Etsy made a short documentary about my cheese kits!
Hi everyone. I’m so happy to tell you that my business was chosen for an Etsy film. Not sure how well-known these films are but they are really inspiring and artistic. All are posted on the same Vimeo channel. The Etsy team clearly has a love for making good films and telling stories. This is not just a commercial- it really conveys my interest and beginnings in cheesemaking as well as the larger part it plays in my life. I’m very proud to be a part of this film project.
Eric and Dan followed me for a couple of days; we went to the Montavilla Farmer’s Market, one of my classes and my friends’ Linda and Mike’s goat milk farm (Terra Farma) where I got the pleasure of bottle feeding a baby goat!
Hope you enjoy the film. Claudia
Playing Around with Vegan Cheeses…
cultured nut cheese- NO dairy! not an Urban Cheesecraft recipe, you will be re-directed to Sunny Raw Kitchen
So many people in my classes have asked if I have a vegan cheese kit or know of any recipes that I’ve started playing around with some nut cheeses. Believe it or not, I have been vegan for a total of 9 months in the not too distant past. I did it in support of my partner who took it on for longer than I did. Anyway, because of that and because I love a challenge, I often make vegan dishes. Nut-based mac and cheese, flax-seed egg cookies and banana bread…very delicious results if you know how to convert. Here are some tips if you’re interested.
Pre-made, vegan store-bought cheeses however, were not something I enjoyed. Even on a vegan diet, I preferred no cheese to vegan cheese. They often tasted like oil and plastic (which is not far from the truth). Since then, I’ve had some homemade nut cheeses and cheese sauces that aren’t bad at all. Not quite cheese, true, but delicious treats on their own- and since I love food in general, they deserve a fair chance if you ask me.
If you love cheese but have to limit your dairy, give these a try. The salty, creamy and even pungent flavors could definitely satisfy a cheese craving and go well with dried or fresh fruit, herbs, crackers and crudite. I’ll keep playing around and who knows, maybe I’ll make a kit!
Cream Cheese Ball
Cheddar Cheese Ball
More challenging and more complex taste, Cultured Cheese.
Hope you enjoy playing too. Claudia
ps. Etsy has been out to Portland to film me twice. A short documentary about cheese and my venture is said to be ready in late July, stay tuned! The films are great, check some out HERE.
pps. Did you know I have a facebook page? Be UCCs friend won’t you?
Update- the VIDEO reviewing my kits is out. Watch me be nervous and blink way too much! This is what happens when you make things after work, late at night! Ha. They did a good job and even made cheese though!
I’m excited to share some great news: Friday 4/15, beginning at noon (EST), 9am for us west coast folks, and running throughout the weekend, Daily Grommet (http://www.dailygrommet.com) will feature our DIY Cheese Kits! Daily Grommet is a new company with a mission to find unique products and share their stories through video, blog, and an active community discussion.
I hope you’ll take a moment to stop by DailyGrommet.com when our kits are being featured. It would be wonderful to hear your thoughts, reflections, and feedback and to add them to the conversation – it’s really easy to leave a comment in the “Talk about this Grommet” section. And if you want to make sure you don’t miss our feature, just sign up for the daily email from Daily Grommet.
After our time on the Daily Grommet homepage, you can still find our DIY Cheese Kits under “Recent Grommets” or within the shopping categories. Feel free to comment there – Daily Grommet customers often search through this area of past Grommets looking for great gift ideas and special treats for themselves!
Thanks so much for your support and we hope to see you at Daily Grommet! (I’ll be there commenting as well.) Claudia
New Home Dairy book and we’re in it!
It’s a new book on making cheese and Urban Cheesecraft is profiled in it! The photos are beautiful, the recipes useful and the tips great even for me, consumer of every cheese book out there. Get it folks!
Some Braggin, AKA Press
These are neat people who try our kits and write about them- I finally got around to gathering some links. I will add more as I find time 
.
Food Lover’s Guide to Portland- a book!
HGTV- Home and Garden Television
Do you HEART cheese? Or at least cheesy post titles?
February, the month of love…chocolates, roses, champagne- who doesn’t like those things? But imagine if someone made you herbed chevre or some creamy ricotta in the shape of a heart? Now that’s a unique treat! I think what you need for your sweetheart (to be?) is a cheese kit and/or some heart shaped cheese!
