That Magic Moment

I woke up early today and decided to make yogurt and cheese.  I'll bring the cheese to a party later today.  I heat up the milk in a pasta pot and add the citric acid and the lysine.  As the temperature approaches 90 degrees I add the rennet.  And then I stare into the pot looking for that magic moment.  I gently stir the rennet in an up and down motion.  Between 90 and 100 degrees the milk changes from an even white liquid.  I watch eagerly as subtle changes appear.  The milk starts looking like the cellulite on my thighs.  The even whiteness disappears and turns into lumpy globules surrounded by a thinner white liquid.  I love this moment because it feels like magic.  The whey separates from the curds.  I keep stirring gently and slowly until the whey is very translucent.  I turn off the heat and strain the cheese through cheesecloth.  Making mozzarella is so easy.  Just a few rounds of heating the cheese in the microwave followed by kneading the extra whey out of the cheese, add a teaspoon of salt and bingo, the cheese is done.  I make many foods and enjoy cooking but only making mozzarella has a magic moment in the process.