Homemade cheese recipe?

Question

Years ago, a middle eastern friend sent me home with a delicious white salty homemade cheese with a spice I can't identify. She stored the cheese in brine if I recall correctly Anyone out there know a recipe close to this?

Answer 1

Get a kilo (2 pounds) of plain yogurt,add a bit of salt and pepper,stir add some chopped garlic (optional).Put it in a clean cloth hang it over the sink for 12-15 hours so all the water would come out.I make it often my kids love it and so do I.Hope you like it too.Yia sou from Athens Greece.

Answer 2

Ackawi is a soft, white cow's milk cheese that is native to Lebanon and Syria. The cheese is popular throughout the Middle East . The cheese is brined to give its traditional salty taste.

Naboulsi (Boiled Cheese) is made by boiling fresh Ackawi cheese in a fragrant mixture of gums, spices and seeds. The cheese is popular in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. The cheese is packed in a brine.

It is usually flavored with both mahlab & mastic:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahlab

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pistacia_le...

http://www.igourmet.com/shoppe/prodview....

Answer 3

foodnetwork.com has great recipes

Answer 4

My grandmother use to make home made cheese

she was a great cooker.  Too good that she cooked for the nuns in my city in Ecuador.

Some are secret recipes

But here is my tip use only natural and fresh ingredients

Answer 5

Greek Cypriot Halloumi Cheese

I N G R E D I E N T S

8 pints fresh milk, either goats or ewe or cow

1 Teaspoon Rennet or special cheese rennet  

a little salt if desired

S U P P L I E S

Pan

2-3 Muslin bags or similar

I N S T R U C T I O N S

To fresh milk add rennet and leave till set (about 30 minutes.)

Break up and place resulting mass into muslin in about two lots (this depends on the amount of milk used.

Drain any whey from curds back into pan, leave to stand in muslin for about half an hour after which they will be firmer and in oval shape.

Meanwhile bring whey to the boil (any curds which form on the top may be gathered and used fresh (add sugar and cinnamon or placed in muslin and hung to dry to form a hard cheese suitable for grating onto pasta etc.

Once milk has come to the boil, remove soft curds from muslin and place into boiling pan. Simmer gently until the cheese floats to the top, but certainly for approximately 20 minutes. Remove cheese, if liked, sprinkle with salt and fold in half and place a weight on top. Leave in fridge for at leave 2 hours before use. It may be stored in a jar with a small amount of the whey (keep cool).

The remaining whey may be used to boil spaghetti in, when cooked, cooked chicken may be added to form a soup, serve with bread (this is a typical Cypriot lunch, nothing is wasted)

The soft curds which form on the top to which sugar and cinnamon are added can be made in to 'cakes' phylo type pastry is filled with the mixture and then deep fried for a few moments, delicious!

Yield

2-3 rounds of cheese.

Labna Cheese

I N G R E D I E N T S

2 kg Greek Yoghurt

75ml good quality olive oil

1 tablespoon salt

Juice and grated rind of lemon

1 tablespoon chopped thyme

4 tablespoons chopped mint

I N S T R U C T I O N S

Mix all ingredients together well.

Pour into a colander lined with muslin. Tie the muslin to form a bag.

Hang the yoghurt mixture for 2 days, placing a pot or bowl underneath to catch the liquid.

After the 2 days, remove the Labna from the muslin, roll into walnut sized balls. Place in a large jar, then cover with a light olive oil.

Serving suggestion

The Labna is ready to eat immediately, but improves after a couple of days.

The oil which surrounds the Labna can be used later in dressings, bread dough etc.



hope these help.  good luck and enjoy.