Everyone I talk to seems at loose ends right now. What’s the right thing to think, say, feel, do when your country is experiencing an emotional earthquake? Cheese seems trivial, perhaps, but to dairy farmers and cheesemakers it is not. It’s a livelihood. It’s the future for their land, their livestock, their families.
Read morePesto of Your Dreams
I’ve been working on my pesto recipe for a few decades but I’ve never been 100 percent satisfied. Sometimes I make it in a mortar, like you’re supposed to, but it seems to discolor more with that method. Sometimes I blanch the basil leaves for a few seconds to keep the color, a trick I learned from Michael Chiarello, who also adds a pinch of ascorbic acid for the same reason. But that always seems a bit like cheating. Recently, perusing a new Italian cookbook, I saw another approach that intrigued me.
Read moreThe New Abnormal
Open for business! But now what? The owner of a popular independent cheese store in Sarasota, Florida, shares her experience with the bruising logistics of closing her shop and, weeks later, the anxiety of re-opening. Devining what customers might crave after weeks of lockdown, plus retooling her sales practices, has been keeping Louise Kennedy Converse—aka Cheese Louise—awake at night. Our phone conversation has been edited and condensed.
Read moreMascarpone Sundae Any Day
I’m pretty sure that most mascarpone sold in this country ends up in tiramisu. Not a bad fate, but mascarpone can do more than that. If you’ve never made mascarpone ice cream, go dust off your ice cream machine. Memorial Day weekend is imminent, and no matter what you put on the grill, this strawberry mascarpone ice cream sundae will be what you remember.
Read moreHappier Happy Hours
Are you doing as many virtual Happy Hours as I am? I’m enjoying how easy it is to “meet” friends for a drink, but the bar menu is pitiful. My husband and I hoarded pistachios when this madness got started, but I’m getting a little bored with them. Knowing how desperate our cheesemakers are to sell their fresh cheeses, I decided to challenge myself to make some bar bites with ingredients on hand. I did have to purchase the cheese, but all the toppings were foraged from the fridge, garden and pantry. You can do this.
Read moreCheese to the Rescue
Putting others first: Ford (left) and Messmer
The Covid pandemic is devastating cheesemakers around the country. No restaurants, no foodservice, no sales. But as the owners of Beehive Cheese in Utah and Lively Run Dairy in New York watched their revenue plummet last month, they independently hatched the same plan. Both creameries had empty cheese vats. Both had idle cheesemakers. Their milk suppliers—small family farms—were about to dump milk. If they couldn’t make cheese to sell, they would make it to donate.
Read moreSomething to Celebrate
American Cheese Month is just around the corner. What better time to show our nation’s cheesemakers some love? Over four Thursdays in May, I’ll be partnering with cheese expert Laura Werlin and top California wineries to bring you the best in American artisan cheese and wine and to support our cheesemakers in these challenging times.
Read moreSix to Try Now
Cheesemakers across the nation want to get their cheeses to you. Many are making it easier with discounts and deals—even waiving shipping fees in some cases. I’ve heard from some readers who saw my list [link here] and were moved to order, and I’ve heard from others who saw the list and couldn’t decide what to order. The cheeses most in need of a home are the fresh and lightly aged ones (think Camembert) that aren’t built to last. While you’re housebound, why not make your happy hours extra joyous with these six lovelies?
Read moreTrouble in Paradise
Sarah Marcus photo (right): Christine Hyatt
How quickly cheesemakers’ livelihoods can crater, especially when they make mostly perishable cheeses or care for animals that have to be milked twice a day. What are you supposed to do with that milk when nobody’s buying your cheese? I checked in with two West Coast cheesemakers I greatly admire to see how they’re faring in this crisis and how they plan to climb out of the pit. Because they will.
Read moreYour Cheese Dreams Come True
California fresh: Nicasio Valley Cheese Foggy Morning
Can I brag on my state? California is about to host its 14th annual Artisan Cheese Festival, a three-day event that just keeps getting better. (I have perfect attendance.) Cheese fans: Your dreams can come true here. Want to step inside the aging cellars of an artisan Cheddar producer? Or visit three super-hip craft distillers? (There will be cheese. And a driver.) Want to meet the latest rock-star cheesemaker? (Hint: She’s not old enough to vote.)
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