Yogurt Cheese

This produces a tart cream cheese and whey to make pickles.

You need:
One quart of plain yogurt, preferably whole milk
A sieve
A wide-mouth jar or other container whose mouth fits the sieve, and that is deep enough that the sieve doesn't touch its bottom
Cheesecloth or a clean, loosely woven dishcloth
A dowel, wooden spoon or chopstick
A clean rubber band

Line the sieve with the cheesecloth or dishcloth. Fill it with the yogurt. Suspend the sieve over the container and let the whey drip from the yogurt overnight. In the morning, tightly gather up the cloth containing the yogurt, fasten it with a rubber band, and suspend it from the wooden spoon, dowel or chopstick over the container. Let it drip the rest of the day, until the cheese is quite firm. Use just as you would cream cheese, keeping in mind that this will be more tart; store in the fridge. Save the whey in a glass jar in the fridge; it lasts for about six months.