For the Love of Cheese

Over the weekend I attended the Kristen Allan home cheese and yoghurt making course held at the beautiful Cornersmith Picklery in Marrickville. 

The three hour class is kept small with 12 people which meant that everyone was able to work together and have a go at making the tasty cheese and yoghurt. The class starts off with everyone sitting around a communal table sharing freshly made ricotta cheese drizzled with olive oil, fresh labneh also drizzled with olive oil and nigella seeds sprinkled on top and both served with fresh baked bread and Cornersmith's own pickled carrots and gherkins; oh and a couple of bottles of biodynamic pink bubbles! 

I loved how the class started in this style; it allowed everyone to not only try the cheeses we were about to make but it also meant that we were all able to meet each other and get to know a few strangers in the next three hours and have a bit of fun!

Kristen Allan is a beautiful cheese maker who effortlessly shares her journey into how she began her life into cheese making and really oozes her passion for what she does and so passionately enjoys. While we sit and enjoy the delicious food, Kristen explains the cheese making process and what we're about to learn; ricotta, yoghurt and labneh.

We're all provided with our own recipes and a pen to take additional notes and then break into groups of three to start the ricotta making process. While the ricotta is slowly heating and cooking, we learn about flavouring and ways to cook and serve ricotta. During this time, Kristen provides us with a sweet and tasty whipped ricotta served over apple slices and drizzled with The Urban Beehive honey - OH.EM.GEE. is all I can say about this "healthy" dessert and it will definitely be something on my home menu!

Making ricotta.   Photo Credit: Dreams & Sparkle 2014

This cheese making class really educated me further on the use of and types of milk and cream to use and as one of my key passions of shopping local especially at some of our many farmers markets. Sydney has some fabulous farmers markets and local businesses who produce and provide healthy and chemically free produce and I really encourage you to support them and shop with them. Not only will you be supporting local but you'll also be keeping healthy knowing that you're putting real food into your body.

We were so lucky to walk away from the class with everything we made; ricotta, yoghurt, labneh, muslin to make more labneh at home and our own ricotta basket! If you enjoy cheese and yoghurt and just cooking in general, I really recommend this class and the other many classes held at the Cornersmith Picklery. I know that I'm keen to attend their Jam and Preserve class next!

To Kristen Allan, thank you for a fun and passionate class. Your knowledge and passion for what you do and your support for your providers really show and I really admire you for that. 

To Cornersmith Picklery, what an awesome space and concept you have and I look forward to spending more time there and learning new things. I love how you find ways to using everything rather than having it go to waste. 

Photo Credit: Broadsheet

Now...off to buy a big pot and jars for my yoghurt!

Jo x