Could I substitute something else for this. It's very expensive!

Oh, it is a topping for a soup.

--
elaine

"elaine" > wrote in message
...
> Could I substitute something else for this. It's very expensive!
>
> Oh, it is a topping for a soup.
>
> --
> elaine
>


What kind of soup?

"JoeSpareBedroom" > wrote in message
...
> "elaine" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Could I substitute something else for this. It's very expensive!
>>
>> Oh, it is a topping for a soup.
>>
>> --
>> elaine
>>
>
>
> What kind of soup?

Creamy red pepper. I believe it was posted here a few weeks back. I was
thinking perhaps sour cream with chives as a substitute. Or I have ricotta
or feta cheese...........

elaine

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

"elaine" > wrote in message
...
> "JoeSpareBedroom" > wrote in message
> ...
>> "elaine" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> Could I substitute something else for this. It's very expensive!
>>>
>>> Oh, it is a topping for a soup.
>>>
>>> --
>>> elaine
>>>
>>
>>
>> What kind of soup?
>
> Creamy red pepper. I believe it was posted here a few weeks back. I was
> thinking perhaps sour cream with chives as a substitute. Or I have
> ricotta or feta cheese...........
>
> elaine
>

Why take a relatively healthy sounding soup and gob it up with more fat? How
about a crispy texture on top, like finely sliced scallions?

"elaine" > wrote

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

How about creme fraiche?

nancy

In article >,
says...
> Could I substitute something else for this. It's very expensive!
>
> Oh, it is a topping for a soup.
>
>
Here's a page on the subject:

http://www.heavenlytiramisu.com/mascarpo.htm

Bob

In article >,
"elaine" > wrote:

> "JoeSpareBedroom" > wrote in message
> ...
> > "elaine" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >> Could I substitute something else for this. It's very expensive!
> >>
> >> Oh, it is a topping for a soup.
> >>
> >> --
> >> elaine
> >>
> >
> >
> > What kind of soup?
>
> Creamy red pepper. I believe it was posted here a few weeks back. I was
> thinking perhaps sour cream with chives as a substitute. Or I have ricotta
> or feta cheese...........
>
> elaine

Well, shredded monterey jack is commonly served on top of Tortilla soup.
Not sure if that is what you are looking for tho'.
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson

elaine wrote:

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

It is expensive to buy, but not if you make it. Here's a
recipe. IIRC Bob Pastorio uses citric acid instead
of tartaric, which is easier to find.

Mascarpone

1 Q light cream or half & half
1/4 t tartaric acid

Heat cream to 180-185 F, remove from heat.
add tartaric acid. If cheese does
not coagulate add a bit more. Too much will make it grainy.

Drain using cheesecloth or coffee filter. Keeps for up to
one week.

--
Reg

"Nancy Young" > wrote in message
. ..
>
> "elaine" > wrote
>
> > Could I substitute something else for this. It's very expensive!
> >
> > Oh, it is a topping for a soup.
>
> How about creme fraiche?
>
> nancy
>
==============
At a Christmas party I went to the hostess served Cream of Tomato soup with
a swirl of creme freche (sp?) on it. When serving the soup into individual
soup bowls, she also dropped a dollop of something red in first then swirled
the creme freche on top; then she popped a cracker pastry cutout of a
Christmas tree on top of that . It was excellent.
>

elaine wrote:

> Creamy red pepper. I believe it was posted here a few weeks back. I was
> thinking perhaps sour cream with chives as a substitute. Or I have ricotta
> or feta cheese...........
>
> elaine

I would suggest creme fraiche, yogurt or sour cream. Not the same by any
stretch, but very nice with a red pepper soup all the same.

"elaine" > wrote in message
...
> Could I substitute something else for this. It's very expensive!
>
> Oh, it is a topping for a soup.
>
> --
> elaine

Ok, here's the deal: You *can* substitute something else...for example, cream cheese
softened with a bit of fresh cream or sour cream or crème fraiche. The problem is,
although some substitutions can be sued in many recipes without much notice, I've
never found that the substitutes for mascarpone come very close. Some are close in
texture, but never quite as creamy, and none match the flavor.

