i read somewhere that the ricotta you buy from the deli section of a supermarket has a higher water content than the ricotta you buy from an actual deli. this means that supermarket ricotta will give you a mushier result to your recipe. that aside, there is also the risk that the server will scoop your ricotta with the same ladle he previously used for someone else’s olive tapenade order. eaten straight, your ricotta will have an particular savoury edge.

you can fix this by beating the ricotta until it goes creamy, and then adding vanilla and icing sugar to taste, and beating some more. fold in some raspberries, frozen ones even, thawed overnight.

i’d been thinking about this raspberrry ricotta since the sandwich picnic the other sunday, and made a small batch midweek. it takes just minutes to whip up, and you don’t even need chocolate bread; it’s just as delicious on a toasted blueberry bagel. perfect for an early weekday breakfast while watching atomic betty with the kid.