Cooking For Engineers

[Sausageman]

I have just discovered a great way to make simple cheese with no cooking or starter cultures involved. Here's how;

You will need;

A large square of folded muslin cloth. A tea towel will do in a pinch.
A bowl.
some kind of hook to suspend the cheese.
Plain Yoghurt.

method;

Place the muslin in the bowl making sure that it folds over the outside of the bowl.
Place the Yoghurt on the muslin in the centre of the bowl and fold up the cloth.
Tie the diagonal corners together and using a hook, suspend the cloth over the bowl for 24 hours, or until the liquid stops dripping, in a fridge is fine.
After that time eat it, it is similar to Philadelphia cheese, mix in chopped chives or pour sweet chilli sauce over it and enjoy.

[tpowell]

Nice, does it taste similar to soft cheese as well as looking like it?

[Sausageman]

The texture is nice, like philadelphia, but it has a little tang to the taste depending on how much of the whey is removed.

Mike.

[webscriptions]

I know it is sooooo simple and easy and straight forward as one might say. But others like me it is better to have with picutres.
Do you mind putting step by step with pictures?

Appretiate it.

[Kinnikinik]

Using plain yogurt, this method makes an acceptable substitute for Greek yogurt. Use for Tzatziki, or spread on bread instead of mayo for a low fat substitute on your sandwiches.

[The King]

You can use yogurt to make cheese? Does it come out the same way?

[Dilbert]

[Diane B.]

Just wanted to add these links for those who want more info/lessons on making strained yogurt (aka Greek-style yogurt, yogurt cheese, labneh, drained yogurt, etc):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strained_yoghurt
And one person who'd posted in a previous thread here re making tzatziki has info and lessons on making both yogurt and strained yogurt:
http://virtuallyamy.wordpress.com/2008/08/01/yogurt-yogurt-cheese-greek-style-and-how
Strained yogurts can be drained as much as desired to make them thicker and thicker, then eaten as is, or sweetened/flavored, etc. They can then be eaten, spread on bagels as a substitute for cream cheese, used in cooking (since it won't "break" when heated long like unstrained yogurt will, etc), and more.

Here's that original thread, plus more info on tzatziki--which is strained yogurt that has been mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt, and often olive oil (sometimes other things are added as well like lemon juice, dill, black pepper, etc), then used as a dip/sauce/etc).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tzatziki
http://www.cookingforengineers.com/recipe/188/Anghelikas-Tsatsiki-Tzatziki

To The King above:
"Yogurt cheese" isn't the kind of hard or soft cheese purchased at the grocery store you're probably thinking of, but it is a kind of cheese. It's just that there are many kinds of "cheese," some of which can be made at home easily and some that can't, or made with different acidifiers/bacteria though, for example:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheese#Production (rest of page too)

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