Being served fresh ricotta for the first time while in Sicily was mind blowing. One of those experiences where after coming home any other ricotta I try is disappointing.
Bellwether Farms from Sebastopol , CA makes a perfect ricotta: cultured, cooked and hand-dipped. It has a light fluffy texture and sweet flavor from the milk and the process ( nothing added). Although made in CA, I find it in Connecticut at an independent grocery store. Although Connecticut has lots of small local Italian American ricotta makers, the cheeses from these local companies fall short of Bellwether Farm's cheese. You will be so surprised by the texture and the flavor. It tastes so pure!
I love Bellwether Farms as well and can often find it at grocery stores here in Seattle. Definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a higher quality ricotta!
I will look for it! Sounds so good. I don't believe I've seen it near me, but we do have a wonderful co-op in Albany that might carry it. Thanks for the tip.
Happy Wood Chuck Day! ( no ground hogs in my neck of the woods ) I made pizza tonight and because I'm totally hooked on Boursin cheese, which I use for everything, I made a white sauce with the Boursin and topped it with the calabrese and ricotta. Yumm. Try it out. Thanks for your ideas and recipes. Looking forward to your book.
Dyslexia reared its head again, but this time with such lovely consequences. I made the ricotta with 4 cups of heavy cream and 2 cups of milk and Lordy it is such decadence. Beyond creamy, yet still with a subtle tang. It’s crying out for that pizza. I pre-ordered the book and can’t wait for April 16th. Thanks for the preview here.
Colu Henry posted 5 books she loves on Instagram. The five were Silver Palate, Gourmet Cookbook, Little House Cookbook, The Flavor Bible, and BREAD TOAST CRUMBS!
I LOVE your book and gift it all the time. I make the Peasant Bread in a 1-1/2 pound loaf pan three loaves at a time! It makes the best sandwiches and the best toast. I cannot stand waiting for your pizza book (but I have to 😉).
I also love your blog. Thanks to you I make my own hamburger buns, which are really amazing. I could go on and on - pound cake, glazed green beans (a miracle), etc.
I have made my own ricotta for my family manicotti recipe since The Food Lab was published. I do mine in the microwave till the temp is 65 degrees F. I do four cups in a 4-cup Pyrex cup, at a time - usually 3 cups of whole milk and 1 cup of heavy cream, but last time I did 2 and 2 and wondered if half and half would work. I use distilled white vinegar since the acidity is always 5%. Of course a little salt.
We have a sweet grocery store in New Lebanon, which Josh Young bravely opened during the pandemic - The New Lebanon Farmers Market. It has grown into a lovely space. Perhaps when your new book comes out, you can do an event there.
Victoria!! Oh my goodness, thank you for all of this :) :) :) I love that you make the peasant bread three-loaf-pan's worth at a time... brilliant!
I am so intrigued by the microwave method to make ricotta. I will check out The Food Lab's recipe. A number of people have mentioned it to me since I posted this on Friday. Thanks for sending along your notes.
And I will check out The New Lebanon Farmer's Market, too. Sounds lovely!
Thank you Patty! There is not, unfortunately, but I did just add a link to this pizza recipe that will take you to a Google Doc, where you can print it. I wish Substack offered an easier way to offer printable materials.
We started buying ricotta from our farmer's market in the summer and we can no longer go back. Though, once upon a time, our diary guy was not there so I also made it from scratch. We always use it in your zucchini involtini recipe!
I'm so excited for your book! I first fell down the homemade 'faux' ricotta rabbit hole thanks to Smitten Kitchen. Her proportions are 3 to 1 and she suggests lemon juice for the acid - delicious! As for non ultra-pasteurized heavy cream, Guernsey Dairy is a Northville, MI producer of all things dairy and sells throughout metro Detroit. I think our state is pretty wonderful, but I'm guessing you might have a local dairy producer in NY, as well..?
Thank you for all of this! I love the idea of lemon. Will try that. We do have lots of local dairies around here, but it's still surprisingly hard to find non ultra-pasteurized heavy cream (at least at the stores closest to me).
I started making your Ricotta recipe during the pandemic and in my search for non pasteurized milk or cream in NYC I learned it was illegal, unless your were a licensed farm, to sell directly to the consumer so for now grocery stores can’t sell it. This was the case across the country but recently the state laws have been changing to a more relaxed position. The whipped ricotta is also fantastic when piped onto to toast (even better on Texas toast), something that is on the menu at Misi in Williamsburg. I’ll be sure to try it on a pizza.
FYI Will probably still buy Pizza Night, but the discount for Barnes and Noble only works for premium and reward members of Barnes and Noble, not the general public.
Being served fresh ricotta for the first time while in Sicily was mind blowing. One of those experiences where after coming home any other ricotta I try is disappointing.
I believe that... I found the mozzarella in Italy to be revelatory as well.
Bellwether Farms from Sebastopol , CA makes a perfect ricotta: cultured, cooked and hand-dipped. It has a light fluffy texture and sweet flavor from the milk and the process ( nothing added). Although made in CA, I find it in Connecticut at an independent grocery store. Although Connecticut has lots of small local Italian American ricotta makers, the cheeses from these local companies fall short of Bellwether Farm's cheese. You will be so surprised by the texture and the flavor. It tastes so pure!
I love Bellwether Farms as well and can often find it at grocery stores here in Seattle. Definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a higher quality ricotta!
I will look for it! Sounds so good. I don't believe I've seen it near me, but we do have a wonderful co-op in Albany that might carry it. Thanks for the tip.
