On Costumes, Hip Hop & His Most Surprising Cheddar: 5 Questions with Cheddar Author Gordon Edgar

Gordon sharing the aged cheddar love at Grafton, photo by Shelburne Farms

A strong believer that the world needs humor along with its cheese and booze, I'm a big fan of Gordon Edgar's books. They're cultural and well-researched, super interesting, and funny. And Gordon himself is pretty awesome too. In honor of the publication of his second book, Cheddar: A Journey to the Heart of America's Most Iconic Cheese, Gordon agreed to an interview. Below I ask him about hip hop's use of cheese in lyrics, cheese parties and costumes, and his favorite pairings (spoiler- a piece of cheese and his face).

I present you with 5 Questions with Gordan Edgar. Thank you, Gordon!

The cheese board from our tasting. I may have slightly misplaced our notes from that night after the wine was unleashed but I can tell you that we loved fig jam with English traditional versions.

1. You've been all over the country promoting, with events that included driving around Wisconsin in a school bus to holding vertical tastings of chedar to see how it ages. In what region have you felt the most cheddar enthusiasm and did it involve costumes?

The cheddar bus trip was an amazing experience. Jeanne Carpenter organized it and it brought out cheddar lovers from all over the place. We started at Larry’s Market and then got to go on tours at Henning’s, LaClare, and Widmer’s – three of my favorite places to go in Wisconsin – and then I blah blah’d at folks between stops. CCP Elizabeth Nerud even recited an impromptu cheese poem at the end of the night while we rolled back to Milwaukee.

Vermont was pretty incredible too. Three events in 24 hours! Grafton, Provisions, Shelburne Farms, Cabot and Jasper Hill all collaborated to help make it happen. I did a talk at University of Vermont where I was honored by Professor Paul Kindstedt showing up. Then almost killed myself – as Californians driving in Vermont black ice conditions are wont to do – driving to Provisions to talk with about almost 100 cheese professionals. As soon as that was done I went to Brattleboro for a cheddar

party were I read a poem with local journalist and ex-monger Wendy Levy that likely had not been read aloud for 125 years or so. Costumes would have been the only thing that could have made that better, I wish I had talked to you beforehand.

The last time costumes and cheddar came into play historically that I know of was in 1951, the cheddar centennial in Rome, New York that commemorated the 100 year anniversary of America’s first cheddar factory. Cheese dignitaries came in from across country and the Rome (New York) Theater Guild produced a play about the life of Jesse Williams, “Father of Cheese Factories.” Alas, there was no revival of the performance for the 150 year anniversary. Let’s get ready for 2051, people!

2. What is your top favorite cheddar combo of all time? Feel free to say butter, bread and a pan, or go grand. 

Yeah, it really is piece of cheddar and my face. I had a co-worker who used to just come over to the cheese counter during her break, buy a ¼ lb of cheddar, unwrap it, and just start chomping for lunch every day. I was in awe the first time I saw that and still think it is the ultimate way to enjoy a cheese.

If I am going to do cheddar for dinner, I’d add tart apples, dark honey, and sourdough bread or rustic crackers. For cooking, a medium sharp cheddar along with a little brie and fridge odds and ends for mac and cheese. Mmmmmmm.

3. You know a lot about cheddar. Does the hip hop world adopting the word "cheese," or more often "cheddar" as a euphemism for money make since to you? Why or don't you think "cheddar" in particular fits? Would chevre work too?

I actually wrote about this for Cheddar, but cut that section because -- while I can claim great knowledge and nuance about punk -- I am more of a tourist to hip hop. In punk, historically speaking, cheese references are usually about the government cheese that was available during the ‘80s at a time when there was a major surplus of milk and dairy farmers were getting paid off to cull their herds and get out of the milk business. I have heard that the hip hop use of “cheddar” has the same roots, but I couldn’t swear that’s true.

There is a historic use of staple, common food as a stand-in for money: dough, bread, lettuce, etc. That’s why “cheddar” works in this context but chevre doesn’t right now. It’s still exotic to most people. So, until there’s a bigger hip hop scene in Sonoma or Napa counties, or goat cheese mainstreams to urban areas, chevre would probably be used to signify something else.

