The cheesemaker's apprentice: an insider's guide to the art and craft of homemade artisan cheese, taught by the masters

177 Pages·2012·38.9 MB·English

by  Sasha Davies, David Bleckmann

THE
CHEESEMAKER’S
AppREnTiCE
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To ALL THE CHEESEMAKERS AnD CHEESE
pRofESSionALS wHo HAvE inDuLGED ouR infiniTE
CuRioSiTy on THE SubjECT of CHEESE, ConTinuALLy
SHARinG THEiR KnowLEDGE AnD p ASSion foR THE
SubjECT AnD To THoSE wHo ARE So f ASCinATED by
How CHEESE iS MADE THAT THEy HAvE THE TEnACiTy
To LEARn How To Do iT THEMSELvES.
© 2012 by Quarry Books All rights reserved. No part of this book may Includes index.
Text © 2012 Sasha Davies be reproduced in any form without written ISBN 978-1-59253-755-6
Recipe text © 2012 David Bleckmann permission of the copyright owners. All 1. Cheesemaking. 2. Artisans I. Title.
images in this book have been reproduced SF271.D255 2012 THE
First published in the United States of with the knowledge and prior consent of 637’.3--dc23 An inSiDER’S GuiDE To
America in 2012 by the artists concerned, and no responsibility THE ART AnD CRAfT of
Quarry Books, a member of is accepted by the producer, publisher, or 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 HoMEMADE ARTiSAn
Quayside Publishing Group printer for any infringement of copyright or CHEESEMAKER’S
100 Cummings Center otherwise, arising from the contents of this ISBN: 978-1-59253-755-6 CHEESE, TAuGHT by SASHA DAviES
Suite 406-L publication. Every effort has been made to THE MASTERS wiTH RECipES by DAviD bLECKMAnn
Beverly, Massachusetts 01915-6101 ensure that credits accurately comply with Digital edition published in 2012 AppREnTiCEpHoToGRApHy by LEELA CyD RoSS
Telephone: [phone] information supplied. We apologize for any eISBN: 978-1-61058-621-4
Fax: [phone] inaccuracies that may have occurred and
www.quarrybooks.com will resolve inaccurate or missing informa- Design: Paul Burgess: Burge Agency.
tion in a subsequent reprinting of the book. Artwork: Peter Usher.
Cover Design: Paul Burgess: Burge Agency.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in- Photography: All photography by Leela
publication Data Cyd Ross, www.LeelaCyd.com, unless
Davies, Sasha. otherwise noted.
The cheesemaker’s apprentice : an
insider’s guide to the art and craft of Printed in China
homemade artisan cheese, taught by the
masters / Sasha Davies with recipes by
David Bleckmann.
p. cm.
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foreword: Alyce birchenough, Sweet Home farm, Elberta, Alabama, uSA 6 CHApTER 10 bLuE CHEESE 110
ConTEnTSintroduction 9 interview: joe Schneider, Director and Cheesemaker, Stichelton Dairy, 112
Mansfeld, England
CHApTER 1 THE CHEESEMAKER'S TAxonoMy AnD THE bASiCS of CHEESE 12
interview: Gordon Edgar, Retailer, Rainbow foods Coop, San francisco, California, uSA 15 CHApTER 11 SuRfACE-RipEnED CHEESE 122
interview: Rachel Dutton, Microbiologist, Harvard university, Cambridge, Massachusetts, uSA 19 interview: Allison Hooper, Co-founder and Cheesemaker, vermont Creamery, 124
websterville, vermont, uSA
interview: Maureen Cunnie, Cheesemaker, Cowgirl Creamery, 130
CHApTER 2 inGREDiEnTS AnD EquipMEnT 22 point Reyes Station, California, uSA
interview: Catherine Donnelly, ph.D., professor and Codirector of vermont institute for 27
Artisan Cheese (viAC), university of vermont, burlington, vermont, uSA
CHApTER 12 AffinAGE 140
interview: ivan Larcher, Cheese-Making Consultant, Larcher Consulting, Chéniers, france 36
