Greetings from beautiful sunny North Carolina!

[puttertat]

Hello all, I live in Cary, NC, just outside Raleigh, and just made my first mozzarella with  my 4 year old daughter, Grace, on Friday after visiting a local dairy and buying some farm fresh milk.  It was a huge success, and I'm just amazed to see what cheeses people are making everywhere in their own homes.  I've been to France a few times, loved the cheeses, of course, and am really  looking forward to making some more cheese, as well, of course to eating them.     As I'm sure I'm going to have lots of questions, I'm delighted to have found you all!! 

[Tiarella]

Hi there!  Were you able to make the soft balls of Mozzarella?  That's something I want to figure out.  I'm sure it's somewhere on the forum.  Fun, isn't it!

[puttertat]

YES!  It was very easy, I bought Ricki's mozzarella and ricotta kit, which advertises 30 minute cheese.  It took about 3 times as long, but like I said, my 4 year old was with me, and everything takes longer with her.  Also, I  was really worried that I would mess it up, so I was stopping to reread the directions every 30 seconds. I used very fresh milk, and it was so creamy and smooth and buttery/milky tasting, it was divine!  My husband said it was maybe just a little too creamy to use for tomato and mozzarella (we had that for dinner last night) but I totally disagree, it just melted in your mouth, and with fresh tomatoes, well, how can something be too creamy and good?  I didn't pull it and stretch it enough, so it was not stringy.  We did some like that, but my daughter ate it as fast as we could make it    I also folded some herbs into half the batch, he liked that better.  I didn't put it in ice water quickly enough, so it flattened out, but still, it was wonderful!

[puttertat]

So, what would anybody suggest as an easy beginner cheese, after having so much fun with the mozz?  My inclination is to do a Camembert, as it's my favorite, but I just read that it's not a "beginner" cheese.... I might just do it anyway 

[Tiarella]

I made Brie inspired by the at home method detailed on a blog www.makingsenseodthings.info.   Search for Brie there.  I think the place you got your kit fromfeattured the Brie blog post somewhere on their website or blog as a guest post as well. At that location they give some amount clarifications.  .
I also like the tutorials on Gavin's site www.littlegreencheese.com.  I believe there are plenty of tutorials on this forum too but I haven't found my way around it yet.  I'm new here myself and decided to respond to your introduction because no one else had yet.  You can see my intro a bit further down the list in the intro forum if you want.

I've made 2 Caerphilly cheeses and they only need to ripen 3 weeks I think.  Quicker gratification.

[puttertat]

Thank you!  I'm all for quicker gratification!  Esp  b/c if something doesn't go right I would rather not have as much time invested in it. (yet) I found a local brewing supply store that has cheese making products, and carried Ricki's kits as well, so I was able to purchase it locally rather than mail order.  I've actually not heard of Caerphilly, so wouldn't think to make it.