On Friday, after I get home from work, I will be excited to do some early-birthday-party-for-F/bacon hangout prep. I plan to make fresh ricotta which I am going to stuff into plum tomatoes baked in the oven, a recipe I learned from my cheesemaking class at HipCooks. I've made goat cheese chevre a few times now, but I really only like it with the culture and I don't have any right now, and I wanted to try a new kind of cheese. But, making ricotta calls for buttermilk which I found in the quart size which then equals a gallon of milk… equals a lot of ricotta, so a group get together can help me use it in the few days it is good for.

As a semi-tribute to F, there's a spinach ball finger food recipe (basically spinach, cheese and egg with breadcrumbs and seasoning) but I would like to try substitute stinging nettles for the spinach, thus making… Stinging Balls. Awesome right? Also, I'll prep and chill a spicy (habanero) creamy dip made with greek yogurt to have with the stinging balls, let's see what it will be like using the yogurt instead of the cream cheese and sour cream the recipe calls for. I often liberally add chopped peppers or sriracha or liberally sprinkle red pepper flakes when I cook to taste because both of us like a little kick, but one of the potential guests is very spice-sensitive so I figure at least the dip is an optional side. Stinging balls with spicy cream cracks me up.

And… I will try making Michael Smith's Potato Bacon Cheddar Tart. I will make mine extra cheesy with addition of monterey jack cheese to the cheddar. I thought the use of monterey jack would tie it in better with Santeria tacos we are also having as tinga tacos were F's choice for his pre-birthday party (as well as biscuits and cookies from Kettle Kitchen), since he can't have the bacon. The bacon is more for me as my pre-birthday.