interview: Mateo Kehler, Co-owner, Cellars at jasper Hill, Co-owner and 142
Cheesemaker, jasper Hill farm, Greensboro, vermont, uSA
CHApTER 3 MASTERinG THE funDAMEnTALS of CHEESE MAKinG 40
interview: Cary bryant, Co-owner and Cheesemaker, Rogue Creamery, Central point, oregon, uSA 45 CHApTER 13 SELECTinG, HAnDLinG, AnD SToRinG CHEESE 146
interview: Hervé Mons, owner and Affneur, Mons fromages/Affneur, 156
CHApTER 4 fRESH CHEESE 48 Roanne, france
interview: paula Lambert, founder and Cheesemaker, Mozzarella Company, Dallas, Texas, uSA 50
CHApTER 14 TASTinG CHEESE 158
CHApTER 5 ToMME AnD ToMA CHEESE 63 interview: Christine Chenard, Director of Consumer Sensory Research, 161
Cintech, Montreal, québec, Canada
interview: Liam Callahan, Co-owner and Cheesemaker, bellwether farms, petaluma, 65
California, uSA
CHApTER 15 pAiRinG CHEESE 165
CHApTER 6 wASHED CuRD AnD pRESSED unDER THE wHEy CHEESE 72 interview: Max McCalman, Maître fromager and Author, new york City, uSA 166
interview: Helen feete, Co-owner and Cheesemaker, Meadow Creek Dairy, Galax, virginia, uSA 74
Resources 168
CHApTER 7 CHEDDAR CHEESE 82 Contributors 169
interview: jamie Montgomery, Cheesemaker, Montgomery’s Cheddar, north Cadbury, England 85 Acknowledgments 170
About the Authors 171
CHApTER 8 ALpinE-STyLE CHEESE 93 index 172
interview: philippe Goux, Director of Sales, Marcel petite Comté, jura, france 94
CHApTER 9 GRAnA-STyLE CHEESE 102
interview: Giorgio Cravero, owner, G. Cravero, bra, italy 105
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foreword: Alyce birchenough, Sweet Home farm, Elberta, Alabama, uSA 6 CHApTER 10 bLuE CHEESE 110
ConTEnTSintroduction 9 interview: joe Schneider, Director and Cheesemaker, Stichelton Dairy, 112
Mansfeld, England
CHApTER 1 THE CHEESEMAKER'S TAxonoMy AnD THE bASiCS of CHEESE 12
interview: Gordon Edgar, Retailer, Rainbow foods Coop, San francisco, California, uSA 15 CHApTER 11 SuRfACE-RipEnED CHEESE 122
interview: Rachel Dutton, Microbiologist, Harvard university, Cambridge, Massachusetts, uSA 19 interview: Allison Hooper, Co-founder and Cheesemaker, vermont Creamery, 124
websterville, vermont, uSA
interview: Maureen Cunnie, Cheesemaker, Cowgirl Creamery, 130
CHApTER 2 inGREDiEnTS AnD EquipMEnT 22 point Reyes Station, California, uSA
interview: Catherine Donnelly, ph.D., professor and Codirector of vermont institute for 27
Artisan Cheese (viAC), university of vermont, burlington, vermont, uSA
CHApTER 12 AffinAGE 140
interview: ivan Larcher, Cheese-Making Consultant, Larcher Consulting, Chéniers, france 36
interview: Mateo Kehler, Co-owner, Cellars at jasper Hill, Co-owner and 142
Cheesemaker, jasper Hill farm, Greensboro, vermont, uSA
CHApTER 3 MASTERinG THE funDAMEnTALS of CHEESE MAKinG 40
interview: Cary bryant, Co-owner and Cheesemaker, Rogue Creamery, Central point, oregon, uSA 45 CHApTER 13 SELECTinG, HAnDLinG, AnD SToRinG CHEESE 146
interview: Hervé Mons, owner and Affneur, Mons fromages/Affneur, 156
CHApTER 4 fRESH CHEESE 48 Roanne, france
interview: paula Lambert, founder and Cheesemaker, Mozzarella Company, Dallas, Texas, uSA 50
CHApTER 14 TASTinG CHEESE 158
CHApTER 5 ToMME AnD ToMA CHEESE 63 interview: Christine Chenard, Director of Consumer Sensory Research, 161
Cintech, Montreal, québec, Canada
interview: Liam Callahan, Co-owner and Cheesemaker, bellwether farms, petaluma, 65
California, uSA
CHApTER 15 pAiRinG CHEESE 165
