CHEESE INFO (1 OF 3)

      Title: CHEESE INFO (1 OF 3)
  Categories: Cheese, Info/tips
       Yield: 1 Servings
  
       1 x  Information on Cheeses follo
       1 x  (This is part 1 of 3)
  
                          DEFINITIONS
                            Cheeses The most essential ingredient in any
   cheesecake is -- you guessed it -- Cheese. The cheeses that are most
   commonly used are cream cheese, Neufchatel, cottage cheese, and
   riccota, but there are some recipes that use such cheeses as gouda
   and Swiss.
    Cheese is made from milk, whether it be from cows, goats, or sheep.
    It has even been made from buffalo and reindeer milk. The milk is
   separated into curds (solids) and whey (liquids) and most of the
   cheeses are made from the curds, although riccota is made from the
   whey. The fresh or uncured cheeses are the ones you mostly will be
   using in your cheesecakes, and these include cream cheese, neufchatel
   and cottage cheese. Although these unripened cheeses all have roughly
   the same proportion of cheese solids (roughly 15 to 18 percent), they
   differ greatly in their butterfat content.  All other things being
   equal, the higher the butterfat content, the creamier the cheesecake.
    CREAM CHEESE: Cream cheese, made from milk, must contain at least 33
   percent butterfat and has one hundred calories per ounce. The water
   content is 50 percent, the texture is smooth and oft, the flavor
   delicate.
    Allow the cheese to come to room temperature before using it so that
   it will blend easily with other ingredients.
    Cream cheese is sold in three-ounce and eight-ounce packages in all
   supermarkets.  Packages are usually dated so be sure to check for
   freshness when you purchase it. Once purchased, the cheese is usable
   for at least three weeks, sometimes even longer.  The most widely
   distributed brand is Kraft's Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese although
   store brands are also available. We've found that these store brands
   vary somewhat in quality; they aren't always as smooth and rich as
   we'd like. You may want to do some experimenting to see how well
   store brands available in your area compare in flavor and texture
   with the national brand. Imitation cream cheese is available in some
   places, but we don't recommend it for your cheesecakes.
    NEUFCHATEL: Neufchatel is made, in the United States, very similar to
   cream cheese.  It is made from whole or skim milk, or a combination
   of milk and cream.  Its butterfat content is a little lower -- about
   25 percent -- and it usually has 70 calories per ounce. The water
   content is 60 percent; the texture is a little lighter than cream
   cheese. The flavor is milder, but in most cases it can be substituted
   for cream cheese when a lower fat content is desired.
    But then again, who do you think you're kidding?  No matter how you
   slice it, cheesecake is fattening.  If you do decide to adapt a
   cream-cheese recipe for use with neufchatel, remember that the water
   content is a little higher than cream cheese; you may want to
   increase slightly the quantity of one of the moisture-holding
   ingredients (such as flour, cornstarch, gelatin, or egg whites)
   called for in the recipe.
    Neufchatel is sold much as is cream cheese and the usable life is
   about the same.  Do not confuse this with the French neufchatel,
   which is similar to a camembert.
    COTTAGE CHEESE: A wide variety of cottage cheeses are available on
   the market ranging in butterfat content from 1/2 percent to 4
   percent. The dry curd cottage cheeses have roughly twenty calories
   per ounce and those with 4 percent butterfat contain about thirty
   calories per ounce. The curds themselves are made from skim milk. The
   richer cottage cheeses, sometimes called creamed cottage cheese are
   made by adding the whole milk and cream to the curds.  Unless
   otherwise noted, the recipes calling for the use of Cottage cheese
   mean the creamed cottage cheese (at least 2 percent butterfat)
   carefully drained of excess moisture.
    FARMER CHEESE: This is skim-milk cottage cheese that has been
   pressed into small squares or rectangles.  It is usually sold in
   delicatessens or specialty shops as bricks. Dry-curd cottage cheese
   can be substituted for farmer cheese if necessary.
    RICOTTA: In the United States, ricotta is almost always made from
   whole milk or a combination of milk and whey. The fat content is from
   4 to 10 percent and there are about 50 calories per ounce. The water
   content is about 72 percent; the texture is slightly grainy, ranging
   to creamier if made from all milk.  It is sold in 15 or 32-oz
   containers which are usually dated.  Be sure to check for freshness,
   since this cheese keeps only for a few days.
    Skim-milk ricotta is also available, and this resembles the original
   ricotta made in Italy.  Most cheesecake recipes call for the whole
   milk ricotta.
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