One of the Barefoot Contessa's catchphrases is "How easy is that?" If you're a fan of her show, you know that she says it several times during an episode. However, sometimes I can't help but wonder: is it really that easy? Well, when it comes to her homemade ricotta cheese, yes it is! Over the weekend I made a batch of the thick, creamy, rich cheese and was shocked by the recipe's simplicity. Read more

The cherries are getting better by the week, and I can't help but pick up some at the farmers market. Recently, I transformed a frozen pizza dough into a slightly-sweet-and-savory focaccia pizza that's topped with creamy ricotta and pitted cherries. I purchased fresh ricotta from my local grocer, but one could easily whip up your own! Next time, I'll make the focaccia with less sugar and more Read more

Who doesn't love a savory tart? For an afternoon brunch, I rolled up my sleeves to make a mouth-watering puff pastry tart topped with ricotta cheese, caramelized onions, and homemade olive tapenade. The anchovies are initially pungent, but once they reduce and caramelize with the onions, their flavor mellows immensely. If you're serving vegetarians, leave out the anchovies and salt the onions a Read more

After Thanksgiving, it always takes a couple of days to regain my appetite. That's why this weekend, when I had guests over, I decided to serve an easy and healthy party dip with crudités. Typically, spinach dips call for a great deal of sour cream and lots of shredded cheese — resulting in a dish that can be heavy. Thankfully, I found a Martha Stewart recipe that calls for lowfat ricotta Read more

By now you're probably familiar with MyPlate, the government's new food pyramid replacement; in case you hadn't heard, based on the updated guidelines, Americans are consuming far more sodium than they should. And new research suggests that overconsumption of salt affects cognitive function. High blood pressure, water retention, and stupidity? That's too much to bear. The good news is that there Read more

It's quite trendy these days to make your own ricotta. Jo_jo_ba has offered up this richer version that we can't wait to make. Homemade ricotta is perfect to customize based on the milk and other additions you have around. This fine-textured version amps up the decadence factor with half and half cream and whole milk, and uses citric acid for a clean-tasting coagulant (since vinegar and lemon Read more

We're excited to bring you a new post from mother and actress Tori Spelling! Every other week, we're bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle advice from ediTORIal by Tori Spelling, which is Tori's daily blog about everything from food and fashion to parenting and relationships. This week, Tori shares her favorite lasagna recipe. I've been making my lasagna recipe since my early 20s. When I Read more

Love Mexican food, but wish you knew more about the culture's cheese legacy? So did I. At a California Milk Advisory Board cheese class, I finally had my opportunity to better understand the Hispanic cheese market when I got a crash course on it from cheese expert Juliana Uruburu. Although semisoft, European-influenced cheeses like Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog and Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk get the Read more

Sometimes the most satisfying meals are the most simple. Look at the grilled cheese. The ingredients — toasted bread, sliced cheese, a pat of butter — are humble, but the completed sandwich is a classic culinary masterpiece. With impromptu holiday parties and last-minute gift-shopping, treat yourself to an elegant, uncomplicated, and oozing cheese sandwich. Instead of crisping the sandwich Read more