On Fri, 5 Jan 2007 11:15:53 -0500, "elaine" >
wrote:

>Could I substitute something else for this. It's very expensive!
>
>Oh, it is a topping for a soup.

For a soup topping, maybe. I tried a bunch of 'substitutes' for a
dessert I make with strawberries & whipped cream where the mascarpone
holds it all together---

None of these were even close. I tried them all and went back to
splurging for the mascarpone. [another attraction to a substitute is
that I usually have these things in the kitchen so I can
spur-of-the-moment throw together a mascarpone treat].. Sadly, they
lacked either flavor, texture or . . . . . the 'je ne se quas' of
mascarpone;

I probably found this list on the web- sorry I didn't source it--
a. Use good cream cheese.
b. Mix equal amounts of cream cheese and sour cream
c. Mix 1/2 pound of ricotta cheese with 1 cup of heavy cream in a food
processor until it forms a homogeneous cream (this substitutes for
about 1 pound of mascarpone
d. [for 3/4lbs] 2 tablespoons of heavy cream
1 1/4 cups Ricotta cheese,
3 tbl softened cream cheese,
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Blend until smooth.
e. 16 oz Cream cheese (2 8 oz. packages)
1/3c Sour cream
2 oz (1/4 cup) whipping cream
Blend until smooth.
f. 8 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup whipping cream
g. 8 ounces cream cheese
1 tablespoon cream or butter or milk,
h. 6 ounces softened cream cheese with
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup cream (or Montrachet).



Mascarpone is mascarpone, as far as I can tell.

Jim