See Amy Rowat’s (’98, ’99) feature story about her cutting-edge research, and culinary efforts, at UCLA in the Fall 2011 Record (available in November).
Homemade Ricotta Cheese
Ingredients:
• 8 cups whole milk
• 2 cups reduced-fat (2%) buttermilk
• Salt (to taste)
Place cheesecloth in a colander, leaving excess over the sides; place this in a large bowl. Place milk and buttermilk in a large, heavy bottomed pot. Attach thermometer (deep-fry or candy) to side of pot. Place pot over medium-high heat. Heat the mixture, resisting the temptation to stir. Be sure not to boil but instead gently heat. Around 175F you will see curds begin to form, these will separate from the whey. Continue to heat without stirring until 190F; turn off heat and let the mixture sit for 5-10 min. With a large, slotted spoon, gently transfer the curds to the cheesecloth-lined colander. Let cool, then place in fridge. Can be served anywhere from 15-30 min to the next day or two after. If serving immediately, press the cheese gently in the cloth to remove excess liquid. Add salt to taste.
* Can be used in Amy’s recipe for pizza with ricotta, prosciutto, grilled peaches, and rucola as seen in the Fall 2011 Record
Slow Roasted Urfa-Chili Pork
Pork butt is meat from the pig’s shoulder, which is where multiple muscles are attached to each other. There is also plenty of intermingling fat and connective tissue, which connects muscle to bone. Slow roasting the pork butt at a low temperature for a long period of time helps to melt the proteins of the connective tissue, and results in tender and juicy meat. This delectable dish can be enjoyed with the accompanying garlicky green sauce, grilled peaches, crispy-fried kale, and roasted baby potatoes. Roasted sweet potato wedges are great too. I also love this recipe since it is super easy to make, and economical too! You can begin to roast the meat in the evening and continue the slow roasting throughout the night, so the dish prepares itself while you sleep. The pork is very popular among dinner party guests, and leftovers make excellent sandwiches.
Ingredients
• 3-lb pork butt
• 2 tbsp urfa chili
• 2 tbsp salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• ½ cup olive oil
Before roasting, remove the meat from the fridge and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, pepper, salt, and chili; rub all over meat to season. Place on wire rack in a roasting pan. Roast at 400F for 20 min. Reduce heat to 180F, and continue roasting overnight or for 8-9 hrs. After a couple of hours (if you start cooking in the evening, then before going to bed) turn meat so the fatty juices distribute more evenly throughout the meat. Before serving, remove the meat from the oven, cover it with a tent of tin foil, and let it rest for 20-30 min.
Garlicky-Green Sauce
Serve this tasty sauce with roasted pork, or any other meat, vegetable, starch.
Ingredients:
• One head of garlic cloves, peeled
• One generous handful of green herbs, I prefer cilantro with a bit of basil (parsley and sage also work well)
• A tiny splash of vinegar (a mild rice vinegar is nice, you can also substitute white vinegar or lemon juice)
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
Blend together the garlic and oil in an automatic blender or food processor until smooth. Add the green herbs and vinegar and pulse until combined. Salt and pepper to taste.
The Perfect Panna Cotta
Panna cotta is an elegant yet simple dessert. It is also an excellent example of how networks of proteins are important for texture in the food we eat. This recipe uses gelatin, a molecule derived from collagen, which is a major structural component of biological materials, such as skin, bones, and connective tissue. Gelatin gives structure to many popular desserts, including this Panna cotta. To perfect the texture so it is not too stiff but still holds its shape, I tested different ratios of gelatin per liquid volume; this ratio came out best.
Serves 6.
Ingredients:
• 2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup milk
• 2.5 tsp gelatin
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1/3 cup sugar
• Fresh fruit and/or zabaglione (recipe below) to serve
Place 2 tbsp water in a small bowl; sprinkle gelatin on top and let sit for ~ 5 min until gelatin is hydrated. Heat milk, sugar and seeds of vanilla bean in a small pot over medium high heat until steamy; then remove from heat. When the gelatin is fully hydrated, scoop the gelatinous mass into the pot and stir until dissolved. Let cool and then strain into a larger bowl; mix in heavy cream. Lightly grease 6 small ramekins or cups with vegetable oil. Pour the creamy mix into cups into until evenly distributed. Cover each with saran wrap or foil and place in fridge until set, at least 4-5 hrs or overnight. To serve, gently let loose from cup by tracing a knife around the edge of the panna cotta. Invert and place gently on small plates. Top with fruit, zabaglione, etc
Benedictine Zabaglione
This velvety sauce is lovely served aside the Perfect Panna Cotta, a simple cake, or just on a bowl of fresh fruit.
Ingredients
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup sugar
• ½ cup Benedictine (or other liqueur, such as Limoncello)
Place yolks & sugar in heat-proof bowl above gently simmering pot of water. Whisk constantly while gradually pouring in liquor little by little. Continue to whisk until sauce thickens. Add a pinch of salt to balance flavours. Remove from heat and cool. Delightful plated alongside panna cotta and fresh fruits. Try experimenting with other liqueurs and pairing with different fruits: some nice combinations are Benedictine and cherries, limoncello, and blueberries.
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