Cheese

How did Steve Jenkins, a Velveeta eater from Missouri, turn into this country's foremost cheesemonger? It's the age-old saga, a move to New York City seeking the bright lights of Broadway and ending up managing a cheese shop to pay the bills. Steve went on to create and revamp the cheese counters at Dean & DeLuca, the Fairway Market, Balducci's, and other celebrated fine-food shops in New York and across the country. Steve was the first American to be honored with France's prestigious Chevaliers du Taste Fromage. He is the author of Cheese Primer and is a frequent contributor to many national magazines, including Food & Wine and Food Arts.

Lynne's Winter Cheese Picks

Here are Lynne's cheese recommendations for a good winter cheese. Wild Ripened Cheddar from Egg Farm Dairy (Note: As of June 2001, Egg Farm Dairy was no longer in business.) Jean Grogne - a soft-ripened triple crème from France, available...

Eau de Stilton Perfume

In an effort to get consumers to eat more of their product, The Stilton Cheese Makers Association has commissioned Eau de Stilton. The perfume, billed as "eminently wearable," blends Yarrow, Angelica seed, Clary Sage and Valerian to recreate the earthy...

Lynne's Picks for Quality Dairy

For top-quality butter and cheese Lynne likes to order from: The Vermont Butter and Cheese Company Pittman Road Box 95 Websterville, VT 05678 802-479-9371 Lynne likes the following sources for ricotta cheese: Mozzarella and Company 2944 Elm Street Dallas, TX...

Cheese from Auvergne

Cheesemonger Steve Jenkins considers the Auvergne region in the heart of France to be one of the world's most important cheese-producing areas. Exceptional cheese comes from the Auvergne and it is readily available. Three top picks to look for include:...

Steve's Favorite Cheeses from Savoie

Listen to this feature (RealAudio 3.0; how to listen Just south of Geneva where France and Switzerland meet lies the Savoie, an unspeakably beautiful region where three of the world's greatest cheeses are produced. Mention Reblochon and Beaufort to cheesemonger...

Preparing Cheese Plates

From The Cheese Primer, by Steven Jenkins The path to cheese appreciation lies on the palate and on the table. Sampling a single cheese can be illuminating, but tasting two or three in a convivial social setting can be both...

American Spring Cheese Picks, 1998

Steve Jenkins says now's the time of the year when dairy animals go crazy! It's also the best time for cheese. Following are Steve's picks of exceptional American spring cheeses: At Love Tree Farms in Grantsburg, Wisconsin, Mary Falk works...

American Cheese Society

The American Cheese Society is the hotbed of artisan cheesemakers. Visit their Web site for more information. www.cheesesociety.org...

Spanish Cheese Favorites by Steve Jenkins

Garrotxa: A stunning, mild-flavored Catalan goat cheese to serve with olives; sweet summer fruits; cured ham or coarse salami; rough, crusty multi-grain bread; and strong red wines. Torta del Casar: Steve's pick as "Cheese of the Decade." A buttery, nutty...

Lynne's Sources for Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese

Hands down, a wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is one of the world's great eating cheeses. At it's best, you will keep going back for more and more and more. The true Parmigiano can be produced only in five provinces of...

Cheese and Dreams

That old saw, "don't eat cheese before bed because you'll have nightmares," didn't sit well with the British Cheese Board. So they financed a study with 200 people, each eating 20 grams (less than an ounce) of cheese before bed....

Andante Dairy

California's new star cheese maker Soyoung Scanlan has celebrity chefs kissing the hem of her apron. At her dairy in Santa Rosa, she follows the milk and her mood, not the market, and it's apparent in her creations. For more...

Sheep's-Milk Cheeses

Steve Jenkins, author of Steve Jenkins Cheese Primer, considers these sheep's-milk cheeses among the world's most important: From France's Western Pyrénées: Ossau-Iraty (unpasteurized, so availability in the U.S. is rare) and the excellent non-A.O.C. pasteurized version available in the United...

Cheese Precepts

Steve claims that if he'd known these straightforward constants at the outset of his career his "cheese learning curve" might have been shorter. 1. Cheese is a living, breathing substance. It is the purest and most romantic link between...

