Reggie Wegman
A very enthusiastic group of people attended the Cheese Making class on March 3 in the Oakwood clubhouse. The class was given by Kathy Levine, a very experienced cheese maker. She has done extensive research. Her desire for excellence led her to find teachers in other states from Northern California, Colorado, and Wisconsin. She then earned a certificate in Artisan Cheese Making.
Cheese making is a science. She uses microorganisms that give each cheese its unique taste. All supplies and equipment are supplied to each person attending the class. It becomes a group effort, keeping the temperature of the milk at a steady 170 degrees, adding the carefully measured ingredients, and stirring the heated milk in a steady motion. The fun part starts when the stretching stage happens.
When the cheese curds are ready to be stretched, the mozzarella starts to take shape and become shiny. The group begins to see the fruits (or should I say the cheese) of their labor. It was a fun day, but close attention and cooperation of each cheese maker pays off.
We learned how to make the mozzarella and a burrata, which is a fresh stuffed mozzarella. The burrata could be dessert or an appetizer. It was a great learning experience. And the mozzarella was delicioso!
Thank you to Abigail Faires, director of lifestyles at Oakwood, for offering this great event.