• Last updated 2/16/10 by ChefTalk.com

It is a common misconception – even among top chefs and foodservice professionals – that all cheese is alike and can be treated as such.  The truth is every cheese is unique, and how you handle and store it greatly affects its overall flavor and quality. The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and Wisconsin cheesemakers developed guidelines and recommendations for the proper storage of different cheese varieties. These simple rules for cheese storage and handling will help maximize the shelf life of your cheeses, while maintaining and enhancing its flavor. Cheese Handling –... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by Nicko

Bandage-Wrapped Cheddar    Fiscalini Cheese Co.Modesto, CaliforniaThe Fiscalini family was making cheese in Switzerland as early as 1705. MateoFiscalini emigrated to the United States in the 1890’s and his son John established Fiscalini Farms in Modesto in 1912.  The current herd managed by the third and fourth generation of Modesto Fiscalinis’ can proudly claim 100% management of the process, which entitles us to the exclusive right to call our gourmet cheeses “Farmstead”. Cheesemaker: Mariano GonzalezAge:   18 Months or 30 MonthsType:  Raw, whole milk, from... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by ckoetke

Perhaps the oldest known cheese in the world, scholars speculate that Roquefort was known even to the ancient Romans. This cheese, made in the desolate southern French town of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, was the first cheese in France to be legally protected from fraudulent look-alikes. While Roquefort is certainly not to everyone's liking (which means there is more of it for those of us who adore it), it is undisputedly one of the world's most famous and unique cheeses. Roquefort packs a punch. It does not strive for delicateness of flavor but instead delivers a powerful... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by ssolomon

The Loire River rises in the Massif Central from where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. At some 629 miles long, it is the longest river in France. It flows first to the north, and then to the west. Soft plains spread around the Loire's giant curve in a region justly called the Garden of France. Then countryside is sprinkled with Renaissance castles and there is an abundance of wines and cheeses. It was in this region in the eighth century, that the Saracens were repelled at the city of Poitiers. The Saracens were originally Arabs, who for centuries had occupied much... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by ssolomon

The newest cheese in Judith Schad's repertoire of fine American cheeses in the French style is the SOFIA. Judith Schad is the award-winning farmstand cheese maker in Greenville, Indiana who is always experimenting, and always achieving excellent results in her pursuit of taste and knowledge. Hand-made from fresh acidic curd, this cheese, a truncated brick in shape, is layered with several strata of vegetable ash in the center, covered with a layer of vegetable ash around the entire surface of the cheese, and ripened with a light white mold over the ashen surface. The... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by ckoetke

For those of you who love goat cheese, this one is not to be missed! Crottin de Chavignol is a classic when it comes to goat cheeses. (You can always judge the popularity of a cheese by the number of imitations, and Crottin de Chavignol has many look- alikes. In all fairness, there are some excellent cheeses that use "Crottin" as part or all of the name.) The name deserves a bit of further explanation. Crottin has a somewhat unsavory meaning in French. It basically means road apple, or a bit of animal doo-doo. I have heard 2 explanations for the name. The first... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by ssolomon

Judith Schad of Capriole Farms in Greenville, Indiana (in an area known as Kentuckiana) is one of my favorite people. Not only is she great fun, she is among the most knowledgeable cheese makers anywhere, a true farmstead producer. In 1978, she, her husband Larry and three children moved to an 80 acre farm which they later found to have been in Larry's family from the early 1800's to the late 1950's. They modified the original barn and purchased goats as a 4-H project for their children. The children have grown and gone, and Judy and Larry now have new kids, over 200... read more