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Mozzarella, Burrata & Ricotta Cheesemaking Class, this Sunday, July 12th: Pulling Curds & Making Little Pillows of Cream

StretchingCurdsHeader (1 of 1) Ever since I got back from two months in England and Ireland, cutting, draining, pressing and flipping curds with cheesemakers, I've had a hankering to make cheese something terrible. I've been visiting cheesemakers in hopes of surprising them while they're mid-wheel flip or curd stirring. I've been opening the wine glass dishwasher right after a wash at work, hoping to replicate the affect in a make room when warm curds are being scooped into molds and your face and arms get steamy and you're super hot. Also a sensory experience, I've learned, but not the same thing.

CurdCuttingCheesemaking5 (1 of 1) What, I asked myself, is one to do when they want to make cheese but don't want to have to worry about selling it, milking animals, or making vat-size sized batches of wheels?

Teach a cheesemaking class, it turns out! Missing the plush, custard-like texture of freshly set milk, I called Kiri at the Cheese School and told her the deal. If I were writing a personal, my plea would have looked a little something like this:

Cheesemaking and cheese writing geek recently returned from the British Isles with curds on her mind and fermented dairy dreams. Have mozzarella sheets? Will bring the organic cream and curds and we can make burrata together. 

That said, I'm overjoyed to announce that I'm now teaching a mozzarella-burrata-ricotta making workshop at The Cheese School of San Francisco this July 12th. Yup, you read right, all three. Official write up below, and photos from the second mozzarella and burratta class I sat in on at the school, this one taught by Louella Hill.

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Mozzarella is on nearly every aspiring home-cheesemaker’s to-do list. Yet, it’s not easy to get it right. Why won’t your curds form a ball? When you do get the ball to form, why is it hard enough for a game of hacky-sack? These are the mysteries of mozzarella. In this class, your instructor, who is also a cheesemaker, will not only demystify the mozz, but also get you on the road to making perfect ovalini and bocconcini just in time for all that wonderful summer produce. But wait! There’s more! We’ll use our curds to make everyone’s favorite cheese, burrata, and with our leftover whey we’ll make ricotta.

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Burrata2 (1 of 1) Burrata1 (1 of 1) Burrata3 (1 of 1)Burrata4 (1 of 1)If you have mozzarella and burrata making dreams yourself, I'd love to see you there! Spots still open.