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 moreDinner’s Ready
In the Napa Valley, where we are sheltering in place, caterers are delivering cassoulet to people with deep pockets. The rest of us are plundering our pantries, gardens and freezers. Frankly, I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of making do in the kitchen. What tasty thing can I concoct from the bits and pieces? Being resourceful feels good, especially now. With my own hands, I can feed my household. I remember an elderly Italian friend who lived through the Second World War telling me that the rural people were better off than the city folks because the people in the countryside knew how to forage. Feeding yourself is a basic life skill, and this crisis is revealing that a lot of people can’t.
Read moreCheese Takes a Beating
Travel woes: (clockwise from upper left) Camembert au Calvados; Clochette; Burrata; French ashed cheeses
Maybe cheese wasn’t the first thing you thought about when President Trump announced a 30-day ban on flights from Europe last week. But cheese is, indeed, a victim. It won’t be getting on planes, either. All those lovely soft spring goat cheeses from the Loire Valley…fresh mozzarella and burrata from Campania…delicate robiolas from Piemonte…these cheeses and many others have effectively had their passports revoked. “Trump said it’s not going to affect cargo, but it doesn’t work that way,” says Stephanie Ciano of World’s Best Cheese, a major importer.
Read moreHere We Go Again
Photo: Kral Photography
For the second time, a team of expert judges has voted Michael Spycher’s Gruyère the World Champion Cheese. It’s a head-spinning achievement given the size of the field: 3,667 entries from around the world. If you think of Gruyère as an ordinary sandwich cheese sold in every supermarket—well, this ain’t that.
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.)
Read moreShe’s Gotta Have It
When I posted about cacio e pepe recently, I didn’t realize I was headed down a rabbit hole. I like this dish—pasta with pecorino romano and black pepper—but I’m not obsessed with it. Then I discovered someone who is. Her Instagram, cacioepepelove, has 6,600 followers and climbing. I took one look and couldn’t stop looking. Every day, a new cacio e pepe. Who was behind this funny, mouthwatering, passionate love letter to a pasta dish?
Read moreCheese by the Numbers
The numbers are in and they’re not pretty. Wisconsin lost a record number of dairy farms last year. More than 800 farms folded. More than 2,700 have called it quits in the past five years.
How does this happen when artisan cheese consumption is booming? And what does it mean for all those amazing Wisconsin cheeses we love? For insights, I turned to a couple of Wisconsin’s most respected cheesemakers: Andy Hatch of Uplands Cheese Company, a farmstead producer of Pleasant Ridge Reserve and Rush Creek Reserve; and Bob Wills of Cedar Grove Cheese, who buys milk from more than 30 Wisconsin farms. This post is longer than usual, but these gentlemen had a lot to say and we need to hear it.
Read moreFour-Star Cacio e Pepe
The classic Roman dish, spaghetti cacio e pepe, seems to be having a moment. I have no idea why. Americans tend to prefer pasta with more stuff on it. This sauce is about as simple as it gets, although it’s easy to screw up. With Valentine’s Day on the brain, I bought a truffled pecorino recently and started to wonder if it would work in cacio e pepe. Genius, I must say.
Read moreRight Place, Right Time
If a truffled triple-cream cheese sounds like the right thing for Valentine’s Day, keep reading. I’m going to help you make one. Whether you use fresh black truffle (best) or truffle paste (second best), the result will make you a hero. The cheese pictured here was an impromptu gift from Ken Frank, chef-owner of La Toque in Napa—talk about being in the right place at the right time—and later the chef shared a video of how he made it.
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