How To Make Life-Changing Cheese

It seems like I've been getting 50% of my protein this summer from fresh mozzarella balls. Is there anything better to pair with heirloom tomatoes or fresh, ripe peaches? But delicious as it may be, according to cheesemaker Rynn Caputo, what I've been eating is just a facsimile of the real thing. Rynn Caputo, alongside her husband David, has spent years perfecting her mozzarella curds, making them much closer to the tangy, milky Italian standard.

Her particular passion—and the subject of this New York Times article—is stracciatella, a dish that involves long, thin ropes of mozzarella cheese soaked in a bath of cream. Unlike many fresh cheeses in the U.S., which are made with vinegar, the authentic Italian version gets a destinctive flavor from the process of fermentation, which Caputo recreates in her New York shop. She is also working to bring stracciatella to the American masses through education and promotion. Caputo views this as the holy grail of cheeses: "People need to eat this cheese," says Caputo. "It just…changes you."

Alright, you've convinced me. But where can you get this life-changing cheese? Only, it seems, in New York City. However, you can also make it yourself—in just 15 minutes. I know what I'm doing this weekend.

A Mozzarella Treat to Make at Home from the New York Times