Quark is a German word that simply means 'curds'. This cow's milk cheese, produced all over Central Europe, is virtually identical to Fromage Blanc, but is whipped before packaging and has a slightly higher fat content. Quark can be eaten like yogurt, blended with fruit or jam. It is also a common ingredient used in filled pastries, savory and sweet sauces, spreads, soufflés, cheesecakes and mousses. Quark is so popular in Germany that it accounts for almost half of that country's total cheese...

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(Rated by 2 Council Members)

Saw a fantastic sweet dish in the internet using Quark!! But Im sure it would work just as well with thick creamy yoghurt or pureed cottage cheese. You can add in whatever you like to make it even more decadent (e.g. dried fruits or chocolate chips) or serve it with some fruit sauce.

Sweet Quark Pasta Casserole

SERVES 2 -4 (change servings and units)

Ingredients 125 g macaroni noodles 250 g low-fat Quark (or creamy yoghurt or pureed cottage cheese) 1 big egg 60 g icing sugar 50 g butter 20 g vanilla pudding mix (or starch) Directions Cook pasta in slightly salted water until firm to the bite. Drain well. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. In a bowl mix quark, egg, icing sugar, butter and vanilla pudding powder. Gently fold in pasta. Spoon into individual ramekins or a casserole dish. Bake on the lowest rack for 30-35 minutes until custard has set and top is slightly browned. Serve with sauce of your choice (mango, chocolate, caramel, raspberry) or eat as is.

Pls check this link to know how to make Quark!

http://www.germancorner.com/recipes…

(Rated by 3 Council Members)

Quark is a German cheese and can be easily made at home. i make it once a week. Take 1.5 quart whole milk and heat it in the microwave for 25 minutes on power lever-5. this will make the milk silghtly thick and not boil over. u can remove the top skin after it cools down. cool down the milk to about slightly above room temperature around 105 deg. F. Add 1 tbsp of Indian curd/yoghurt or 1/4 cup of buttermilk which has active bacteria from the store(WALMART). then keep the milk in the microwave or slightly warmed microwave or in a warm place or room temperature in summer for about 10 hours. the best way to set the milk is borrow some homemade curd/yoghurt from ur indian friends. u do not have to turn the microwave on or the leave the owen on, just the warm up the oven for 2 minutes or if its summer leave it on the counter. after the milk sets or firms up take a collander and line it with 3-4 layers of paper towels or cheesecloth or plain white muslin and turn the whole set milk in it. make sure u do not stir or upset it too much. Leave it to drain for 5-6 hours in the fridge covered or if u r using a muslin cloth, take the ends and tie just hang it and keep a bowl to collect the dripping water. u will get 1/3 or less amount of quark left. Put it in a bowl and beat it with a whisk to make it smooth and mould it in whichever bowl or shape u need. keep chilled. Note : The milk can set as less in 3 hours to jello consistency if u use original indian curd. i hope i could give u some.

(Rated by 3 Council Members)

Quark (or qvark) is a fresh cheese of Central European origin. Dictionaries usually translate it as curd cheese. It is soft, white and un-aged, similar to fromage frais. It is not the same thing as cream cheese or cottage cheese. It is distinct from ricotta because ricotta (Italian: recooked) is made from scalded whey.

It usually has much lower fat content (about the same as yoghurt) than cream cheeses and has no salt added.

The Vermont Butter and Cheese Company makes Quark in the United States. Some grocery stores carry it or

You can buy it on line at:

http://butterandcheese.net/fromageB…

You can find some substitutions for Quark in this web site

http://askville.amazon.com/cooking-…

1) Take 9 parts of Ricotta Cheese and 1 part of Sour Cream and blend together. This is a very good substitute

2) You can take 2 quarts of Buttermilk (the amount can be adjusted if needed) and pour it into an Enamaled Dutch Oven with a good sealing lid.

Dutch Oven can be replaced with any oven-safe pan or heavy Cassarole dish with a good sealing lid.

If they are not available you can use Aluminum pans.

