I could now see curds and whey. The whey was a pale yellowish hue and curds looked a little bit like scrambled egg whites. I then lined a colander with cheesecloth and proceeded to filter curds from whey. I put curds into a bowl and added salt to further help removal of excess liquid. Next, I returned it to colander lined with a fresh layer of cheesecloth. I was anxious to taste it, and wow, it actually tasted like cheese!

The next step is optional – putting your cheese in a mold and pressing it. To make my press, I rummaged around kitchen to see what I could use. I took an old plastic sherbet container and put a bunch of holes in it. I then placed my cheese curd filled cheesecloth inside and placed it in a large bowl and but a plate on top of my curds. Now problem was having enough weight to press it. I placed two big cans of tomatoes on top and, voilà, it worked. After pressing it, I put cheese into refrigerator and let it set. It tasted a lot like cheddar.

Next time I try to make cheese, I probably use this same recipe but will try to improve upon it. When I master this one, then I think I’ll feel a little more like trying a different style of cheese. Happy cheese making!

Paul Rinehart is a classically trained chef who currently works as a web developer. He is also founder of Online Cooking, a place where he can work on two interests at same time, computres and food.

Sweat mire poix (this means cooking on low heat until vegetables are translucent). Toss in your bouquet garni and season a little being careful not to over salt it. De-glaze (this gets any caramelized yummy goodness off bottom of pan) with a little white wine and cook it down.

This next step is optional, but I think it adds a little flare. Cut tops of spears of asparagus off and set them aside. Blanch these in a bit of hot salted water until they turn bright green. Quickly remove them from heat and run cold water over them. This is going to be your garnish.

Cut stalks of asparagus and potatoes into manageable pieces and toss them on top of your mire poix. Pour in enough stock to cover your ingredients by at least an inch. Bring it to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until potato and asparagus are both tender. Remove bouquet garni!

Next step: Puree. I find that it is easiest to do this in installments. Add a bunch of vegetables into a blender or, even better, a food processor, and then add a bit of stock. Take your pureed soup and run it through a strainer into another pot, this takes out any of overly fibrous material.

Return your pureed soup to stove and bring it to a gentle simmer. Add a little cream and stir it in. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Don’t forget your garnish! Ladle some of soup out and put a few of spear tops on top of soup.

Paul Rinehart is Food Director at Online Cooking: http://www.onlinecooking.net