CHApTER 6 wASHED CuRD AnD pRESSED unDER THE wHEy CHEESE 72 interview: Max McCalman, Maître fromager and Author, new york City, uSA 166
interview: Helen feete, Co-owner and Cheesemaker, Meadow Creek Dairy, Galax, virginia, uSA 74
Resources 168
CHApTER 7 CHEDDAR CHEESE 82 Contributors 169
interview: jamie Montgomery, Cheesemaker, Montgomery’s Cheddar, north Cadbury, England 85 Acknowledgments 170
About the Authors 171
CHApTER 8 ALpinE-STyLE CHEESE 93 index 172
interview: philippe Goux, Director of Sales, Marcel petite Comté, jura, france 94
CHApTER 9 GRAnA-STyLE CHEESE 102
interview: Giorgio Cravero, owner, G. Cravero, bra, italy 105
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6 the CheeSeMAKeR’S AppRentiCe 7
reconstituted powdered milk, and a bottle And so began our crash course in home Now there’s easy access to professional-
of vinegar, I set to work and in short order dairying. Without much information avail- quality information, supplies, and
had an inglorious small lump of rubbery able on home dairy processing, we began ingredients; business models, educational
cheese. After sprinkling it with salt, I set improvising. Our hand-churned buttermilk opportunities, and mentors abound.
it in the refrigerator to age for a few days and yogurt served as cultures with junket Thinking of navigating the risks and
before tasting it. Its bland and uninterest- tablets from the grocery as a coagulant. rewards of joining the community of
ing favor proved there was obviously more An enameled canning kettle became our impassioned cheesemakers? Then let
to this than I thought. frst cheese vat. Cheese-making recipes Sasha Davies, with her reverence and
were gleaned from Carla Emery’s Ency- knowledge of cheese and cheesemakers,
A few years later, in the early 1970s, clopedia of Country Living. Homemade guide you through a captivating journey
I found a cheese-making kit complete wooden molds with iron press weights were of creativity and good eating.
with ingredients and a mold. I spent a lazy fashioned. Paraffn melted with crayons
Saturday afternoon carefully following the was pressed into service as cheese wax. —Alyce Birchenough
enclosed Cheddar recipe and placing that An old pie safe in the cellar took on a new
tiny wheel in the refrigerator to age. A few role as “cheese cave.” So for quite a while
short days later, my little masterpiece was and through lots of missteps, we, the pigs,
cracked and riddled with mold. Disappoint- and the chickens ate well.
ment again! I set aside my cheese-making
curiosity for a few more years. When my Through trial and error, the ever-improving
soon-to-be husband and I started home- cheese we served to friends and family
steading in western Michigan a few years soon became a sought-after treat. Then,
later, he dutifully asked me what I would someone offered to purchase cheese and
like for a wedding present. Without the proverbial lightbulb went on in our
hesitation I asked for a dairy cow. heads. Shortly thereafter, the New England
Cheesemaking Supply Company and the
Cindy Lou, a matronly Guernsey of seven American Cheese Society [ACS] were born,
years, arrived just minutes prior to the start creating an artisan cheese community
of our wedding reception. To our astonish- and access to real information. Meeting
ment, her bulging udder responded gener- so many like-minded folks at the frst ACS
ously to our fumbling hands and quickly meeting gave us the inspiration we needed
flled a 3-gallon [11.4 L] pail to the brim! to forge ahead toward a commercial
operation.
