Jul 11th 2013
Marcel Petite Comté: A Cheese with That Something Extra
Fromageries Marcel Petite's Fort Saint Antoine
What makes Comté so incredibly special? And, why is it a cheese I find myself drawn to time and again, lured in as if it had cast a spell on me? Of cour
…
Feb 4th 2013
The Rennet Story: Animal, Vegetable and Microbial
Ruggles Hill Creamery Ada's Honor - made with microbial rennet
Microbial rennet is derived from molds that are able to produce a coagulating enzyme and are viewed as vegetarian appropriate – however,
…
Jul 26th 2012
What Is Annatto? How Does It Relate to Cheese?
Red Leicester and Annatto Seeds
Mimolette. Red Leicester. Shropshire Blue. What do these three cheeses have in common? They are all orange and they are all colored with annatto. Annatto is a somewhat
…
Sep 28th 2011
The Origins of Gorgonzola: Dolce and Piccante
Gorgonzola Dolce (front) and Gorgonzola Piccante (rear)
Lombardy is a region in the northernmost part of Italy, sitting on the country's Alpine border with Switzerland. The terrain is varied, rangin
…
May 12th 2011
Washed-Rind Cheeses (aka 'The Stinkers')
While studying to be a pastry chef, I started working as a cheesemonger. In a restaurant, the pastry chef is sometimes given the responsibility of overseeing the cheese plate. While the chef might b
…
Feb 24th 2011
The Gouda the Dutch Eat: Boerenkaas
My first introduction to Gouda was the industrial variety that the Dutch ship all over the world: beige-ish, wrapped in red paraffin and fairly pliant. Traveling in Greece when I was sixteen, we bou
…