4. You've tasted a lot of cheese in your history of cheesemongering and writing. While tasting for this book, which cheddar surprised you the most and why?

One that surprised me after I wrote the book I was shocked by the Red Barn Weis Heritage Cheddar from Wisconsin. Jeanne Carpenter of Cheese Underground arranged a bus trip of three Wisconsin cheesemakers and I read from my book between stops [side note from Kirstin, Jeanne, you rock]. Then we did a class together at Metcalfe’s Market in Madison. I had never tasted this cheese until we were doing the class and I fell in love immediately.

When researching Cheddar, I was trying to track down who made the last clothbound cheddar in America before it went extinct so I could see how many years this country had to do without. Sid Cook of Carr Valley pointed out to me that it wasn’t that clothbound cheese went extinct, it was the cave-aging that did. Sid, and a few other producers, were still cloth-wrapping cheese but aging them in wax.

The Weis Heritage Cheddar is this style and one of the best and most distinctive cheddars made in this country. All the milk comes from family-owned and operated farms of under 70 cows and the dairies are all certified humane. Plus, as far as I can tell, Red Barn Family Farms make the last raw milk cheddar in Wisconsin.

5. Lastly, if your last, multi-coursed, meal on planet earth had to be made entirely of Cheddar, what would you eat? 

Appetizer: Cheese crisps made of Rumiano mild cheddar topped with two year Grafton Cheddar medallions.

Main: Center cut of Quicke’s two year vintage clothbound cheddar served over two year Widmer spears and an extra sharp Tillamook cheddar dipping sauce on the side.

Dessert: Wedges of sweet-sharp Prairie Breeze.

This would be pretty intense, but now that I’ve written it down, I kind of want to try it.

Thank you again, Gordon! There is much to be said for a man who enjoys a center cut.

Ricotta 2 Ways: An Easy Mother's Day Brunch

RicottaBlogHeader

Ricotta 2 Ways: an Easy Mother's Day Brunch

For some, Mother's Day is easy peasy. If you have a mom like mine, for example, all that a brilliant Mother's Day entails is taking your mother to visit baby goats, making she has a steady supply of coffee on hand, and maybe a margarita later in the day. But if you don't have a steady stream of baby goats nearby (see here for where to cuddle baby animals this spring) or perhaps your mother isn't as into farm animals as mine, your day likely involves brunch.

One of my favorite recipes for an easy mother's day brunch involves ricotta, two-ways.

And flowers. Don't forget the flowers.

An Easy Mother's Day Brunch.

Though there tends to be less booze and political discussions at hand, for some brunch feels as stressful as bringing together a group relatives at one Thanksgiving table. But it doesn't have to be if you streamline the cooking. One way for your mother's day brunch to be easy as pie without having to bake pie is by relying on cheese for an easy mother's day brunch.

And nope, you don't have to make the ricotta. Some of my favorite ricottas are made by Bellwether, Narragansett CreameryDiStefano, and Calabro, and are perfect for ricotta 2-ways.

Pre-baked ricotta: An Easy Mother’s Day Brunch

Ricotta Two Ways

This brunch brings together the bounty of spring. Asparagus. Apricots. Strawberries. Perfect watermelon radishes. The vegetables will be accompanied by baked ricotta. This is the savory part. The fruit will go with fresh ricotta, drizzled with honey. This is the sweet part. Serve all at once with bread. Shopping list follows. 

Preparing the savory and the sweet. 

1.Savory: Pick up some asparagus spears and watermelon radiishes or other colorful radishes at your local farmer's market.

• Roast the asparagus. Warm your oven to 375 degrees. Cut off the tough ends of the asparagus spears, then lay over a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake until the vegetable is al dente- or cooked, yet still firm to the touch. Ten to fifteen minutes.

• Slice your radishes paper-thin. Use a mandolin if available, otherwise use a sharp knife. Layer on a pretty plate, drizzle with olive oil, salt, and chopped parsley.

2. Sweet: Pick one or two spring fruits your mom likes. My mom is hooked on apricots and strawberries, therefore I get some of both.

• Grill or roast the apricots. Cut apricots in half and remove the pits. Either heat up your grill, and grill the apricots until marked, or roast your apricots in the ovens right after cooking your asparagus. If roasting, roast face-down until the fruit cut-side begins to lightly brown or turn golden. After baked, drizzle the fruit with half the honey.

