Say Cheese!

The catalyst for my cheesemaking was the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle,by Barbara Kingsolver. The book chronicles Barbara and her family's year of eating only what they can produce on their farm or what has been locally grown. Barbara's daughter contributed chapters about each month's bounty and how they prepared it. That was my favorite part of the book. Barbara was somewhat preachy, and her husband was insufferable.

Anyway, they described making mozzarella cheese at home. It was made partially on the stove and partially in the microwave, and it only took 30 minutes. Well, I love cheese, and I enjoy trying new recipes, so the desire to make my own mozzarella was born.

I couldn't find rennet anywhere in San Diego (it's possible that it's out there, but I never discovered it), so I ordered a kit from www.cheesemaking.com. It was only $30-something with shipping, and arrived within a week. The kit contained everything I needed except for milk and water.

It was reasonably quick and easy, and the results were great. I took some in to work today, along with homemade French bread. It was a big, big hit.

So, amaze your family and friends! Make your own cheese!