Alyce birchenough adds cultures to the vat starting the cheese-making process. Alyce birchenough owns and operates Sweet
Growing increasingly frustrated with our Home farm, a small farmstead dairy, in Ala-
One of my chores as a six-year-old growing cold climate and local bureaucracy, in bama with her husband, Doug wolbert. She
up in the 1950s in New Orleans was to 1984 we made an impetuous move a has been learning about and making cheese
AfLoyCRE EbiwRCHoERnoDuGH, gm
gsSoloiaytm ts miosen tgobh toniehnte etgglxrer .tto s Ohtc oane fttr ohysw npenoeo ecu ixmaledts de hdcm omhroeoairgrnl kaitgso.bet Tles emhr taowyrtpi e plc irf,fero eeI r.t a s w mpoi- ed tUsahpsneomudu rc,ers oewtawedner sd rof ec nomdoc b uuiblylsey doe so ud asurc oor cy unleoat suhmcst kt hayo okfe utfianh lfr,ge- nnr oGaaunuivrncl efdi n Cer pgeno aatmshsntutud osr fieo- s . faslToehchrtaerc amo loselumot gacnrpherhetl ei ttshedeheas ctm nehd menethrnicaecitark atpwdeylae r eaysrsrste eiAsacnnilru s’ytstlhtc —aeern l uachyn enabr ,eise tf aexocoldcpar r eusSepnsmsttaeoiat oduweln lrs-hca.ee l ns ,
SwEET HoME fARM,
line milk had been contaminated with what running a farmstead creamery come true. her cheese room and offered support to
I now know to be spoilage bacteria that myriad beginning cheesemakers, retailers,
ELbERTA, ALAbAMA, had made it foam and clabber and pop In two more years we had built our cream- distributors, and writers on the subject of
its cardboard cap off. In my mind’s eye I ery using the model from the Minnesota cheese and cheese making. The majority of
uSA can still see that 2-inch [5 cm] column of Farmstead Cheese Project workbook. Now, cheesemakers in the southern united States,
sf
tcohelaraegbtmo bhtie antrphgepaldyte csnsurieegsdahp.mt e on rdi seitdno gpin po eumdti odwfao tinrh.d aIet n rbienovgtet rlhe o, w tpwchoriiotwrhct,y e aI-s paslmu.u sOs ts uaytrieln afl arinbsrm lsaeisw nitnecec eaoo dfpm tudheraec iar hcynah dpse iraneonsgve i edo-xmuecsrae fukprsi-sn tg acSwrnweedred eei tvlt e heHaenorr nma ai efnse gtfwh at eoraim lmro ’bsane gkcs ehth ecreeh seoeaeuss rtehce.aer vn we s hweeaonbn ot haerdy ,
tionally rewarding lifestyle. Each vat speaks awards at the American Cheese Society and
Fast-forward to my college years, when to me in a different way, offering up its been honored by Slow food as examples of
some dorm mates of Italian heritage mysteries slowly as I use my cumulative quality, traditional cheese making. Alyce has
assured me that cheese making was quite Alyce birchenough gently flls forms set skills to coax the expression of soil, grass, contributed signifcantly over the years to the
a simple task of boiling milk and adding along the draining table with fresh curds. animal, climate, and season from each Raw Milk Cheesemakers’ Association, the
some vinegar. Equipped with a hot plate, batch. American Cheese Society, and Slow food.
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001-176_28320.indd 6 5/10/12 3:42 PM 001-176_28320.indd 7 5/10/12 3:42 PM
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6 the CheeSeMAKeR’S AppRentiCe 7
reconstituted powdered milk, and a bottle And so began our crash course in home Now there’s easy access to professional-
of vinegar, I set to work and in short order dairying. Without much information avail- quality information, supplies, and
had an inglorious small lump of rubbery able on home dairy processing, we began ingredients; business models, educational
cheese. After sprinkling it with salt, I set improvising. Our hand-churned buttermilk opportunities, and mentors abound.
it in the refrigerator to age for a few days and yogurt served as cultures with junket Thinking of navigating the risks and
before tasting it. Its bland and uninterest- tablets from the grocery as a coagulant. rewards of joining the community of
ing favor proved there was obviously more An enameled canning kettle became our impassioned cheesemakers? Then let
to this than I thought. frst cheese vat. Cheese-making recipes Sasha Davies, with her reverence and
were gleaned from Carla Emery’s Ency- knowledge of cheese and cheesemakers,
A few years later, in the early 1970s, clopedia of Country Living. Homemade guide you through a captivating journey
I found a cheese-making kit complete wooden molds with iron press weights were of creativity and good eating.
with ingredients and a mold. I spent a lazy fashioned. Paraffn melted with crayons
Saturday afternoon carefully following the was pressed into service as cheese wax. —Alyce Birchenough
enclosed Cheddar recipe and placing that An old pie safe in the cellar took on a new
tiny wheel in the refrigerator to age. A few role as “cheese cave.” So for quite a while
short days later, my little masterpiece was and through lots of missteps, we, the pigs,
cracked and riddled with mold. Disappoint- and the chickens ate well.
