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into a colander lined with a double layer of butter muslin. Let the whey drain about 5 minutes, then gather together the edges of the muslin and rinse the cheese under cold water, squeezing while rinsing.
    5.
    Squeeze the cheese dry, then transfer to a medium bowl and add 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use or up to 2 days.

FARMER’S CHEESE
    INGREDIENTS
    1 gallon whole milk
    1 cup plain yogurt
    ¼ teaspoon liquid rennet
    ¼ cup cool water (55 to 60°F)
    1 to 2 teaspoons salt
    This cheese will take the shape of any mold into which it’s pressed. Serve it unmolded with crackers and fresh fruit, such as sliced apples and pears or fresh strawberries.
    1.
    Pour the milk and yogurt into a large pot. Heat over low heat, stirring, until the temperature of the mixture reaches 95°F. Check temperature with a thermometer.
MAKES ABOUT 1 POUND
PREP TIME: 50 MINUTES
    2.
    Dissolve the rennet in the water in a small cup. Stir the dissolved rennet into the milk for 30 seconds. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 30 minutes to 1 hour or until solid curds form.
    3.
    Cut the curds into 1-inch pieces. Heat them with the whey over low heat to 120°F, stirring gently to bring curds from the bottom to the top (stir for the first 5 minutes, then every 5 minutes after that). It will take about 30 minutes for the curds to reach 110°F.
    4.
    Pour or ladle the curds into a colander lined with a double layer of butter muslin. Let the whey drain for 1 hour or until it stops dripping from the cloth.
    5.
    Transfer the cheese to a medium bowl and add 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt to taste, stirring well.
    6.
    Line two cheese molds with a double layer of butter muslin. Fill the molds with the cheese, fold the butter muslin over the top, and place about 2 pounds of weight on top. Press for 4 hours in the refrigerator. Remove cheese from molds and remove cloth carefully. Use right away or cover and refrigerate up to 1 week.

RICOTTA
    It is simple enough to buy a carton of ricotta cheese off the grocery store’s shelf, but making fresh ricotta at home is remarkably easy, and the creamy, slightly sweet homemade version is so much better than the rubbery mass you find at the supermarket. Plus, all you need are three everyday ingredients and about an hour.
    Ricotta is traditionally made from the whey left over from making buffalo mozzarella, sheep’s milk pecorino, and so forth. Actually, it’s not a cheese but creamy curds. The curds are literally cooked twice, hence the name “ricotta,” which means “recooked” in Italian. The leftover hot whey of milk used for cheese making has milk solids and a protein called albumin, which solidifies under high heat. When the whey is reheated (recooked) the solid milk parts are skimmed off to drain, and this is called ricotta cheese.
    But delicious fresh ricotta can also be made by using readily available cow’s milk — or a blend of cow and goat’s milk. Thisricotta tastes and smells like the milk it is made from, so use the best and freshest dairy you can find. You can control the consistency of your cheese by the length of time you drain it. For a drier ricotta, drain for 15 minutes or more; for a ricotta that’s a bit creamier, drain for less than 15 minutes.
    The cheese is delicious eaten plain or use it for many sweet and savory dishes. You can use your homemade ricotta in almost any recipe that calls for cottage cheese. It can be used instead of cream cheese to make cheesecake. You can also stir in some herbs and eat the mixture on crackers.
    Ricotta salata is a Sicilian specialty made from drained and dried ricotta. It’s used in salads, grated over pasta, and stuffed into some fritters.

HOMEMADE RICOTTA
    METHOD 1
    INGREDIENTS
    1 gallon whole milk
    4 cups (1 quart) cultured buttermilk
    Salt
    I found that this method works best with whole milk. The whey, or creamy yellow liquid that separates from the curds, can be used in any recipe calling for sour milk or