The Creamery Kitchen ~ by Jenny Linford

So many cooks are interested in making their own butter, cream, cheese, yoghurt and crème fraiche these days ~ all these products have a very special place in recipe repertoires, tables, larders and fridges all over the world.

Jenny Linford, the food writer who brought us “Food Lovers’ London”, the indispensible bible of food shopping and eating in the capital, has written a very well researched and thoughtful D.I.Y compendium showing how anyone and everyone can make their own dairy products at home.

“The Creamery Kitchen” {beautifully photographed by Clare Winfield} is published by Ryland Peters & Small, the publishing house from where nothing but beauty, function and expertise emerge.

Starting with very basic, simple ingredients that you can find in the ordinary corner shop, farmers’ market or even supermarket, you hit the ground running in this sbook.

Jenny talks you through how to create your own home creamery with pans, muslin, spoons, moulds and bowls – the budget is small, frugal and considered. From there follow recipes to make your own butter, buttermilk, sour cream, crème fraiche, yoghurt, labneh, cream cheese, cottage cheese, mascarpone and feta-style cheese, many of which are very expensive to buy and, of course, with industrially made produce you do not really know what you are eating.

Here you are in control of the whole process, from start to finish, and the book gives you the confidence, the vision and the necessary set of skills to empower you.

There is also a very useful index of suppliers of equipment, including raw milk.

Jenny’s style is friendly, approachable and sisterly ~ her enthusiasm for her subject guides you along, she holds your hand and encourages you to think outside the box. Her recipes for how to use the dairy product you have made include spinach yoghurt soup with caramelised butter, lamb skewers with za’atar labneh, ricotta and spinach dumplings with cherry tomato sauce and buttermilk panna cotta with cloudberry coulis. You can be as adventurous as you like: butters are flavoured with spices and herbs, shortbread is flavoured with lime and sweet-and-sour flavours are juxtaposed with crisp-and-soft textures. Never has dairy looked so daring.

We have a copy of this beautiful and useful book as a prize – simply Like and Share the prize on Facebook or Retweet on Twitter and we will put your name in a hat. The name drawn out will be announced tomorrow afternoon, Saturday 1st February 2014.