• Slice the strawberries.

Ricotta 2 Ways

Savory: Turn your oven up to 400 degrees. Place two thirds of your ricotta on a pretty baking dish. It will shrink while cooking. Bake for ten to fifteen until the top of the cheese turns golden. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Sweet: Plate the second half of the ricotta in a decorative dish, leaving room on the side for the fruit. Drizzle the ricotta with honey.

Serving 

To serve, place your baked ricotta in its pretty dish on the table along with the roasted asparagus, radishes, and sliced bread. I like my savory with olive bread, lightly warmed (toss in the oven for five or so minutes).

Cozy your roasted apricots and strawberries next to your honeyed ricotta.

Don't forget the coffee, mimosas, rosé, sparkling wine, and or whiskey if that's the type of mama you have. Enjoy, and happy mother's day!

Shopping List

(serves 4)

• 1 bunch asparagus

• radishes

• parsley

• apricots and/or strawberries (2 apricots per person, 3 strawberries per person)

• 1/4 cup honey

• salt and pepper

• 5 cups ricotta

• bread

California Baby Animal Farm Tours: Where to Cuddle this Spring

Me, cudding at Redwood Hill’s baby animal farm tours

Spring means sprouting flower buds, farmer's markets plush with tiny strawberries, and, most importantly, baby animals. That's right. It's time for...

Baby Animal Farm Tours

Below I list some of my favorite places to visit and pet baby animals in California. Most baby animal farm tours focus on sheep and goats since that's who has babes around now, but baby cows are also cute. Read more here about why spring = cute animal farm tours, or scroll down to get your cuddle on.

A goat in a sweater from Prodigal Farm, North Carolina.

Here I am petting my first sheep.

A goat puppy on a baby animal farm tour.

Baby Animal Farm Tours

Harley Farms Goat Dairy, Pescadero

In addition to having a cuddly load of cheesemaking-inspired baby animals, Harley also has llamas (may or may not be small). This is one of my faves, but Harley is a hot ticket. Must farm tours are booked well into June, but there are a few treasured spots open here and there. Book quick.

• Harley's claim to fame: Gorgeous farm dinners in the field, flowered chevre & ricotta

Hidden Villa, Santa Cruz

Hidden Villa is a 1,600 acre farm in the Santa Cruz Mountains whose programing focuses on environment and social justice education. Oh and meeting animals and Twilight Walks and Japanese Cultural Days. It's a very special place with events galore on beautiful, beautiful land.

• Hidden Villa's claim to fame: Tours like Preschoolers on the Farm, Toddlers on the Farm, Afternoon Farm Tour (grown-ups allowed)

My mother the goat whisperer.

Redwood Hill Farm, Sebastopol 

Sharing time: I've been to this farm every Mother's Day for the past three years. Five years? Not sure. Most photos featured on this post are from baby animal farm tour visits. Not only does Redwood Hill Farm have tons of day-old (or hour-old) goats for you to visit, the staff is pretty much the nicest family this side of the midwest. You get a little flower in a yogurt container when you leave, and after petting the goats, you can sit under their apple orchards and picnic.

• Redwood Hill Farm's claim to fame: Kefir, Cameo cheese, goat's milk yogurt, and... May 7 & 8 and May 21 & 22 are their Farm Tours this year. If you go on May 8th, Mother's Day, say hello. I'll be there cuddling.

Tomula Farms, Tomales Farmstead, Petaluma

Year-long tours at Tomula bring cute animals all seasons, but alas, spring means babies, hence baby animal farm tours! A super nice couple owns Tomales Farmstead, there's a creek running through the property, and there is even is a awe-worthy airbnb stay on the property.

• Tomales Farmstead's claim to fame: Teleeka and Assa cheese, to name a couple. Currently - guided tours on the first Sunday of each month

Windrush Farm, Chileano Valley

An exception to others on this page, Windrush focuses on wool and children's tours. But they made it on the list because I love the idea of sending my imaginary child to one of their Summer Camps so they can learn to milk animals, harvest veggies and then visit their "Music Camp" sessions. The animals may not all be babies by the time you get there depending on spring or summer class selections, but Windrush looks spectacular.

