Paneer

1/2 gallon milk (whole or 2%)
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice

Special Equipment:
a colander or strainer
cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel (without "fuzzies!")

Line a colander with a double layer of cheesecloth. If you'd like to keep the whey for another purpose, set the colander over a bowl to catch the whey. Otherwise, you can just set it in your sink.

In a large sauce pan over medium-high heat, bring the milk to a boil. Keep an eye on it because it can boil over very quickly.

When it comes to a boil, turn off the heat and add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Stir until milk separates completely separates into curds and whey (see below). If it doesn't seem to be separating completely, add another tablespoon of lemon juice

Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth-lined colander. When it's cool enough to handle, gather the corners of the cheesecloth into a bundle and squeeze out as much of the excess liquid as you can.

This can be used it immediately as cottage cheese or ricotta cheese.

To press it into a solid cheese, set the bundle in the middle of a plate with a good lip to catch the liquid that will be squeezed out. Put another plate on top and press until the bundle has flattened into a 1-inch disk. Leave the plate on and weight it down with something heavy (like a few cans of tomatoes).

Press the cheese for at least 20 minutes, though an hour is ideal. Drain off the liquid that has collected and unwrap the paneer. Use or store immediately. The cheese will firm up even more in the fridge.