CIVICHE

All over South America, people "cook" fish by soaking it in citrus juice. After marinating several hours, the seafood turns opaque and firm, with a texture half-way between sushi and traditionally cooked fish. Ceviche goes fast at a party -- especially in the summer when the citrusy, fresh bite feels especially right. There's a lot of room for improvisation here: buy whichever type of sweet peppers look good; play with the proportion of citrus juices and control the heat with your choice of hot peppers.

1 ½ pounds large (about 20 per pound) shrimp, shelled and deveined

1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into thin strips about 2 inches long

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into thin strips about 2 inches long

Half a small red onion, cut into thin slivers

1 small bunch cilantro, thick stems removed, the rest chopped coarsely

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fine sea or kosher salt

1 Scotch bonnet, jalapeno or hot chili pepper of your choice, stemmed and minced

12 lemons

8 limes

4 oranges

Toss the shrimp, yellow and red pepper, onion, cilantro, salt and chili pepper together in a bowl to mix them evenly.

Pack into a non-reactive container (a 2-quart glass jar works well).

Squeeze the citrus, strain out any seeds and pour over the shrimp and vegetables. There should be enough juice to cover the shrimp and vegetables, if not add more.

Seal the container and refrigerate until the shrimp is opaque, 12 hours to one day.

Drain, discard most of the liquid and pile the shrimp and vegetables in a serving bowl.

Great for tacos and tostadas with avocado.

HOME MADE CHEESE

HOMEMADE FRESH RICOTTA CHEESE

I first made this ricotta a few years ago when I was making a homemade lasagna for a bunch of my friends for dinner. It would be a dinner to go down in the books. As a matter of fact, they're still talking about that lasagna! That night I had decided to let my dear friend, Timothy Kennedy choose what was going to be on the menu. There were a few other friends there that night for dinner, but it was Timothy's choice. I had been working at an Italian restaurant on the very west side of Milwaukee at the time, and this recipe came to me just in time for that very special dinner some few years back. I had purchased a huge turkey roasting pan to construct the lasagna. I will never forget the enormity of that particular lasagna. It weighed so much, when my friend Kevin heaved it out of the oven it nearly threw his back out! The pounds of cheese, the pounds of pasta, the pounds of homemade sausage (yeah, I make that from scratch, too!)... Remember my motto: ANYTHING WORTH DOING IS WORTH OVER DOING! It was just one of those things for me, making the ricotta from scratch, that made it even more special. Along with the Caesar salad and the homemade bread it was simply an evening to remember. 

2 quarts of organic milk

1 cup of organic heavy cream

3 Tablespoons of white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.

In a medium pot, warm the milk and cream over moderately high heat until the surface becomes foamy and steamy and an instant thermometer inserted into the milk reads 185 degrees. Do not let the milk boil. Remove the pot from the heat. Add the vinegar and gently stir for 30 seconds; the mixture will almost curdle immediately. Add the salt and continue to gently stir for another 30 seconds. Cover the pot with a clean towel and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours.

Line a large colander with several layers of cheesecloth, allowing several inches of overhang. Set the colander in a large bowl. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the curds to the colander. Carefully gather the corners of the cheesecloth and close with a rubberband. Let the ricotta stand for 30 minutes, gently pressing and squeezing the cheesecloth occasionally to drain off the whey. Transfer the ricotta to a bowl and use at once, or cover and refrigerate.

Refrigerate for up to 4 days. Makes aproximately 3 1/2 cups. I used all 3 1/2 cups of the ricotta in my lasagna that night. Use this homemade ricotta as you would any other store bought ricotta.

SMART TIPS FOR MARCH 2009

*Use the water from hard boiled eggs to water your plants; Calcium leachs into the water giving great benefits for green leafy plants.



* Use a garlic press to break up small amounts of seeds, spices, peppercorns etc. for quick mess-free results.



*Freeze stock in icecube trays and store them in a freezer bag. Great for adding extra moisture when making pan sauces or gravies especially when you need to loosen something up



*A "quick-paste" made of equal parts of softened butter and flour [usually 1 tablespoon of each] added to cooking liqiuds can thicken up a sauce that is a little too thin in a hurry!