(O.K., we did make mozzarella once, from a kit, and made butter with a tabletop butter churn).

“Everyday Cheesemaking: How to Succeed at Making Dairy and Nut Cheese at Home,” by K. Ruby Blume, is a treasure for the knowledge that it imparts, and especially the teachings on why things go wrong and how to fix them.

Ms. Blume had purchased cheese books to teach herself how to make cheese. The problem is, unlike baking brownies, many things can go wrong in the cheesemaking process, resulting in a lot of wasted time and milk.

So after she learned, she shared her knowledge via cheesemaking classes, and now this book. It is targeted to “everyday people” who have other jobs, and want to make cheese easily for the joy of it (or perhaps more accurately, to impress their friends and family with delicious homemade cheese). It is very clear on what can go wrong and how to avoid it.

As we thumbed through page after page of how-to, we, who have never thought of it, wanted to run right out for the milk to make feta and ricotta, two cheeses we love and the easiest recipes in the book.

The book covers a wide rage of homemade cheeses, from fresh cheeses such as chevre, halloumi, queso fresco and mozzarella to aged classics such as blue cheese, Brie and Camembert.

In addition to cheese, you can make buttermilk, sour cream and yogurt, as well as vegan cheese, made from ingredients like nuts or soy protein.

The book is published by Microcosm Publishing, a small publisher in Portland, Oregon. We like the book so much that we forgive them the errata that should have been caught: many missing commas, typos like “feed” instead of “fed,” and a duplication of the same paragraph.

But these don’t get in the way of the fine writing style and the wealth of information. This is a great gift for anyone who has thought of making cheese.

Get yours on Amazon.com.
  

Ms. Pall is a trained French culinary chef experienced in Indian-Latin fine dining.

We enjoy all lassi, but so far, we like That Indian Drink’s products the best. Chef-crafted, they use fresh fruit instead of purchased concentrates and purées. And oh, the spices!

The spices make a delightful difference—so much so that Chef Ipshita and her husband, Amrit Singh, were convinced to sell it commercially (their company is called The Indian Milk & Honey Co.). The result is three flavors, each more wonderful than the next:

 
The ingredients include rBST-free lowfat milk, fruit, live active cultures, cane sugar, and spices; 130 to 150 calories per eight-ounce serving. That Indian Drink isn’t just good, it’s good for you!

Each bottle delivers more than a full serving of fruit, 7 grams of protein, dietary fiber, probiotics, antioxidants, and addictive deliciousness.

Blueberry Cardamom is one of four delicious fruit flavors. Photo courtesy The Indian Milk & Honey Co.

Lassi is a traditional Indian-style yogurt-based drink blended with ripe fruits and spices—in essence, the original smoothie.

The word “lassi” means “yogurt drink” in Hindi. The light, cool and creamy beverage originated in India around 1000 B.C.E. The probiotic cultures in the yogurt are believed to have healing properties in Ayurvedic medicine.

As with kefir, another yogurt-based beverage that originated in the Middle East, lassi can often be tolerated by lactose-intolerant people. The probiotic bacteria compensate for the lack of an intolerant person’s production of lactase, the enzyme that digests milk proteins.

Lassi is a simpler recipe than kefir.

 
You can find plain lassi, sweet lassi and savory lassi.

Depending on the milk with which it is made—cow, goat, sheep, soy, water buffalo and yak—the taste and texture of the drink will vary widely.
 
 
WHEN TO DRINK LASSI

In India, lassi is served as an apéritif, drunk savory with meals, enjoyed sweet as a light dessert, or as a healthful sweet or savory refreshment at any time of day.

Savory lassi is a perfect drink with spicy Indian food. Sweet lassi—yogurt and fruit often blended with ice cubes these days—is a smoothie, appropriate for a quick breakfast, a light lunch, rejuvenating snack or a light dessert.
 
 

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

Not surprisingly, cookbook author Danielle Walker makes her own condiments. Why? They deliver better flavor than mass-produced products, and in the case of tomato ketchup and barbecue sauce, a better sweetener than high fructose corn syrup, and less sweetener.

Danielle is following up on her the Paleo Diet-focused Against All Grain (10 months on the New York Times Best Sellers list) with the upcoming Meals Made Simple (out September 2nd, but you can pre-order now).

You can make your own ketchup in just five minutes of prep time, plus 45 minutes of cooking. How can you resist the opportunity to impress your palate, your family, your friends?

After you’ve made your first batch, you can experiment with your favorite seasonings: chipotle, curry, garlic, horseradish, jalapeño, sriracha, whatever.

Danielle chose honey as the sweetener in her recipe, but you can use agave (just use half the amount, since it’s twice as sweet), maple syrup, even cane sugar.

RECIPE: HOMEMADE TOMATO KETCHUP

Ingredients For 2 Cups

Make it yourself! Photo courtesy Danielle Walker.

1. PLACE the oil in a deep skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, until fragrant.

2. ADD the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and reduced by half.

3. REMOVE the onion, cloves and allspice. Bring to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator.

Variations

Make the ketchup without the cloves and allspice. You can divide it into half cup batches and flavor them accordingly (seasonings provided per half cup of ketchup).

 
Your own blend: Anything goes!

Here’s a way to enjoy Happy Hour in the heat: Turn your favorite fruit cocktail into an adult ice pop.

We started with the Margarita, re-interpreting the Strawberry Frozen Margarita as a Strawberry Margarita Ice Pop. You can substitute the fruit and spirits to adapt your favorite cocktail.

Prep time: is 15 minutes plus freezing time (overnight).
RECIPE: STRAWBERRY MARGARITA ICE POPS

Ingredients For 8 – 10 Pops

Truly frozen cocktails: Strawberry Margarita Ice Pops. Photo courtesy Driscoll’s.

1. BRING water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Cool completely.

2. PURÉE strawberries in a blender or food processor. Strain through a fine mesh sieve to yield 1-1/2 cups purée.

3. COMBINE strawberry purée with sugar syrup, lime juice, tequila and orange liqueur. Pour into ice pop molds.

4. FREEZE for 2 hours, then sprinkle the base of the pops with salt and add the sticks. Let freeze at least 12 hours longer or overnight until frozen solid.
  

Doesn’t this salad from Florida-based Peach Valley Café burst with summer?

Blueberries, mandarin segments, strawberries, frisée and baby greens are garnished with shaved Parmesan cheese, toasted almonds and homemade peach ginger dressing.
 
 
You can add or substitute any other seasonal fruits: bananas, peaches, kiwi or other favorites.

GINGER PEACH DRESSING

Ingredients

 
Mix, match and enjoy.
 
 
>>> THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MANDARINS & ORANGES <<<