[bigred5765]

Cheese is especially difficult to make because of
the difficulty of finding what is called a starter
--the bacteria culture added to the milk to start
the curd formation. It is possible to make cheese
without a starter, but the starter is what gives
different cheeses their distinctive flavor, and
without one the cheese almost always ends up
tasting like pot cheese, more commonly known as
farmer's cheese or cottage cheese.

To make cheese: Take a hell of a lot of milk
(10 gallons will make less then 1/2 a gallon of
cheese) and cook it slowly on the stove. For
flavorful cheese, it is best to use unpasturized
milk, which is almost impossible to buy and must
be obtained from a cow, or goats milk, which tastes
good even when pasturized. As the curds form, add
a cube or two of rennet, found at most specialty
stores. This will cause the curds to coagulate.
Constantly stirring the curds at this point will
give you something more like mozzerella, which can
be great. Instead, let the curds for naturally
for something more like a jack cheese. Let the
curds cook until you are satisfied with your yield,
and then remove, placing them in cheese cloth and
allowing them to drain. Then press into a mold.

Before you begin this adventure, remember that the
reason there are 1000's of varieties of cheese is
because there are 1000's of variations on the process
outlined above. Whatever the case, good luck--you'll
need it