A guide to making forty eight types of cheese from your own home, plus seventy five recipes to transform your creations into delicious dishes.
Just a short decade ago “American cheese” meant orange individually wrapped slices. In the rural renaissance of the new century, many Americans have discovered the world of real cheese for the first time. From warm, milky mozzarella and handcrafted goat cheese to complicated Monterey Jack and Gorgonzola, cheese makers and cheese lovers have a broad range of delicious fromage to explore and enjoy. For all of the adventurous cheese lovers who want to make the leap to cheese makers, Cheese It! reduces the mysteries of transforming a couple of gallons of milk into a couple of pounds of delicious cheese. Artisanal cheese maker and author Cole Dawson leads the whey for beginners through the art and science of cheese making, including detailed advice on milk, coagulants and curds, equipment, safety, and more.
Fresh Cheese for Today
Begin with homemade butter, cream cheese, and sour cream, and then dip into the perfect starter: soft unripened cheeses such as paneer, Chévre, feta, mascarpone, and ricotta. Discover the brine bath and make everyone’s favorite stretched cheese-mozzarella-as well as scamorza, Mexican Asadero, and provolone.
Hard Cheeses Made Easy
Enter the great aged beauties of the cheese world, Parmesan (Parmigiano-Reggiano) and Pecorino Romano from the north and south of Italy. Create fondue beyond compare with your own Swiss Gruyére and climb to the top of Montasio, the Alpine cousin of Asiago.
Moving On to Semi-Hard Cheese
Cover salting, pressing, and molding curds; the processes of aging and air-drying; and waxing techniques. Try your hand at the mighty Cheddar and its many variations; then move beyond Cheddar to Cantal, Monterey Jack, Cotswold, Caerphilly, and Caciotta. Learn how to wash curds and produce your own Colby, Gouda, and Edam.
Mold on Your Molds
Learn about washing rinds, the aging process, and the introduction of good bacteria. Make Muenster, Brick, Raclette, Tilsit, and Taleggio at home, plus bloomy rind favorites Camembert, Brie, Chaource, and Crottin. Tackle stinky blue cheeses such as Stilton, Roquefort, Fourme d’Ambert, and Gorgonzola.
