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The Cheese Queen

Posted at 10:43 PM on March 16, 2008 by Vera Schabicki

I ordered Ricki, The Cheese Queen's, Mozzarella kit (www.cheesemaking.com) after Barbara mentioned going to her class and then reading about the same class being attended by Barbara Kingsolver in her totally intimidating, oops, I mean inspiring book; Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.
The kit arrived with a very nifty video and book as well as some intriguing potion looking things. True to my dilettantish nature I watched the video (while cooking dinner and ironing and helping somebody with math) and felt very virtuous.....alas after several days I could deceive myself no longer and actually set out to make the thirty minute mozzarella ( I think I will conveniently forget to mention the fiasco at Lynn's house, use the right stuff at the right time or you will get glue ). Strangely enough IT WORKED! You just dump a gallon of milk (I had to use 2 gallons, there are a lot of pizza lovers at our house) into a huge pot, heat it up with potion x, when the temperature is right add the next potion and right before your eyes the milk starts to change to cheese........then you microwave and massage it a few times, it looks easy on the video but I tend to be impatient and some what clumsy so it was not quite so elegant and it was quite hot, then......lo and behold a very large glistening tasty mound of fresh mozzarella!

If I can manage a garden this year (could a city girl learn to shoot armadillos?) I think this will make an awesome salad with fresh tomatoes and basil. Oh yeah, I made the pizza dough out of the left over whey (how frugal and virtuous is that!). (And the milk was raw and organic from a local cow, Mr Helwig's)

Best Wishes, Vera