.  Wow!  I'm sure the sold-out crowd did a lot of walking in town to wear off all those calories!!

All in all, it was a wonderful afternoon with a group that really seemed to enjoy learning as much as I could impart about cheese.

And a special thanks to my dad, Carl, for all his wisdom and knowledge about the cheesemaking process.