How can Greece have an economic crisis given all the Greek feta that I buy? I’m never without some in my fridge, but my usage spikes at this time of year, when the deluge of tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants and peppers makes feta a must-have. At $11 or $12 a pound, it’s the best value at the cheese counter.
Read moreInner-City Cheese
As if Portland weren’t already a hipster haven, the city upped its cool quotient with the opening of Ancient Heritage Dairy early this year. The petite urban creamery—a transplant from central Oregon—now creates its cheeses in a light-filled corner building in southeast Portland, in an area with so many food-focused entrepreneurs that it’s dubbed the Artisan Corridor. Big plate-glass windows invite pedestrians to pause and watch as milk is transformed into curd, and they can purchase the results at a retail counter next door.
Read moreWisconsin Newbie Worth the Splurge
In my dreams, the U.S. will someday produce aged sheep’s milk cheeses that rival the finest from Europe—the Basque cheeses from the Pyrenees; the pecorinos from Tuscany, Sicily and Sardinia; the Manchego, Roncal and Zamorano from Spain. We are getting close on quality, but I’m not sure we’ll ever compete on price. Europe’s cheesemakers typically have lower land and labor costs and fewer costly regulations. In some cases, they benefit from government-funded marketing support and operate at a volume that makes for efficiencies.
Read moreHow Tradition Tastes
It’s dispiriting to think that raw-milk cheeses are dwindling in number and that American cheese counters will have fewer in five years than they do now. But no one who follows the artisan cheese world would dispute that forecast.
Read moreRicotta Sweet and Savory
Last week at the Napa farmers’ market, I stared for a long time at a pint basket of figs. They looked so plump and luscious, like the fruit in a Dutch still life, but I couldn’t handle the price. Dumb. Next time I’m caving, and I’m making a favorite summer dessert: whipped ricotta, halved figs, honey and poppy seeds. Adding raspberries, blackberries, apricots or peaches—all abundant right now—would only make the dessert more inviting. You can arrange everything on a platter—ricotta on the bottom, fruit, honey and poppy seeds on top—or assemble in a martini glass or footed compote.
Read moreThe One and Only Monterey Monterey Jack
For years, I’ve thought of Monterey Jack as the White Zinfandel of cheese. It’s easy to like, reasonably priced, available everywhere and—I would hope—a bridge for cheese consumers to more interesting choices eventually.
Read moreSix Cabernet All-Stars
I’m vaguely aware that my husband, Doug, maintains a list of cheeses that go well with Cabernet Sauvignon. You might imagine that I would be the one with that list, but no, he’s the go-to source. He’s the winemaker, after all.
Read moreBack in Business →
In early January, California cheesemaker Seana Doughty announced a voluntary recall of all of her Bleating Heart cheeses—among them, the award-winning Fat Bottom Girl and Ewelicious—because FDA testing found evidence of a pathogen, Listeria monocytogenes, in some samples. Recently, she discussed the recall experience with Planet Cheese.
Read moreEasy as Pie →
Years ago, the best cheese shops used to sell a baked ricotta imported from Italy. It had a pale, firm, sliceable interior and a dark, crusty skin. I haven’t seen baked ricotta in years, and even back then, it appeared so sporadically and unpredictably that I eventually decided to recreate it myself. Apart from draining the ricotta, which takes a few hours, it’s a five-minute recipe.
Read moreAll Washed Up →
About 20 years ago, a small group of French shepherds who supplied sheep’s milk for Roquefort decided to break away and establish their own creamery. A risky venture, certainly, but they were unhappy with the Roquefort system and thought they could bring more value to their milk if they made their own cheese.
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