Don't treat goat cheese as if it were from a cow

breads, goat cheese, pasta


by Teresa J. Farney The Gazette

Italian-style goat cheese comes in two varieties: hard and ricotta.

The hard version can be grated, sliced, baked and even fried, but forget about melting it over foods or breads.

"You can tell if cow's milk has been added to this type of goat cheese if it melts," says Hoehne dairy owner Doris Zubal. "The best way to enjoy this cheese is sliced thin and eaten. Or use it grated over pasta."

The ricotta, on the other hand, can be used for cooking. It is much whiter than cow's milk ricotta and has a smoother, creamier texture.

Holly Mervis, chef and co-owner of Garden of the Gods Seasonings & Gourmet at 2528 W. Cucharras St., recently started carrying the LePlatt Hi-Country Goat Dairy cheese.

"I like the ricotta over the hard goat cheese," she says. "I'm going to start using the ricotta in our stuffed shells and other dishes to let people know how it tastes."

You also can get flavored goat cheeses. Vallorie Philpott sells a popular jalapeo and red chile cheese, and also offers garlic and basil, whole black pepper and tomato and basil.

Whether you choose hard or ricotta, don't expect Italian-style goat cheese to taste or behave like the creamy, French-style chevre. And with the hard variety, don't be surprised by the texture, which can be, well, squeaky on the molars.

"That's right -- a lot of people refer to this as the 'squeaky' cheese," Zubal says.