Happy Wood Chuck Day! ( no ground hogs in my neck of the woods ) I made pizza tonight and because I'm totally hooked on Boursin cheese, which I use for everything, I made a white sauce with the Boursin and topped it with the calabrese and ricotta. Yumm. Try it out. Thanks for your ideas and recipes. Looking forward to your book.
That sounds outstanding!! I love Boursin as well and will definitely try this out. For the sauce, did you add anything to the Boursin?
Heated about 2 tabs of cream and stir in the boursin to melt it into a sauce. Very good over pasta too...if too thick, stir in some pasta water.
That sounds amazing!!
Dyslexia reared its head again, but this time with such lovely consequences. I made the ricotta with 4 cups of heavy cream and 2 cups of milk and Lordy it is such decadence. Beyond creamy, yet still with a subtle tang. It’s crying out for that pizza. I pre-ordered the book and can’t wait for April 16th. Thanks for the preview here.
Yay! Great to hear this, AB. Sounds lovely and decadent and perfect for pizza. Thank you re Pizza Night... means so much :) :)
Colu Henry posted 5 books she loves on Instagram. The five were Silver Palate, Gourmet Cookbook, Little House Cookbook, The Flavor Bible, and BREAD TOAST CRUMBS!
I LOVE your book and gift it all the time. I make the Peasant Bread in a 1-1/2 pound loaf pan three loaves at a time! It makes the best sandwiches and the best toast. I cannot stand waiting for your pizza book (but I have to 😉).
I also love your blog. Thanks to you I make my own hamburger buns, which are really amazing. I could go on and on - pound cake, glazed green beans (a miracle), etc.
I have made my own ricotta for my family manicotti recipe since The Food Lab was published. I do mine in the microwave till the temp is 65 degrees F. I do four cups in a 4-cup Pyrex cup, at a time - usually 3 cups of whole milk and 1 cup of heavy cream, but last time I did 2 and 2 and wondered if half and half would work. I use distilled white vinegar since the acidity is always 5%. Of course a little salt.
We have a sweet grocery store in New Lebanon, which Josh Young bravely opened during the pandemic - The New Lebanon Farmers Market. It has grown into a lovely space. Perhaps when your new book comes out, you can do an event there.
Thanks for everything!
Victoria!! Oh my goodness, thank you for all of this :) :) :) I love that you make the peasant bread three-loaf-pan's worth at a time... brilliant!
I am so intrigued by the microwave method to make ricotta. I will check out The Food Lab's recipe. A number of people have mentioned it to me since I posted this on Friday. Thanks for sending along your notes.
And I will check out The New Lebanon Farmer's Market, too. Sounds lovely!
Thanks again for all of this!
i adore ricotta.
This looks so delish, as do all your recipes. Is there a way to save this like your other recipes? Thanks so much
Thank you Patty! There is not, unfortunately, but I did just add a link to this pizza recipe that will take you to a Google Doc, where you can print it. I wish Substack offered an easier way to offer printable materials.
Can’t wait to try this….and looking forward to your upcoming pizza book. I pre-ordered ages ago…
Any thoughts on outdoor pizza ovens?
Thank you, Carla!
I love my Gozney Dome, and I plan on reviewing it as soon as it warms up slightly here, but I also love the Ooni Koda 16, which my friend Christy Alia introduced me too. You can see it in action here: https://pizzaeveryfriday.substack.com/p/why-christy-alia-loves-her-ooni-koda
Are you looking into one of these types of outdoor oven or an even larger/more traditional outdoor wood burning oven?
Thank you for this encouragement. I'm making pizza tonight and I'm going to look for an artisanal one. I've pre-ordered your book and CAN NOT WAIT!
Thank you so much, Nancy!!
We started buying ricotta from our farmer's market in the summer and we can no longer go back. Though, once upon a time, our diary guy was not there so I also made it from scratch. We always use it in your zucchini involtini recipe!
Oh yay! So nice to read this :)
Trader Joe's ricotta is great!
Trader Joe's rico
Caputo Bros has a delectable authentic ricotta. I source at my local fresh pasta shop @pastaiovicorta . Yes i am very spoiled 😁
@pastaioviacorta that is
I'm so excited for your book! I first fell down the homemade 'faux' ricotta rabbit hole thanks to Smitten Kitchen. Her proportions are 3 to 1 and she suggests lemon juice for the acid - delicious! As for non ultra-pasteurized heavy cream, Guernsey Dairy is a Northville, MI producer of all things dairy and sells throughout metro Detroit. I think our state is pretty wonderful, but I'm guessing you might have a local dairy producer in NY, as well..?
Thank you for all of this! I love the idea of lemon. Will try that. We do have lots of local dairies around here, but it's still surprisingly hard to find non ultra-pasteurized heavy cream (at least at the stores closest to me).
I started making your Ricotta recipe during the pandemic and in my search for non pasteurized milk or cream in NYC I learned it was illegal, unless your were a licensed farm, to sell directly to the consumer so for now grocery stores can’t sell it. This was the case across the country but recently the state laws have been changing to a more relaxed position. The whipped ricotta is also fantastic when piped onto to toast (even better on Texas toast), something that is on the menu at Misi in Williamsburg. I’ll be sure to try it on a pizza.
Yes! I love how Misi does it. So dramatic and delicious. I had no idea about the state laws! Makes sense as to why I can't find it 🤣
FYI Will probably still buy Pizza Night, but the discount for Barnes and Noble only works for premium and reward members of Barnes and Noble, not the general public.
Oh no! That was not my understanding about how it was supposed to run... sorry about that.
That was just to give you a heads up. I still preordered Pizza Night. Looking forward to April!
You are too kind, thank you :) :) :)