Fromage A La Creme

This fromage à la crème comes from the heart of early 20th-century Creole New Orleans, adapted from Célestine Eustis' 1903 bilingual work, 'Cooking in Old Créole Days.' Back then, milk was much slower to spoil and could be left to sour naturally for fresh cheese-making—a delicious testament to a time before refrigeration, when careful attention to climate and methods was essential. The Creole kitchen was a tapestry of French, Spanish, African, and American influences, and this recipe reflects the tradition of farmhouse cheeses, celebrated for their simplicity and freshness. It was a dish both economical and refined, prized on the breakfast table or as a light dessert.

Traditional Creole cooks would use large earthenware or stoneware bowls to hold and sour the milk, and linen cloths to drain the curds overnight, often hung from a sturdy hook or peg. Small wicker baskets or tin molds with holes were lined with additional linen for shaping. Clean spring water was used to rinse the linen, and washing soda (not soap) was employed in their care. Today, you can use a large mixing bowl, modern cheesecloth, a fine-mesh sieve, and small perforated molds or colanders for finishing the cheese.