Don’t have a heart-shaped cheese mold? Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter or muffin tin! Simply follow one of my recipes, drain most of the whey out in a colander and press your salted cheese into the heart and coat with herbs after you pop it out. LOVELY.
This would surely impress!
Find the kits around Portland, OR at New Season’s, Whole Foods (Washington too), Urban Farm Store, Mirador, Alberta Co-op, the Powell’s gift section and more! Request the heart mold and they should be able to get it from me (though maybe not fast enough for the holiday).
I can also mail a kit AND heart mold straight to you or your beloved (family members count). Order by Wednesday night and you’ll have it right on Valentine’s Day (we send by 2-3 day Priority Mail so we can only promise so much, after that, the U.S. Post Office is to blame ).
Have a love-filled month!
2011 Cheese Class Schedule- Feta and Cultured Chevre added!
Feta Cubes Curing in Salt
Happy New Year everyone! Hope you’ve had some time to reflect on 2010 and dream about 2011 and beyond…if your dreams include learning to make cheese, check out the classes I will be leading this year by following the links below. I added some new ones as you’ll see; you can learn to make feta, cultured chevre and even easier cheeses.
Classes through the Urban Growth Bounty series- hosted by the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability
These are demos, so you will see the process and taste the results. 15 slots available per class. Beaumont Middle School
Mount Hood Community College Community Education- David Douglas High School
These are hands-on classes. Students are paired up and work in real Home Ec. kitchenettes! 12 slots available per class.
Order kits by Dec. 17 so you can have them by Dec. 23.
why use ribbon to make bows for gifts when you can use mozzarella?
So…we did get a mention on HGTV after all! Orders have been insane but we’re keeping it together.
Order your kit ASAP and you can have it by Dec. 23. We will close the online shops and stop responding to emails between Dec. 18-Jan. 5 though. Yay. A break is much-needed around these parts.
Hope you have a wonderful winter solstice and happy new year celebration. A friend of mine does a “year in review” on her birthday, I think it’s a really great practice that I will try on Dec. 31! See you on the flip side- Claudia
Could it be? Cheese kit on HGTV?!
Mix herbs or spices in for unique flavors. I added smoked chili powder to this wheel.
Happy autumn all! Just a quick announcement before the holiday weekend. They can’t confirm yet, but it’s possible our Paneer and Queso Blanco Cheese Kit will be on an HGTV holiday gift countdown this Friday! They can’t tell me until the last minute but it’s already on their site for sale, http://marketplace.hgtv.com/Product.aspx?Lid=4145-10110959&From=iFP
If this happens, I assume we will be extremely busy. Buy your holiday gift kits now and avoid the rush in a few days! Enjoy good food, good people and lots of cheer tomorrow and the entire season. Claudia
Whole Milk Ricotta
Ricotta is an example of a simple farmers cheese born out of necessity and invention.
Traditionally made from whey, a cheesemaking by-product, this cheese made sure nothing went to waste at the farm. If you don’t make hard cheeses you can make a delicious creamy ricotta from whole milk in one hour!
Ricotta, a creamy blank canvas!
Ingredients:
1 gallon of milk
1 tsp citric acid OR 1/4 cup vinegar of choice (to purchase citric acid or a complete ricotta kit visit our SHOP.)
1 tsp Cheese salt (To Taste)
Supplies:
Large pot- at least 6 quart
Butter Muslin (fine cheesecloth)
Thermometer
Colander
Large Slotted spoon
YIELD- 1 ½ to 2lbs. (lots!)
Here we go- fresh Ricotta is within our reach!
Step 1- Measure the citric acid into ½ cup of water and stir.
Step 2- Pour your milk into the pot, pour the citric acid solution and salt (optional) into the milk and mix thoroughly.
Step 3- Heat the milk to 180°F to 185°F (do not allow to boil over). Stir often to prevent scorching.
Step 4- As soon as the curds and whey separate (make sure there is no milky whey), turn off the heat. Allow to set undisturbed for 10 minutes.
Step 5- Line a colander with butter muslin (fine cheesecloth).
Curds draining
Drain in the colander for 15-30 minutes, or until the cheese has reached the desired consistency (you can gently expedite by lifting the muslin by the corners and rocking the curds around to unblocked cloth areas. The cheese is ready to eat in sweet or savory dishes immediately!
Step 6- Store any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