ment again! I set aside my cheese-making
curiosity for a few more years. When my Through trial and error, the ever-improving
soon-to-be husband and I started home- cheese we served to friends and family
steading in western Michigan a few years soon became a sought-after treat. Then,
later, he dutifully asked me what I would someone offered to purchase cheese and
like for a wedding present. Without the proverbial lightbulb went on in our
hesitation I asked for a dairy cow. heads. Shortly thereafter, the New England
Cheesemaking Supply Company and the
Cindy Lou, a matronly Guernsey of seven American Cheese Society [ACS] were born,
years, arrived just minutes prior to the start creating an artisan cheese community
of our wedding reception. To our astonish- and access to real information. Meeting
ment, her bulging udder responded gener- so many like-minded folks at the frst ACS
ously to our fumbling hands and quickly meeting gave us the inspiration we needed
flled a 3-gallon [11.4 L] pail to the brim! to forge ahead toward a commercial
operation.
Alyce birchenough adds cultures to the vat starting the cheese-making process. Alyce birchenough owns and operates Sweet
Growing increasingly frustrated with our Home farm, a small farmstead dairy, in Ala-
One of my chores as a six-year-old growing cold climate and local bureaucracy, in bama with her husband, Doug wolbert. She
up in the 1950s in New Orleans was to 1984 we made an impetuous move a has been learning about and making cheese
f
ALoyCRE EbiwRCHoERnoDuGH, g
gmsSoloiaytm ts miosen tgobh toniehnte etgglxrer .tto s Ohtc oane fttr ohysw npenoeo ecu ixmaledts de hdcm omhroeoairgrnl kaitgso.bet Tles emhr taowyrtpi e plc irf,fero eeI r.t a s w mpoi- ed tstUahpsneomudu rc,ers oewtawedner sd rof ec nomdoc b uuiblylseyd oe so ud asucr oor cyu nleoat suhmcst kt hayo okfe utfianh lfr,ge- nnr oGaaunuivrncl efdi n Cer pgeno aatmshsntutud osr fieo- s . lsfsaTeohchrtaerc amo loselumot gacnrpherhetl ei ttshedeheas ctm nehd menethrnicaecitark atpwdeylae r eaysrsrste eiAsacnnilru s’ytstlhtc —aeern l uachyn enabr ,eise tf aexocoldcpar r eusSepnsmsttaeoiat oduweln lrs-hca.ee l ns ,
SwEET HoME fARM,
line milk had been contaminated with what running a farmstead creamery come true. her cheese room and offered support to
I now know to be spoilage bacteria that myriad beginning cheesemakers, retailers,
ELbERTA, ALAbAMA, had made it foam and clabber and pop In two more years we had built our cream- distributors, and writers on the subject of
its cardboard cap off. In my mind’s eye I ery using the model from the Minnesota cheese and cheese making. The majority of
uSA can still see that 2-inch [5 cm] column of Farmstead Cheese Project workbook. Now, cheesemakers in the southern united States,
fcs
thoelaraegbtmo bhtie antrphgepaldyte csnsurieegsdahp.mt e on rdi seitdno gpin po eumdti odwfao tinrh.d aIet n rbienovgtet rlhe o, w tcpwhoriiotwrhct,y e aI-s paslmu.u sOs ts uaytrieln afl arinbsrm lsaeisw nitnecec eaoo dfpm tudheraec iar hcynah dpse iraneonsgve i edo-xmuecsrae fukprsi-sn tg acwSnrweedred eei tlvt e heHaenorr nma ai efnse gtfwh at eoraim lmro ’bsnae gkcs ehth ecreeh seoeaeuss rtehce.aer vn we s hweeaonbn ot haerdy ,
tionally rewarding lifestyle. Each vat speaks awards at the American Cheese Society and
Fast-forward to my college years, when to me in a different way, offering up its been honored by Slow food as examples of
some dorm mates of Italian heritage mysteries slowly as I use my cumulative quality, traditional cheese making. Alyce has
assured me that cheese making was quite Alyce birchenough gently flls forms set skills to coax the expression of soil, grass, contributed signifcantly over the years to the
a simple task of boiling milk and adding along the draining table with fresh curds. animal, climate, and season from each Raw Milk Cheesemakers’ Association, the
some vinegar. Equipped with a hot plate, batch. American Cheese Society, and Slow food.