The Von's near me has it for about $4 for an 8 ounce tub. Not as cheap as cream
cheese, I grant you. But there's really nothing that turns out as well so for me, and
I am really speaking only for me, it's worth the splurge, especially since I don't
use it that often. Even better, when I'm making something like tiramisu or something
that requires a larger amount, I am lucky enough to live 10 minutes from Little
Italy, where I can get the good stuff (imported from Italy) for about $9 for an 18oz
tub. Again, not cheap, but totally worth it to me.

kimberly

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

A drizzle of crème freche or Mexican crema would be great. But mascarpone
is not expensive really, and you can use it for other things. It's great
toast and it would go well with the soup. Mascarpone lasts for months in
the fridge so you don't even have to use it all at once. Presentation is
everything. You can get those plastic squeeze bottles real cheap almost
anywhere. Use it to apply the crème fresh or whatever in a nice pinwheel
pattern on top of the soup. The eyes are a part of the whole eating
experience after all. And you can store the rest in the bottle in the
fridge.

Paul

"Paul M. Cook" > wrote in message
news:L9Cnh.105$rz3.4@trnddc03...
>
> "elaine" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Could I substitute something else for this. It's very expensive!
>>
>> Oh, it is a topping for a soup.
>
> A drizzle of crème freche or Mexican crema would be great. But mascarpone
> is not expensive really, and you can use it for other things. It's great
> toast and it would go well with the soup. Mascarpone lasts for months in
> the fridge so you don't even have to use it all at once. Presentation is
> everything. You can get those plastic squeeze bottles real cheap almost
> anywhere. Use it to apply the crème fresh or whatever in a nice pinwheel
> pattern on top of the soup. The eyes are a part of the whole eating
> experience after all. And you can store the rest in the bottle in the
> fridge.
>
> Paul

Thanks all. Wouldn't you know it, my server was down and I couldn't get
on-line. I ended up using sour cream and mixing a couple of tablespoons of
whipping cream with it. Wondered about cream cheese, but didn't have any,
plus I didn't know if this was supposed to taste sweet.

Didn't really matter since everyone seemed to enjoy it anyway. When I
checked out the mascarpone in the supermarket it was $10.99 for an 8 oz
tub - I just needed 1/2 cup - so what to do with the rest!

One of these days I'll buy it - 'specially if it lasts for a while in the
fridge.

elaine

"elaine" > wrote in message
...
> "Paul M. Cook" > wrote in message
> news:L9Cnh.105$rz3.4@trnddc03...
> >
> > "elaine" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >> Could I substitute something else for this. It's very expensive!
> >>
> >> Oh, it is a topping for a soup.
> >
> > A drizzle of crème freche or Mexican crema would be great. But
mascarpone
> > is not expensive really, and you can use it for other things. It's
great
> > toast and it would go well with the soup. Mascarpone lasts for months
in
> > the fridge so you don't even have to use it all at once. Presentation
is
> > everything. You can get those plastic squeeze bottles real cheap almost
> > anywhere. Use it to apply the crème fresh or whatever in a nice
pinwheel
> > pattern on top of the soup. The eyes are a part of the whole eating
> > experience after all. And you can store the rest in the bottle in the
> > fridge.
> >
> > Paul
>
> Thanks all. Wouldn't you know it, my server was down and I couldn't get
> on-line. I ended up using sour cream and mixing a couple of tablespoons
of
> whipping cream with it. Wondered about cream cheese, but didn't have any,
> plus I didn't know if this was supposed to taste sweet.
>
> Didn't really matter since everyone seemed to enjoy it anyway. When I
> checked out the mascarpone in the supermarket it was $10.99 for an 8 oz
> tub - I just needed 1/2 cup - so what to do with the rest!
>
> One of these days I'll buy it - 'specially if it lasts for a while in the
> fridge.

