If January were a cheese, it would be Beaufort. So meltable, so sturdy, so warming. A good Beaufort—and it’s all good—elevates potato gratin, French onion soup, fondue, even a winter chicory salad. Stylistically, it’s Comté’s first cousin, yet it’s all but obliterated by that cheese’s prominence. France makes at least ten times more Comté than Beaufort, so when I see the latter at a cheese counter, I pounce. Gustiamo, the Italian food merchant, equates January with pasta and chickpeas. For me, cold weather means Beaufort.
Read moreOlympiad of Pasta and Cheese
The Winter Olympics gets underway in northern Italy early next month, with many of the snowy sports happening in the Dolomites and the Valtellina. I have been hyper-aware of this for a while, because Pasta Grannies, my favorite YouTube channel, is all over it. To promote the Olympics, the show has been spotlighting nonnas from these mountain regions making the local pasta specialties, such as pizzocheri—a substantial concoction of fresh buckwheat pasta, Savoy cabbage, potatoes and cheese. Lots of cheese. In the Olympic spirit, I wanted to make pizzocheri (say peetz-OH-care-ee) myself but finding the right flour proved challenging. So—not very Olympian—I cheated. I substituted dried farro pasta and, while I can no longer claim authenticity, I can assure you the outcome does not disappoint.
Read moreStarting on a High Note
Let’s get this year underway with a delicious discovery—a sheep cheeses that left me hunting for superlatives. Aged sheep cheeses are always my go-to on a cheese board, but this newcomer gobsmacked me. It had a warm butter aroma and distinctive sour cream flavor that just reeled me in. Don’t leave me alone with it. It’s 100 percent perfect by itself, in my view, but you could pair it with olives and salumi for an antipasto or serve it at the end of your meal with quince paste or poached quince.
Read moreYear in Review: Cheese Edition
Limited edition: Jasper Hill Harbison washed with Champagne
Some good things happened for cheese lovers this year, and some not so good. But isn’t that the way every year unfolds? As I think back on the past 12 months, I find much to celebrate, but I also see some gathering clouds.
Read morePhyllo Feta Pie is Ready to Party
With phyllo and feta you can hardly go wrong, but this crinkly pie is in a league of its own. Perfect for a warm holiday appetizer or, when the parties subside, for a simple dinner with a green salad, it’s unlike the Greek cheese pie you probably know. You make it by scrunching the feta-topped phyllo sheets, accordion-like, as you place them in the baking dish. A topping of beaten egg and butter binds the layers and makes the exposed pastry crisp and flaky, while the interior is more custardy. All credit to Diane Kochilas, the Greek food authority who demonstrated the dish on her excellent TV series, “My Greek Table.”
Read moreSuperstar Cheeses of 2025
Thinking back on the year in cheese puts me in an uneasy mood, to be honest. Independent cheese shops are struggling or shuttering. Importers are grappling with tariffs and paralyzing uncertainty. Retail cheese prices are giving me heartburn, and I worry that consumers will start trading down or just doing without. On the other hand…great cheese continues to deliver so much pleasure and value, a ready-to-eat shareable artisan food that elevates everyday meals. Here are a few—not all new, but new to me—that made the biggest impression this year.
Read moreThe Mongers Weigh In
Who better to ask about the year’s best cheeses than the country’s top mongers? I eat a lot of cheese, but they eat more. They’re the gatekeepers. They select the best—or what they believe they can sell—from their suppliers, and they delight in introducing customers to the next life-changing wedge. So let’s hear from a few of these expert palates on the cheeses that rocked their world this year.
Read moreSix Holiday Gifts for Cheese Fans
Oh, really, you shouldn’t have. But if you did, I think any cheese lover would be happy to receive one of these gifts. I don’t believe you need a lot of gear to enjoy great cheese, but it’s nice to have an elegant set of knives for your board, or the most exquisite dried fruit and nuts to complement your selections. There are now dozens of subscription cheese clubs vying for your dollars, but one in particular stands out to me as a great value. And, naturally, I have some merch of my own to suggest. Here’s hoping you’ll find just the right gift among these options for the curd nerds on your holiday list.
Read moreThis Tops Everything
We’re all drowning in Thanksgiving tips and to-do’s but here’s one more and it’s only three words: mascarpone whipped cream. I bet you’ll never again put plain whipped cream on your pies after you sample this luscious alternative. It’s not only a tastier dessert topping, it’s more stable, so you can whip it up hours ahead and it won’t weep. I add a splash of Jamaican rum for its brown-sugar flavor, but you can stop with vanilla extract if you prefer.
Read moreThanksgiving Refresh
Do you make the same Thanksgiving menu every year? Well, stop that. Even this holiday meal, so rooted in ritual, deserves the occasional refresh. You can’t develop new traditions if you never incorporate anything new. Here’s a curated selection of recipes from the Planet Cheese archives, all of them tested and retested over years of enjoyment.
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