001-176_C66574.indd 6 5/29/12 8:35 PM 001-176_28320.indd 7 5/10/12 4:22 PM
001-176_28320.indd 6 5/10/12 3:42 PM 001-176_28320.indd 7 5/10/12 3:42 PM
(Fogra 39) Job:04-28320 Title:RP-The Cheesemaker’s Apprentice (Fogra 39) Job:04-28320 Title:RP-The Cheesemaker’s Apprentice
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8 the CheeSeMAKeR’S AppRentiCe 9
A ffeeaasstt o off c hceheesees, ew, iwnein, ae,n dan d
accompaanniimmeennttss
inTRoDuCTion
A few things I’ve observed in my time work- Cheese was likely a serendipitous discovery
ing behind a cheese counter: The majority by travelers who flled bags made from
of people approaching you are smiling; a animal stomachs with milk for their journey.
lot of the customers you help are convinced When they arrived at their destination, they
that your job is the best job there is; and discovered a substance that had separated
many of these happy, cheese-loving people into loose, lumpy solids and a thin liquid.
don’t know much at all about how cheese The specifc science of this process has
is made. Understanding cheese making is been continually unraveling ever since,
an absolute necessity for anyone interested but this kernel of knowledge was incred-
in becoming a cheesemaker, but it is nearly ibly powerful because humans at that time
as important for cheese professionals and already understood that foods with a lot of
consumers. A frm grasp on cheese making moisture could not last for long periods of
will aid professionals and enthusiasts alike time. They had stumbled upon a method
in identifying, evaluating, describing, and of preserving milk that would allow it to be
understanding the food that they love stored and even transported safely.
so much.
An entire universe of textures, techniques,
While one is enjoying a ripe hunk of cheese favors, and shapes has emerged in cheese
alongside toothsome baguette slices, fresh since that early revelation. Every day that
fruits, and a chilled glass of white wine, it I spend in the cheese industry evaluating,
can be a stretch to remember that cheese describing, tasting, and selling cheese, I
is a food of humble and practical begin- have at least one moment of astonishment
nings. Cheese was a response to the need that such diversity can be achieved using
to preserve the nutrition encapsulated in the same basic ingredients. This is not dis-
milk so that it would not be lost to spoilage. similar to how appreciators of wine, beer, or
Prior to the days of refrigeration, preserving bread must feel about the objects of their
food was a necessity to ensure that food affections. All of these foods—cheese,
would be available long after the growing beer, wine, and bread—start with the same
season and subsequent harvest was over. basic ingredients, and with the addition
In some ways, because cheese was born of of craftsmanship, science, and carefully
necessity, there was a tendency to consider honed techniques, those ingredients are
it a food of the peasants. transformed into a spectacular range
of products.
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8 the CheeSeMAKeR’S AppRentiCe 9
A feast of cheese, wine, and
accompaniments
inTRoDuCTion
A few things I’ve observed in my time work- Cheese was likely a serendipitous discovery
ing behind a cheese counter: The majority by travelers who flled bags made from
of people approaching you are smiling; a animal stomachs with milk for their journey.
lot of the customers you help are convinced When they arrived at their destination, they
that your job is the best job there is; and discovered a substance that had separated
many of these happy, cheese-loving people into loose, lumpy solids and a thin liquid.
don’t know much at all about how cheese The specifc science of this process has
is made. Understanding cheese making is been continually unraveling ever since,
an absolute necessity for anyone interested but this kernel of knowledge was incred-
in becoming a cheesemaker, but it is nearly ibly powerful because humans at that time
as important for cheese professionals and already understood that foods with a lot of
consumers. A frm grasp on cheese making moisture could not last for long periods of
will aid professionals and enthusiasts alike time. They had stumbled upon a method
in identifying, evaluating, describing, and of preserving milk that would allow it to be
understanding the food that they love stored and even transported safely.
so much.
