1. Before you begin, sterilize all tools and containers by pouring boiling water over them or immersing them in boiling water. During the cheesemaking process, have boiling water on hand to pour over tools, spoons and thermometer in particular, each time you return them to the milk mixture. This prevents certain bacteria from adversely affecting the cheese's flavor.
2. To make the curd, pour cream and nonfat milk into a 3-4 gallon pan; stir with a metal spoon to mix. Place pan on lowest heat until milk is 90°, stirring occasionally and checking temperature often; if liquid is cold, this may take up to 1 hour. But be patient, since higher cooking temperatures are harder to control.
3. As the milk heats, combine the rennet and cool water in a small bowl. Let the mixture stand until completely dissolved, about 15 minutes; you may need to crush the tablet with the back of a spoon. (Or mix liquid rennet with water in a bowl.)
4. When the milk reaches 90°, add buttermilk and stir thoroughly with a spoon. Ladle out any butter lumps. Slowly pour rennet mixture in a spiraling pattern over milk, stirring. Continue to stir for 3-5 minutes, using an up-down circular motion to distribute the rennet evenly.
5. Keep the milk at 90° until it forms a clot firm enough to hold its shape in a spoon, 30-45 minutes; check temperature about every 5 minutes, removing mixture from heat intermittently, if needed. As you check the temperature, insert the thermometer gently to avoid breaking clot more than necessary.
6. Next, cut through the solid clot to the pan bottom with a long knife, to release clear- colored whey. Cut a crosshatch pattern: first cut across, then at right angles for 1/2" squares. Then cut diagonally, holding knife at a 45° angle; turn pan at right angle and repeat. Let curds stand on low heat at 90° for 15 minutes longer (remove pan occasionally, if necessary, to keep temperature from fluctuating), then stir with a slotted spoon for 30 seconds. From this point on, you need clean but not sterilized equipment.
7. Quickly line a large colander with at least 2 layers of cheesecloth, edges overlapping rim; set in a sink with an open drain. Ladle curds into colander. Let stand until curds stop dripping, about 1 hour. To protect cheese's flavor, place colander in a large pan; cover airtight with plastic wrap. Chill until curd is ready to shape (see below), 1 to 4 days. Each day, replace cheesecloth and discard whey.
8. Testing the curd: To determine when curd is ready to shape, cut off a small 1/4" slice and cover with hot water (170-180°). If after 15-30 seconds the slice begins to soften and melt and, when held by one end, the piece stretches from its own weight, it's ready. If the slice doesn't stretch but tears, chill the remaining curd, testing daily, up to 4 days. If curd still won't melt, the milk got too hot or sufficient acidity did not develop. Slice and cover with hot water (170-180°), stirring. Drain, rinse with cold water, drain again. Season with salt; eat like cottage cheese.
9. Shaping the curd: Divide the ready curd into 4 equal portions; let the number of portions you want to use come to room temperature. Cover and chill remaining curd in a cloth-lined colander until you want to shape it, no more than 5 days from when you started.
10. Brine: In a corrosion-resistant bowl, make enough brine to cover the cheese, using 1/2 cup of salt for each quart of water.
11. Working with 1 curd portion at a time, trim off and discard any dried-looking bits. Cut curd into 1/4"-thick slices and put into a large bowl. Pour about 1 quart hot water (170-180°) over slices to cover; let stand 30-60 seconds to warm and begin to melt. With the back of a large spoon, gently push slices together and lift them from beneath, also on the spoon back, so the weight of the cheese makes it stretch. Repeat, lifting cheese along the length to stretch it; don't let rope fold back onto itself. When cheese is flowing softly, lift one end of the rope from the water and roll it under itself to form a smooth-surfaced ball 1-2" thick; pinch from rope and drop into brine. Working quickly, repeat to shape rest of cheese; if handled too slowly or roughly, cheese looks uneven, but it's fine to eat. Repeat to shape remaining cheese.
12. Keep cheese in brine 5 to 15 minutes to flavor (saltiness depends on length of time in brine). For tenderest texture and most delicate flavor, remove the cheese from the brine, rinse and serve at once; or keep cold, covered, no more than 4 hours. Flat to bitter flavors develop when cheese is past its prime, although it is safe to eat.

Microwave Mozzarella
Contributed by N. Rothbauer/W. Hufnagel

1. To 1 gallon of milk add 2 teaspoons of citric acid. Raise temperature to 88-90°.
2. Add 1 tsp liquid veal rennet dissolved in 1/4 cup water. Add 1/4 teaspoon lipase powder if you want a stronger cheese.
3. After milk has properly clotted (takes 2-3 minutes), let curds rest for 15-20 minutes and strain in muslin-type cheesecloth.
4. Put curds into a microwave-safe dish and microwave on high for 59 seconds, then mash curds with a fork and put back into microwave for 15-20 seconds. Add 1 tbsp flaked salt to the mixture and begin to knead (just like bread). When mixture cools, after a minute or two, put back into the microwave for another 15-20 seconds and knead again. Back into the microwave and knead again - watch your hands - begin to stretch the curds. You can do this about four or five times, and by the end of those four or five times you should have a taffy-like consistency when the cheese is warmed; you should be able to pick it up and stretch it more than a foot. It will be glossy - when that happens and if little blisters appear as you put it into a mass (ball), it's done. What you are looking for is a smooth shiny consistency that "gets there" by the heating and stretching.
5. Then, when you are satisfied with the shape you have (usually just a ball), drop it in iced water for several minutes to cool it. Wrap in plastic and store in the fridge.

Mozzarella Redux
Contributed by N. Rothbauer/W. Hufnagel

1. Add 2 1/2 tsp of citric acid to 2 gallons of cold milk. Heat the milk to 90°. Whisk in 1 packet of Thermophilic starter.
2. Add 1 tsp liquid rennet to 1/3 cup water (if using the veal rennet use a bit less). Stir it into the milk. Use an up and down motion slowly until you see little pieces forming, takes barely a minute. Leave to set for 45 minutes.
3. Cut curds into 1/2" cubes and let set for 15 minutes. Keep temp at 90° (what works well are those electric trays people use for hors d'oeuvres, at the lowest setting). Drain curds into cheesecloth that is in a colander, pull corners together and hang until it stops dripping, about 2 hours or so.
4. Put the cheesecloth bag in a colander, place colander in a glass bowl and cover (must be covered). Refrigerate overnight.
5. Next day, cut the curds into cubes. Fill a bowl with 140° water (some say it needs to be hotter, but we figure if we burn our hands it's hot enough), and drop in a mass of the curds. When you can pull it like taffy, it's hot and stretchy enough. Work it until it's nice and even, form into little eggs or put in a rectangular mold or whatever shape you are going to want it to be. Place these in salted ice water (kosher salt is best), 2 pounds of salt per gallon of water. Float for at least 2 hours. Remove, dry off with a towel, wrap in plastic wrap and put in fridge. We freeze this all the time and it is as good as fresh.

Let us know your feedback, and how you like to serve your fresh mozzarella!