Get out of the whey.

I think I've found my new obsession: home made cheese.

In a former long term committed relationship I was engaged to a vegatarian who was a really good cook. She must have watched a cooking show because one night she served up saag paneer and she'd made the paneer. After that a conversation regarding dinner might have gone something along these lines:

wifey (the wife): What do you want for dinner?
wubby (that was me): Um. saag paneer with home made paneer?
wifey: Okay. Now scram.

I'd retire to the living room where I'd watch ESPN and the wifey would be in the kitchen cooking. I hid in the living room because I wasn't welcome in the kitchen. I'd get dirty looks and her claws would come out if I got anywhere near her when she was cooking. She could be very intense like that.

An hour or so later she'd be all smiles and place a plate of saag paneer in front of me, which I happily lapped up. Then it was my turn in the kitchen for KP.

Lately I find that something interesting is happening to me. In addition to having a zero tolerance level for bullshit I'm becoming the sort of person who doesn't want company while I'm in the kitchen cooking. Seriously. Don't get too close or you will get burned.

I've got everything organized just so and I want to hit my zen. People underfoot make it hard to get in the zone. (This pertains to living and cooking.)

Yesterday, hot off the success of my homemade mozzerella I decided to give the saag paneer a shot.

And jeepers, it was as easy as falling off a log.

Paneer has two ingredients: whole milk and whole yogurt.

Which begs the question: where's the rennet? (Which leads me to want to explore veggie rennet.)

The thrifty Scot made an appearance here. (See photos.) That clean, very worn out undershirt has been waiting to be put to a new use. Today, that new purpose was discovered: cheese strainer.

The paneer is made like so:
into a pot boil (while stirring constantly) 6 cups of milk. Then add 1.5 cups of whole yogurt. Turn off heat. Stir and watch the curds form. Strain the curds through an old white t-shirt. Twist t-shirt to squeeze out whey. Hang over a bowl, using an elastic band, from kitchen cabinet hook. After 30 minutes twist the t-shirt some strain out remaining whey.

Fix yourself up a batch of saag, add paneer. Voila!

Homemade chevre is on deck but I won't be able to get to it until I find a supplier of organic goat milk. Stay tuned.