An entire universe of textures, techniques,
While one is enjoying a ripe hunk of cheese favors, and shapes has emerged in cheese
alongside toothsome baguette slices, fresh since that early revelation. Every day that
fruits, and a chilled glass of white wine, it I spend in the cheese industry evaluating,
can be a stretch to remember that cheese describing, tasting, and selling cheese, I
is a food of humble and practical begin- have at least one moment of astonishment
nings. Cheese was a response to the need that such diversity can be achieved using
to preserve the nutrition encapsulated in the same basic ingredients. This is not dis-
milk so that it would not be lost to spoilage. similar to how appreciators of wine, beer, or
Prior to the days of refrigeration, preserving bread must feel about the objects of their
food was a necessity to ensure that food affections. All of these foods—cheese,
would be available long after the growing beer, wine, and bread—start with the same
season and subsequent harvest was over. basic ingredients, and with the addition
In some ways, because cheese was born of of craftsmanship, science, and carefully
necessity, there was a tendency to consider honed techniques, those ingredients are
it a food of the peasants. transformed into a spectacular range
of products.
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10 THE CHEESEMAKER’S AppREnTiCE inTRoDuCTion 11
A bRiEf noTE AbouT
ExpECTATionS
There are two types of Diy people:
those who are die-hard fans of the
thing they set out to make, and those
who are curious about the process.
beecher’s Handmade Cheese in new york City draws crowds of passersby with i would venture a guess that the latter
delectable grilled cheese sandwiches made with its signature flagship cheese. group has more fun in their hand-
made exploits because they have
only a foggy focus on the end result.
Beyond engaging us as a standalone food cheeses throughout Europe has helped to Adventures in cheese making can be
or ingredient, cheese connects us to the protect dairying practices and landscapes, pleasurable or painful depending on
land and also to animals. This connection and in the U.S., specialty cheese has your expectations—not so different
to the animals is all the more captivating become a value-added proposition in times from any of life’s endeavors.
because it extends the relationship when milk prices have hit historic lows.
A friend of mine once said, “it’s
between a herdsman and his or her herd; The specialty or artisan cheese movement
easy to make beer at home; it’s very
milk can be harvested from an animal goes hand in hand with the resurgence of
diffcult to make good beer at home.”
repeatedly for a period after each time the interest in regional foods and food produc-
i maintain the same holds for cheese.
animal gives birth, compared with, say, tion. Culturally we have also expanded our
The frst time i ladled pillowy clouds
meat, which can only be harvested once. concept of cheese to accept it as a slice in of ricotta out of a pot, i was surprised
So cheese is a magical intersection of land, a sandwich, a garnish for soup, a powdered and delighted to discover that it was
animals, and people. coating for crackers and chips, and the good enough to eat because it had
fnale to an awe-inspiring fve-course meal never occurred to me that cheese was
Cheese-making operations were, and still in the most highly lauded restaurants. something i could make in my very
average kitchen. i didn’t expect it to
are in many less-developed parts of the
be edible, let alone delicious, and
world, generally of a very small scale where This book is for those who appreciate
because of that was overjoyed with
a family farm milked anywhere from one to cheese as a food, and as an expression of
the results.
forty cows or herdsmen pooled milk from culture, landscape, and our relationship to
their focks of sheep to produce cheese. the natural world. I have surveyed experts
i have no intention of squelching
The rise of the industrial revolution in food in all aspects of the industry to highlight anyone’s enthusiasm. Considering the
and the spread of refrigeration not only the decisions cheesemakers face. Having conversations i’ve had with cheese-
allowed but also encouraged dairy farms observed many dairy farms and cheese- makers in the writing of this book, it
and cheesemakers to scale up and in many making facilities, I can attest to the fact seems worth mentioning that making
cases to consolidate operations. that there are an infnite number of cheese is both incredibly simple and
diffcult; i tell you this in hopes of
approaches in this profession and no
alleviating some of the pressure. if
In the past thirty years, the benefts of shortage of passion and enthusiasm for
you can manage to divorce yourself
cheese making have expanded in devel- the end results. The goal here is to arm you
from the idea that you’re going to
oped countries from providing a method of with the information and encouragement
make cheeses that taste like your
preserving food to being a vehicle for secur- you need to participate in the age-old art
favorite store-bought fromage—at
ing land for agricultural use. The cultural (and science) of transforming milk into least without a lot of practice—and
and emotional attachment to traditional cheese in your very own kitchen. instead revel in the discovery of the
process, there is endless potential for
A lovely nubian doe at Goat Lady Dairy in north Carolina demonstrates the curious and friendly nature that makes
enjoyment in home cheese making.
goats a popular choice for farmstead cheesemakers.
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