Fresh cheese, also known as queso fresco or paneer, is an important ingredient in many traditional Latin and South Asian dishes.  While cheese making may seem like a daunting task, this mild, soft, unaged cheese is extremely easy to make at home and only takes about 30 minutes from start to finish.

Whole milk curd draining in a cheese cloth lined colander.

Ingredients

• 8 cups whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar

Utensils

• medium sauce pan
• spoon
• cheese cloth
• colander

Procedure

1.  Heat milk and salt in a medium sauce pan. Stir occasionally to prevent the milk from burning.
2. When the milk starts to boil turn the heat down low and add 3 tablespoons of distilled white vinegar. Stir gently while the curds form.
3. After about 5 minutes all of the curd will have formed and you can pour the curdled milk in to a cheese cloth lined colander and allow to cool about 10 minutes.
4. In the cheese cloth, gently squeeze the cheese into a ball and extract excess liquid.  Now it is ready to use!

Tip: Retain the liquid that separates from the curd, or whey, and serve it to your favorite spoiled cat or dog over dry pet food.

On the trail to Machu Picchu.

During our 6 months of traveling in Peru, we put together a great collection of vegetarian recipes of classic Peruvian cuisine.  These recipes were informed by trips to local eateries, ingredients found in local markets, and cooking with native Peruvians. Now that we are back in the United States we are  re-testing our recipes with available ingredients and getting feedback (pun intended) from our friends and family. We are also actively seeking a publisher!

If you are interested in learning more about our work or simply want to talk about Peruvian food please visit the About page for our contact information.