Rosemary-Garlic Oil Ricotta with Toasted Pita

Steps

1. Wash a heavy pot, a slotted spoon, a fine-mesh strainer and a bowl, and line the strainer with a double layer of clean cheesecloth set over the bowl. Have a clean instant-read thermometer ready.
2. Pour the whole milk and heavy cream into the pot and stir in half of the salt. Heat over medium, stirring gently and often so the bottom doesn't scorch, until steaming with small bubbles at the edge and the thermometer reads about 190°F (88°C), roughly 15 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat. Drizzle in the cider vinegar while stirring slowly 2 or 3 times, then stop stirring. Within a minute white curds will clump together and separate from a thin, yellowish-green, nearly clear whey; if the whey still looks milky, give one more gentle stir.
4. Let the pot rest undisturbed for 10 minutes so the curds firm up.
5. Gently ladle the curds with the slotted spoon into the lined strainer, then pour in the remaining whey. Drain at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes for a soft, spoonable ricotta; for a firmer cheese, cover and drain longer in the fridge at 40°F (4°C) or below.
6. You should get about 360 g of ricotta, enough for about 90 g (a generous 1/3 cup) per serving.
7. Rinse and dry the pot. Brush the pita wedges with half of the olive oil and toast them in the pot over medium heat in batches, 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden and crisp; set aside.
8. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the remaining half of the olive oil to the pot with the garlic. Cook 1 to 2 minutes until the garlic is pale golden, then stir in the rosemary and red pepper flakes for 15 seconds and remove from the heat.
9. Spoon the ricotta into a shallow bowl, sprinkle with the remaining half of the salt, and pour the warm rosemary-garlic oil over the top. Finish with the parsley and lemon zest.
10. Serve right away with the toasted pita. Refrigerate any leftover ricotta promptly in a covered container at 40°F (4°C) or below and use within 3 days; this is a fresh cheese, so do not age it.