My local market has it for 3.99 a tub. Trader Joe's has it for about that.
I keep about a pound on hand. The expiration date of what I have in the
fridge now is April and I bought it after thanksgiving. I love it on toast
with a little jam. It's incredibly rich and very slightly sweet with a nice
floral aroma. You can use it in place of butter in many dishes. Its
actually much closer to European butter which is far richer and sweeter than
the stuff we get in the US.

Paul

"elaine" > schreef in bericht
...
> Could I substitute something else for this. It's very expensive!
>
> Oh, it is a topping for a soup.
>
> --
>
I'd go for creme fraiche or some other type of thick cream. If the soup is
kinda sout, sweeter creams would be good. Or do it vice versa (in which case
Greek yogurt is another otpion).

The soup will also be good without extra cream, I suspect.

In article <L9Cnh.105$rz3.4@trnddc03>,
"Paul M. Cook" > wrote:

> The eyes are a part of the whole eating
> experience after all.

Now _that_ was an interesting statement! <lol>
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson

elaine wrote:
> "Paul M. Cook" > wrote in message
> news:L9Cnh.105$rz3.4@trnddc03...
> >
> > "elaine" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >> Could I substitute something else for this. It's very expensive!
> >>
> >> Oh, it is a topping for a soup.
> >
> > A drizzle of crème freche or Mexican crema would be great. But mascarpone
> > is not expensive really, and you can use it for other things. It's great
> > toast and it would go well with the soup. Mascarpone lasts for months in
> > the fridge so you don't even have to use it all at once. Presentation is
> > everything. You can get those plastic squeeze bottles real cheap almost
> > anywhere. Use it to apply the crème fresh or whatever in a nice pinwheel
> > pattern on top of the soup. The eyes are a part of the whole eating
> > experience after all. And you can store the rest in the bottle in the
> > fridge.
> >
> > Paul
>
> Thanks all. Wouldn't you know it, my server was down and I couldn't get
> on-line. I ended up using sour cream and mixing a couple of tablespoons of
> whipping cream with it. Wondered about cream cheese, but didn't have any,
> plus I didn't know if this was supposed to taste sweet.
>
> Didn't really matter since everyone seemed to enjoy it anyway. When I
> checked out the mascarpone in the supermarket it was $10.99 for an 8 oz
> tub - I just needed 1/2 cup - so what to do with the rest!

Tiramisu ? I've never had the nerve to make it but it is absolutely
delicious and the texture give you the impression that it is almost
calorie free. Appearances may be deceiveing.

John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

>
> One of these days I'll buy it - 'specially if it lasts for a while in the
> fridge.
>
> elaine

John Kane wrote:

> Tiramisu ? I've never had the nerve to make it but it is absolutely
> delicious and the texture give you the impression that it is almost
> calorie free. Appearances may be deceiveing.
>

Tiramisu is dead easy to make. It just takes steps. Here is the recipe I
love-

Tiramisu Italiano

Recipe By :Tyler Florence; FoodTV show "Food 911"
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :1:00
Categories : Desserts Italian

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
7 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup sweet marsala, plus 2 Tablespoons
8 ounces mascarpone cheese -- softened room temp
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup brewed espresso coffee
1 ounce dark chocolate
1/4 cup rum
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
48 ladyfinger cookies
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

Cream together egg yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a pot
of simmering water. Add 1/3 cup of the marsala and continue to whisk
until mixture is thick and doubled in volume. This is basically a
zabaglione. Remove from heat. Stir in the mascarpone until completely
blended.

In a chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold the
whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture, to lighten.

In a small saucepan, combine espresso, chocolate, rum, vanilla, and
remaining 2 tablespoons marsala. Heat gently, and stir to dissolve the
chocolate. Then, chill the mixture to cool it down, about 15 minutes.
Quickly dip each ladyfinger in the chilled coffee mixture and arrange in
a single layer on a 9 by 13-inch glass baking pan. Do not soak the
cookies or they will become too moist. Spread 1/2 the mascarpone cream
evenly with a spatula on top of the dipped ladyfingers. Repeat with a
second layer of dipped ladyfingers and remaining mascarpone cream.
Sprinkle top with cocoa powder. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Yield: 8 servings (I think more like 12)
Prep Time: 1 hour

John Kane wrote:

> > Didn't really matter since everyone seemed to enjoy it anyway. When I
> > checked out the mascarpone in the supermarket it was $10.99 for an 8 oz
> > tub - I just needed 1/2 cup - so what to do with the rest!
>
> Tiramisu ? I've never had the nerve to make it but it is absolutely
> delicious and the texture give you the impression that it is almost
> calorie free. Appearances may be deceiveing.