American Spring Cheese Picks, 1997

Steve Jenkins, author of Cheese Primer (and a man most opinionated about his cheeses!), suggests the following sources. Cypress Grove Chevre 4600 Dows Prairie Road McKinleyville, CA 95521 707-839-3168 Sally Jackson's Cheeses Star Route, Box 106 Oroville, WA 98844 509-485-3722...

Chèvre

To our mind, a simple lunch doesn't get much better than fresh, creamy, goat-milk cheese (chèvre in French) spread on a chunk of crusty baguette, drizzled with a bit of fine extra-virgin olive oil, and served with a few nice...

Paris Cheese Shops

Listen to this feature (How to listen) When in Paris, Steve Jenkins, author of Steve Jenkins' Cheese Primer, heads directly to the 7th arrondissement and one of these shops where he finds some of the best fromage in the City...

Steve Jenkins' Latest Artisan Cheese Finds

Cheese expert Steve Jenkins, author of Cheese Primer (Workman Publishing, 1996), calls these latest artisan cheese finds "adult candy." Smoky Blue from Oregon's Rogue Creamery: This raw cow's milk blue cheese is smoked over hazelnut shells. It's soft and...

American Cheddar by Steve Jenkins

Grafton Village Cheddar: "The greatest cheddar in North America," according to Steve Jenkins. This raw-milk Vermont Cheddar is made the old way, in small batches and aged the longest of all (4 years). It's flavor perfection. Shelburne Farmhouse Cheddar: A...

France's Franche-Comte Region

Steve Jenkins says October is the month for cheeses from Franche-Comte, the mountainous (and coldest) region of France stretching from the eastern edge of Burgundy through the foothills of the Jura Alps to the Alps along the border with Switzerland....

American Artisan Cheesemakers

Laura Werlin, author of The New American Cheese, recommends looking for cheeses from the following American artisan cheesemakers. This is only a partial list, however. Laura's book is crammed with information, a great reference book for your library. Ku'oko'a Farm...

Cheese Glossary

Steve Jenkins says cheese can be classified into the following varieties: Fresh: Uncooked and unripened cheeses such as Italian Mascarpone, cream cheese, and French fromage blanc made right after the milk has turned to curd. Fresh Ripened: The easiest cheeses...

Steve Jenkins' Favorite Female Cheesemakers

Steve Jenkins thinks women make the best cheesemakers, especially when it comes to goat and sheep cheese. Here are some of his favorites: Liz Parnell Fromagerie Belle Chevre 26910 Bethel Road Elkmont, AL 35620 800-735-2238 Chèvre de Provence and fromage...

American Artisanal Cheeses

David Rosengarten maintains that America's artisanal cheesemakers haven't quite caught up with the greats of France, Spain, and Italy but says they're well on their way. After tasting his way through hundreds of cheeses from American artisanal cheesemakers here are...

Summer Cheeses

Listen to this feature (How to listen) Cheese monger Steve Jenkins says forget the girls of summer and go for the cheeses. In summer, animals are eating the highest quality grasses and foliage, and it's prime time for fresh cheeses....

Stinky Cheeses

Among Steve's favorite cheeses are the assertively flavored and highly odorous washed rind varieties. During the ripening process these cheeses are washed with or immersed in a brine solution, wine, brandy, beer, eau-de-vie, or cider. The liquid feeds bacteria and...

Lynne's Picks from Two California Artisan Cheesemakers

Lynne recently tasted a couple of cheeses from two artisan cheese makers in California that have her raving: Cowgirl Creamery's Red Hawk is a triple cream cow's milk cheese that is delicious paired with fresh peaches. The rosy-hued washed rind...

Rent a Vermont Jersey Cow

On a picturesque Vermont hillside, complete with red barns, a 150-year-old farmhouse, and a herd of purebred Jersey cows, a small family organic farm makes the only farmstead Brie and Camembert cheeses in America. The cows are fed only fresh...

Cultured Butter

Butter is back and no one is happier than cheese monger Steve Jenkins. Steve loves good butter and is always searching and sampling to find the most interesting, flavorful cultured butter. Expect to pay dearly but know the flavor and...

Brie Alternatives

Cheese expert Steve Jenkins, author of Cheese Primer, says it's just too difficult to find real Brie in the United States. His advice is to forget it entirely. Instead, consider the excellent alternatives that are available (some from surprising sources...