During the past six months, there has been contention from the FDA about using wooden boards to age specialty cheeses, mostly because wood is porous and has a tendency to propagate bacteria on its surface. As natural cheese lovers know, most bacterial cultivation is a positive thing, and lends to the development flavor profile of the … Continue reading
My time at Formaggio Kitchen teaches, and will continue to teach me, about the true definition of quality. Here we are, catering to an old money market who can afford our fine products. Yet the more we understand the back story to how these products are made, we can understand what makes them expensive and … Continue reading
Mycoflora: The fungi characteristic of a region or special environment Mold and yeast work side by side in this game of cheese ripening. Molds metabolize lactic acid and lactate which yields a higher pH that is ideal for proteolytic (proteins) and lipolytic enzymes (lipids) to work on the cheese flavor and texture profile. Interior mold … Continue reading
When I was learning in France from La Chevrerie des Embetsches, I do not think I could have estimated how sacred the knowledge of basic temperature controls and humidity levels would be back in the states. I should have recorded more, I always think, but I was young and following the feeling of the craft, … Continue reading
Cheese in the City 