I came across this Burrata recipe on the internet and discovered it was written by Chef Frank Bonanno of Luca d'Italia in Denver!

Sharon and I loved the Burrata there and I wanted to make it at home so I started to think, what if I bought fresh mozzarella and microwave it to melt the cheese , flattened it out, filled it with ricotta and folded it over?

Well, it was not as flavorful as the Burrata at Luca but it is worth making assuming you have great ricotta and a high quality fresh mozzarella.

I have to confess that making fresh Mozzarella Cheese may seem intimitating, but I assure you it is a rewarding task!

How to make Mozzarella Cheese is a question that many have searched for on Cook-Italian.com!

Flashback:  I remember opening a large walk in refrigerator door, I could barely reach the handle.  The door was made of wood and cork.

  The inside of the refrigerator smelled sweet, of citrus and yeast doughs waiting for the next days creations.  In this dimly lit refrigerator there was a wooden barrel which my father told me not to go into.

 I moved over the lid and there they were these white round mounds of what I now know as fresh Mozzarella Cheese , Dad called it, "Scamotz" they were floating in this milky salty liquid.

  I reached into the cold whey and grabbed one!  I've seen this practiced before by my father and like him, I took a bite into the chilled salty and creamy ball of Mozzarella Cheese.  The brine running down my cheek, wiping it quickly with my sleeve.

This is my first me memory of eating Fresh Mozzarella Cheese!

We take for granted these days the time and effort it takes to make cheese.  Everything is done for us!

  In our instant society no one has the time to prepare food, because of this our food is made for us, especially cheese.

  I have personally tasted many a Fresh Mozzarella, especially true Mozzarella di Bufala with its salt brine flavor and distinctive taste it is indeed the true Mozzarella cheese.

Cows milk Fresh Mozzarella has a slightly sweeter taste and soft texture, but when I made my own Fresh Mozzarella I was excited and proud!

 After all, I was now able to boast that the cheese my family and friends were enjoying was made by me! (it's a Chef thing)

 This by far is one of the most rewarding culinary tasks that you may do akin to bread baking!

Many restaurants and Chefs are conducting cooking classes on how to make Mozzarella Cheese as well. 

 I feel it's exciting that people have gained an appreciation of artisan cheese making!

I was making some Homemade Mozzarella and wanted to make Ricotta.

The Ricotta cheese is made is my adding an additional amount to the acidified whey that is left after you have made your Mozzarella (Ricotta means "re-cooked").

The Whey has to be fresh and does not hold well. So what do you do if you just want to make Ricotta cheese?

Here is a recipe that is not exactly the classic way but will get you where you want to be. You may make this whenever you want and not have to make Mozzarella first.

The most important thing about this recipe is the selection you make when buying the Ricotta cheese.

Find a Ricotta that is not bound up with lots of starches or gums to tie up moisture.  The Ricotta should be whole milk and drained properly in a colander in the refrigerator, overnight if possible.  Important to also note that you must use flat Italian parsley  not the curly kind as well as good quality Imported Parmesan and Romano.

This recipe does not have salt but will get its saltiness from the grated Romano and Parmesan Cheese.  If Romano is too assertive then only use Parmesan Cheese.

Use this recipe for your Ravioli, Manicotti and Lasagna filling. Also great to stuff chicken breasts with!