Viennese pot cheese, or Topfen, isn’t unlike our part-skim-milk ricotta, but it’s a little firmer. In this recipe, I’ve combined the ricotta with some cream cheese, and it works perfectly.

One of things that surprised me when I started work in Switzerland in 1973 was cheese salad. Strange to me or not, we had several varieties on the lunch menu at the hotel and Kaesesalat became part of my repertoire right away.

Viennese pot cheese, or Topfen, isn’t unlike our part-skim-milk ricotta, but it’s a little firmer. In this recipe, I’ve combined the ricotta with some cream cheese, and it works perfectly.

In Mexico these tarts are both sold and consumed with panes dulces, Mexican sweetened breads that are eaten for breakfast and later in the day for merenda, the late afternoon meal. The cheese used in Mexico is requeson, which is very similar to Italian ricotta, as it is made from whey rather than milk. But it’s usually clotted at a higher temperature, making the curds harder than ricotta, and has a higher salt content. Part-skim-milk ricotta is a perfect substitute.

This versatile Danish shape may be made with any filling that isn’t runny when heated.

One of things that surprised me when I started work in Switzerland in 1973 was cheese salad. Strange to me or not, we had several varieties on the lunch menu at the hotel and Kaesesalat became part of my repertoire right away.