Nothing beats the pleasure of warm, homemade ricotta cheese. And guess what? It's pretty easy. Of course you don't have to tell this to guests as they spoon it over fresh bread, drizzle it with honey and marvel at your culinary prowess! All it takes is a few tools, even fewer ingredients and just over an hour of your time - lots of this is unattended time so you're free to accomplish other things. You'll need: a heavy-bottomed saucepan, a wooden spoon, a digital instant-read thermometer, a slotted spoon, a sieve, cheesecloth and a bowl. For the ingredients, whole milk, salt and vinegar...that's it! Use this recipe for how to and check out this slide show for step-by-step directions. I love to make ricotta on a lazy Sunday morning and eat it right away (still warm) on toast with strawberry jam or honey. It would be a lovely addition to an Easter brunch, served with these biscuits. Or for a savoury twist, try it stirred into this pasta topped with fresh herbs and toasted bread crumbs for added crunch appeal.   images top to bottom: Edward Pond, Andreas Trauttmansdorff