Cheese Louise

I am lactose intolerant. I actually don't miss milk, but I do miss cheese. However, I have found ways of coping.

First, not all cheese is inedible. The bacteria that make cheese happily eat lactose, so an aged cheese should be lactose-free. However, corner-cutting manufactuers will add cream or milk solids to thicken cheese. A plain cheddar that contains only milk, culture, salt and chymosin (bacterial enzyme) is basically lactose-free. Something like Kraft Singles are full of milk solids and completely lactose-laden.

Fresh cheeses are a different story. Ricotta, cottage cheese, sour cream, yoghurt, and cottage cheese are not sufficiently fermented to have all the lactose removed. Thankfully, India has provided a solution. There is an easy to make acid-set cheese called paneer. Since paneer involves no bacterial fermentation, lactose-free milk creates lactose-free cheese. If there was no lactose in the milk to make an aged cheese, the bacteria would starve. Paneer is also easy to make and has a creamy ricotta-like quality. Unfortunately, it does not melt, so it cannot be used in place of all cheese.

My modified recipe for paneer is something like this.

Ingredients

• 2L 3% homo milk
• lactase enzyme drops
• 1/4C lemon juice
• 2t salt

Tools

• large pot
• cheese cloth, muslin or clean white tea-towel
• plastic spoon or spatula
• small self-standing collander
• small bowl that fits in the collander

Method

1. Add enzyme drops to milk and let sit 24h or directed time.
2. Pour milk into large pot. Add salt
3. Heat milk on medium-low heat. Stir occasionally.
4. Once milk is fairly hot, increase to medium-high heat. Stir frequently.
5. Once milk is gently boiling, reduce heat to just keep it boiling. Stir constantly.
6. Simmer for 5 minutes.
7. Remove from head.
8. While stirring vigourously, slowly add lemon juice.
9. Milk should curdle. If it fails, heat it again.
10. Line collander with cloth and place in sink.
11. Pour curds and whey into cloth, allowing the whey to drain out.
12. Rinse curds under cold water.
13. Fold cloth over curds in collander.
14. Place bowl on top of the curd package.
15. Place pot on top of the bowl and fill with water.
16. Allow curds to rest. The longer they sit, the firmer the cheese.
17. Store cheese in air-tight container in the refridgerator.

Note that if you intend to reuse the cloth, it must be washed. If it is washed in the bold scent of Gain, then your cheese will taste like the bold scent of Gain. I would recommend something more like Tide Free.