It doesn't take a lot of nerve. It is actually quit easy to make.
Just make up some espresso ahead of time and let it cool. There
are hundreds of variations of the recipe. Every one I have tried
as been good. I use raw eggs, so it has a short shelf life.
Soften the marscapone, separate the eggs and beat the whites. Add
sugar and liquor of choice to the egg yolks, then blend that with
the softened cheese and fold in egg whites. Lace the coffee with
liquor of choice, quickly dip lady fingers into the coffee and
then lay them in the bottom of the pan and cover with half the
filling. Dip and lay another layer of lady fingers and cover with
the rest of the filling. Garnish with cocoa powder or grated
bittersweet chocolate. Cool in fridge for at least 4 hours to
set.

On Fri, 05 Jan 2007 19:51:23 GMT, Reg > wrote:

>elaine wrote:
>
>> Could I substitute something else for this. It's very expensive!
>>
>> Oh, it is a topping for a soup.
>>
>
>It is expensive to buy, but not if you make it. Here's a
>recipe. IIRC Bob Pastorio uses citric acid instead
>of tartaric, which is easier to find.
>
>Mascarpone
>
>1 Q light cream or half & half
>1/4 t tartaric acid
>
>Heat cream to 180-185 F, remove from heat.
>add tartaric acid. If cheese does
>not coagulate add a bit more. Too much will make it grainy.
>
>Drain using cheesecloth or coffee filter. Keeps for up to
>one week.


Where does one find tartaric acid? I use cream of tartar which is a
common dirivitive.

--
See return address to reply by email

"Reg" > wrote in message
. ..
> elaine wrote:
>
>> Could I substitute something else for this. It's very expensive!
>>
>> Oh, it is a topping for a soup.
>>
>
> It is expensive to buy, but not if you make it. Here's a
> recipe. IIRC Bob Pastorio uses citric acid instead
> of tartaric, which is easier to find.
>
> Mascarpone
>
> 1 Q light cream or half & half
> 1/4 t tartaric acid
>
> Heat cream to 180-185 F, remove from heat.
> add tartaric acid. If cheese does
> not coagulate add a bit more. Too much will make it grainy.
>
> Drain using cheesecloth or coffee filter. Keeps for up to
> one week.

What a strange recipe. But then I've never made cheese! I wonder why it's
so expensive to buy.

elaine

sf wrote:

> On Fri, 05 Jan 2007 19:51:23 GMT, Reg > wrote:
>
>>
>>It is expensive to buy, but not if you make it. Here's a
>>recipe. IIRC Bob Pastorio uses citric acid instead
>>of tartaric, which is easier to find.
>>
>>Mascarpone
>>
>>1 Q light cream or half & half
>>1/4 t tartaric acid
>>
>>Heat cream to 180-185 F, remove from heat.
>>add tartaric acid. If cheese does
>>not coagulate add a bit more. Too much will make it grainy.
>>
>>Drain using cheesecloth or coffee filter. Keeps for up to
>>one week.
>
>
>
> Where does one find tartaric acid? I use cream of tartar which is a
> common dirivitive.
>

I get it at a winemaking supply place in Berkeley

http://www.oakbarrel.com/

--
Reg

"Omelet" > wrote in message
news
> In article <L9Cnh.105$rz3.4@trnddc03>,
> "Paul M. Cook" > wrote:
>
> > The eyes are a part of the whole eating
> > experience after all.
>
> Now _that_ was an interesting statement! <lol>

Well I was going to say "food should be a feast for the eyes as well as the
stomach" but it sounded too lyrical for a bowl of soup, delicious though I
am sure it was.

Paul