KESONG PUTI

Traditionally, you'll find Kesong Puti (what the Filipinos call their native cheese) as a side dish during meals; it's a distinctive white cheese, either in a round or square slice, wrapped in a banana leaf. The cheese itself is white and soft and somewhat resembles fresh Buffalo Mozarella. What might be a better description of it is to think of Mascarpone but with a slightly more solid texture and not served as a spread, but in slices.To make this in a wholly authentic way, the recipe calls for Caribou (Water Buffalo) milk. If you live in a country where you have access to Caribou milk, then there will be no problem in recreating this popular native cheese. However, if you live, say, in the USA, where there is only one farm (in Vermont, actually) that raises Caribou for meat and cheese, but not milk, you'll have to substitute. But you can still come up with an adequate substitute. Step1 Wash every utensil and container youll be using in very hot water; they must be as clean as possible. Step2 Dissolve salt into milk. Step3 Use a cheese cloth to strain the salted cheese milk. Step4 Pasteurize milk. Put milk in a double boiler at 160 degrees F for 5 minutes. Use a thermometer to determine the temperature or watch for a film to form over the milk. When the film has fully formed, stir milk and cover. Step5 Lower the burner. Wait 2 to 5 minutes. Remove milk from stove and let stand for 10 minutes. Step6 Place pot on top of a larger container filled with ice to further cooling. Cool milk to 110 degrees F. Remove from ice. Step7 Add 4 teaspoons of commercial rennet extract as coagulant to the milk, which should be 100 degrees F. Stir slowly for 2 minutes. Cover. Coagulation will happen between 15 to 25 minutes. Step8 Skim about 1 cm of coagulum off the cheese. Step9 Place cheese cloth over a large bowl and the cheese mixture on top of the cheese clothit will then drain whey into the bowl. Drain whey for 6 hours. Cheese will shrink to or of the original size. Step10 Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water. Step11 Slice cheese 1 cm (no larger) and put pieces on banana leaves (or wax paper) and fold into little packages. Step12

How the native dish is served; prepared by chef Percy in Carmen, Cebu. Refrigerate and serve within 3 days.