• Windrush Farm's claim to fame: Sheep fiber (yarn and wool), and check out Lamb Day on April 9th, 2016.

Enjoy your spring, and I recommend contacting farms before visiting to confirm petting sessions are still on. Know any other baby sessions that need to be on this list? Email me at kirstin@itsnotyoitsbrie.com

Get Your Raw on: Raw Milk Cheese Appreciation Day Guide & Haiku

Clockwise from left- scooping curds at Stichelton in Nottingham, Estero Gold, Berkswell, Comté, Gypsy Rose

In the name of everything holy and blessed with delicious mircoflora, Happy Raw Milk Cheese Day! (Almost) In case you were sitting at home this month, perhaps on the couch, perhaps while soaking in a bubble bath with a glass of sparkling wine, thinking how wonderful it would be if you could celebrate the glory of raw milk cheese like Bleating Heart's Sherpardista, Parmigiano-Reggiano, or Bleu Mont Cheddar with other people across the world, your time is here. Your day has come.

This Saturday is for you, raw milk cheese lovers.

Launched by the Oldways Cheese Coalition, Raw Milk Cheese Day is exactly what it sounds. A day to eat, and write poems about raw milk cheese.

Rush Creek, the raw creamy one that cheesemaker Andy Hatch stopped making in 2014 because of FDA scrutiny. It is now back to business.

This post is an ode to raw milk cheese.

First, a haiku.

Raw safe sweet white milk.

Straight from teat, then cooled, fast

Makes happy cheese now

5 Raw Milk Cheeses to Explore Now

Sometimes it's tricky to determine which cheeses are raw if the shop you frequent is busy and you want to just grab and go. Other times you just fancy a little more raw milk cheese inspiration in your life. Whatever the reason, the following are some of my favorite cheeses that I've adored for some time, or with which I've recently fell in love. Most are local.

Pepato, photo courtesy of Bellwether Farms

Comtés of different years and province at a Jura shop

1. Gypsy Rose's Aged Cheese: Pictured at top, Gypsy Rose is made by two former lawyers who relocated to Petaluma and grew some goats, then made some cheese. Bright, mainly washed rinds, and as friendly as the couple that makes them.

2. Bellwether Farms San Andreas or Pepato: Made by California's third certified sheep's milk dairy, Bellwether makes the best pecorino style cheese I've tried in the country.

3. Comté: I write a lot about Comté here because, Comté, but if you don't know about this wonderful Jura cheese of the French Rhone-Alp mountains, pick up a wedge and prepare to swoon. Melts dreamily.

4. Spring Brook Ashlyn : We can't get real Morbier in the states because of FDA raw milk importing rules, so Spring Brook Farms went and made their own. From the slim ash vein running through its center to the velvety texture, Ashlyn is spot on delicious.

5. Any of Twig Farm's beautiful cheeses: Made with the milk of the goats on their own farm and sometimes from their neighbor's Jersey's, Twig Farm makes tommes that blow the socks off even the Frenchiest of French cheese lover.

How can I celebrate Raw Milk Cheese Appreciation Day?

So glad you asked!

1. Go to your favorite cheese shop near you. If they aren't promoting raw milk cheeses this Saturday, gently rap them on the knuckles. Many are holding events. Then, buy raw milk cheese!

2. Have a raw milk cheese and wine-cocktail-beer party. Have people bring a wedge and a bottle.

3. For those that are inclined to cook, throw a fondue party made with raw beauties like Beaufort, Comté, or Reading Raclette (key party portion optional).

4. Make your own raw milk cheese! Ricotta is simple, and a lovely dinner party dish baked, then drizzled with olive oil.

5. Take tons of pics and hashtag them #rawmilkcheese to virtually party with other raw lovers.

Happy Raw Milk Cheese Appreciation Day!

From Pairing 101 to Making Brie at Home: New Cheese Classes Bay Area

Last week I hit up New York City. I visited friends, ate pizza (whoa, Don Antonio), went to Russ & Daughters, scouted out Cato Corner in the Union Square farmer's market and tasted everything they offered, ate at Katz deli twice, and consumed my fair share of rye cocktails. Now that I'm back in California, I'm eating vegetable soup, hitting up a pilates and yoga class or two, then....

