Ingredient: Mascarpone
Category: Dairy- Cheese
Season: All
A soft, white, fresh, vegetarian, cream cheese from the Lombardy region of southern Italy , it apparently originated in the area between Lodi and Abbiategrasso, Italy, southwest of Milan.
In fact, it is not cheese at all , rather the result of a culture being added to the cream skimmed off the milk, used in the production of Parmesan.
It is, described as a curd cheese , although it is made in much the same way as yogurt.
Production
Mascarpone is cheese made from crème fraîche by denaturing tartaric acid (natural vegetable acid derived from the seed of the tamarind tree) . Sometimes buttermilk is added as well, depending on the brand.
After the culture has been added , the cream is gently heated, then allowed to mature and thicken.
After denaturation , whey is removed without pressing or aging,
The whitish to straw yellow, creamy, mild fresh cheese is compact, but supple and spreadable.
It takes only a few days to ripen and has a fat content of 75%.
Taste
When fresh , it smells like milk and cream.
Culinary Uses
Frequently, it is used for the preparation of certain dishes and sauces ; it is added to famous Italian desserts, sometimes accompanied by cognac
Mascarpone is used in various dishes of the Lombardy region of Italy , where it is a specialty. It is a main ingredient of tiramisu.
It is sometimes used instead of butter or Parmesan cheese to thicken and enrich risotti.
It is lovely served alone with soft fruitsor in a cheesecake.
It is a treat, spread on sweet biscuits (digestives or sweet oat biscuits) with fresh strawberry jam.
Because of its high fat content, it can be lightened by mixing it with an equal quantity of fromage frais and used as a filling for sponge cakes or as a topping for desserts.
Mascarpone has an extremely similar taste and quality to Iraqi Gaymer (sometimes spelled as "Geimer
Mascarpone is frequently mispronounced "marscapone," even by food professionals
One can manufacture mascarpone by using cream , tartaric or citric acid, or even lemon juice
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