Baby steps into cheese making...queso fresco

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One of my resolutions this year was to learn to make cheese. That might seem like a weird resolution, but my goal is to try something new each year and making cheese is it for 2008. I also happen to love cheese, so it seemed like a good match.

Some cheeses require equipment or unique reactants (sheep rennant, anyone?) and I'm not ready for that. I want a nice, simple, easy cheese that only takes a couple of ingredients. Queso Fresco fits the bill.

Queso Fresco is a cheese that you might have encountered on top of your favorite restaurant's enchiladas. It is a bit salty, a bit chewy and doesn't melt easily, which makes it a good topping for things. The recipe (see link above) uses milk and cider vinegar - that's it. I think I can manage that. I'm going to try it over the weekend; I'll post the results next week.

Queso Fresco is cheap to make and that's handy when fancy schmancy cheeses usually cost more than I want to spend. I've read that it substitutes well in lasagna for ricotta and that it can be made even tangier by adding lemon juice to the milk. I'll be looking for recipes that use it in casseroles, as well as dips and salads. Anyone with experience using (or making) queso fresco, please share your thoughts.

Visit 365cheese.com for photos and information about your favorite cheeses.