Put the dish or pan into a 150ºF oven, and bake for a minimum of 5 hours. you can put the dish in the oven about 10 pm and lets it bake overnight. In the morning by 6 AM the product is done. Set a collondar on a large bowl or in a clean sink, place the solids in the collandar and allow the liquid to drain. Cheese Cloth or other straining methods can be used.

If you desire the Quark to be creamy, then use a blender and add a small amount of heavy cream to achieve the creamy texture you desire. (Milk will work but will not give it the creamier texture provided by heavy cream.)

3) You can also use mascarpone cheese as a substitute. The flavor isn't as tangy, but the texture is very similar.

4) You can also substitute yogurt cheese. Take ordinary plain yogurt (not vanilla, but really plain) and drain it for a day or two. You can do this by lining a strainer with a coffee filter and dumping the yogurt into it. Put it over a bowl; a fair bit of greenish whey will seep out. (You can just chuck the whey. )

You can also see this Recipe to prepare Quark

http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/m…

Quark (German Curd Cheese) Recipe

Ingredients : 2 litres milk

4 tbsp live yoghurt or white wine vinegar or 5 tbsp lemon juice to curdle

Method:

If using yoghurt, add the milk to a pan and bring to a boil then take off the heat and set aside to cool to finger temperature (38°C) then pour into a bowl and mix with the yoghurt. Cover and set aside in a warm place for between 4 and 5 hours or until the mixture is set like yoghurt.

If using vinegar or lemon juice pour the milk into the top of a bain-marie then stir-in the lemon juice or vinegar and heat until scalding (when small bubbles appear around the edges of the bowl). Remove the bowl from the heat, cover and set aside in a warm place for between 4 and 5 hours.

When ready pour the thickened milk solution through a sieve lined with a clean cloth that's been previously boiled to sterilize. Alow to drain naturally for an hour then set a plate on top and allow the weight of the plate to force the whey through the sieve. Tie the curds (cheese) up in the cloth. It will keep for about a week.

It's traditional to use the liquid (the whey) mixed with fruit juice as a health drink or the whey can be used to make scones.

You can also see this Recipe

http://www.netcooks.com/recipes/Mis…

(Rated by 2 Council Members)

Quark is a form of Central European soft cheese which is especially popular in Germany, where a number of dairies produce it. It is possible to find quark in other regions of the world, although it may take a bit of hunting, depending on where you live. When you do find it, it may be a bit expensive, as this cheese is a bit fragile, requiring careful handling along the way to market. Quark cheese can also be made at home, if you are comfortable with the cheesemaking process; this cheese is relatively easy to make.

Quark is a fresh cheese, traditionally made with unpasteurized milk, although versions available in stores may be made with pasteurized milk, out of concern for consumer safety. In any case, the cheese only keeps for around a week, requiring people to use it quickly. Fortunately, quark is incredibly versatile, being useful in everything from dips to cheesecakes. This cheese has a mild, slightly tangy flavor which pairs well with a variety of foods.

Traditional quark cheese is pale cream to white in color, very thick, and creamy. Some people mistake quark for cream cheese, a similar product, but quark is a bit thinner than cream cheese, and it is made in a different way. Quark can be spread on bread plain, blended with herbs and spices to make a flavored spread, or it may be used like cream cheese in cheesecakes. It can also be offered as a dessert cheese or made into a rich cheese custard which can be served with fruit or other foods.

Classically, quark is made without rennet, which means that this cheese is safe for vegetarians and observant Jews to eat. It is made by heating milk, mixing it with a culture, and then stirring the milk as it curdles. The stirring keeps the quark cheese creamy, ensuring that it will be smooth, rather than grainy. Once the cheese has thickened, it is hung in a cheesecloth bag to allow the rennet to drain off, and then it is typically packed into a small clay or glass pot for storage.

In some parts of Europe, rennet may be added to quark to thicken this cheese, catering to the tastes of people who want a denser cheese. If the consumption of rennet is a concern for you, look for quark cheese which is labeled as kosher or pareve, indicating that it has been certified by a rabbi as safe to eat for observant Jews. Because Jewish dietary law forbids the consumption of meat and milk together, a kosher cheese cannot contain rennet.

(Rated by 1 Council Member)