Chevre Chevere!

If I ever go into commercial cheese production (not very likely), the title of this post will be my business name. Chevre, of course, is soft goat cheese, and Chevere is a Mexican slang term that means "cool" or "awesome." Plus, you can sing it to the tune of "chim chim cheree" from Mary Poppins... "chevre chevere, chevre chevere, chevre che-ver-e..." Built in jingle. 

The chevre I made today is by far the best I've ever made. Finally, I achieved the elusive ultra-smooth texture that commercial chevre has but which I haven't been able to duplicate until now. It was an accident, as many culinary achievements are. I put milk to set last night around 8 pm, cultured and renneted. I left it in the oven with the pilot light on until I went to bed at about 11. Then I turned the light off because I'm too OCD to go to sleep with a single light on anywhere in the house (don't ask.).  I meant to take it out and cut the curd in the morning before taking the kids to school, but I forgot.  It was 3 in the afternoon before I managed to get back into the kitchen and finish the cheese. I was worried it would be ruined.

Instead, I think I have discovered - subject to replication of the results, of course - that a longer setting time at a lower temperature produces a smoother curd than a shorter setting time at a higher temperature. 

Next up: feta. Then mozzerella. Then the holy grail: cheddar.