Planning to fill my fridge with the rich, rich cheese I'm making in preparation for March and April's cheese classes Bay Area.

Below are some of my favorite classes I'll be teaching the next couple months. Also, even though my name is "It's Not You, It's Brie," and I have made such rich wheels with cheesemakers, I am teaching my first brie cheesemaking class in April! Yeah, I'm kinda stoked. In addition to these classes, I'll also be selecting and serving the cheese for Ridge Winery's two upcoming Montebello releases in April and May, and a May Kermit Lynch wine tasting, so please stop by and say hello if you're attending!

As always, the public classes fill up fast, and you can contact me with private class requests at kirstin@itsnotyouitsbrie.com

Making mozzarella in a private class, photo by Molly DeCoudreaux

PUBLIC CHEESE CLASSES BAY AREA

Cheese & Wine Pairing 101

 Tuesday, March 15th, 6pm, Solano Cellars

Tuesday, March 15th, Kirstin and Julie will break down the rules of cheese and wine pairing for a taste-on intensive class. You will learn. And you will eat and drink.... Many of you know by now: Cheese and wine are delicious together. But let's admit it, like Kim & Kanye or Liz and Richard Burton, the two can be a finicky pairing.

New California Cheese and Wine: The Modern Movement

Saturday, March 19th, 10am, The Sonoma Artisan Cheese Festival in Petaluma

Presenters: Kirstin Jackson, Author of “It’s Not You, It’s Brie: Unwrapping America’s Unique Culture of Cheese,” Dan Petroski, Winemaker, Massican and Larkmead Vineyards: California’s wine and cheese scene is at the height of deliciousness and sophistication, but things have changed dramatically since the founding dairy families cut their first curd and the grand families of California wine made their names with rich Cabernets........

Cheesemaking: Mozzarella, Burrata, Ricotta

Saturday, March 26; Sunday, April 24th; Wednesday, May 18th, Sunday, June 26th, The Cheese School

Mozzarella on nearly every aspiring home-cheesemaker’s to-do list. Yet, it’s not easy to get it right. Why won’t your curds form a ball? When you do get the ball to form, why is it hard enough for a game of hacky-sack? These are the mysteries of mozzarella....

It's Not You, It's Brie. Brie at Home

Wednesday, April 6th, 6pm, 18 Reasons

A hands-on cheesemaking class culminating in dinner served with wine and beer. Smooth, rich and decadent, bloomy-rinded cheeses like brie engage senses in a special way. They also lend themselves to a wide variety of pairings and cooking methods. And you can make them at home!....

Spring Sparklers, 

Wednesday, April 20th, 6:30pm, The Cheese School

Prosecco, cava, California sparkling wine, champagne. If you ask us, everything tastes better with bubbles. But some cheeses really do sing to the tune of fruity, floral effervescence....

Hope you're able to make a few! 

Long Dream Farm: Long Horns, Rich Milk, Alpacas & Emus

Just a few hours after I sent my newsletter last November announcing my cheesemaking class business, a quiet little farm in Placer County, Long Dream Farm, sent me an email. Would you like to come and make cheese with us from the milk of our heritage breed cattle with long horns and funny white belts and rich milk, they asked? Yes! I answered.

This is a photo diary of my visit. I got to pet Scottish Highlands, meet the Hungarian pig that chefs are going crazy over, take home an emu egg, make mozzarella with three different types of raw milk, and talk to the Long Dream farmer owners Andrew and Krista about what led them from New York City to Placer County. Could have been the opportunity to raise beautiful calves like Kofi, below.

It was a wonderful day. I made cheese with wildly different milks - Dutch Belted and Jersey, and Dexter- with different butterfats, which effects how milk coagulates, curds form, and the flavor or the mozzarella. This of course was awesome enough. But walking the farm was even cooler, which I had plenty of time to do (thank you, Andrew, for giving me an extra long tour because I accidentally showed up an hour early).

If you're in northern California you might be able to find Long Dream's free-range pastured eggs around the Sacramento area. Plus, Long Dream farm is actually a farmstay.

A few of the Long Dream chickens. They get to run around the acres and acres of farm before they're collected by the children at night and put back in their coop. The family sells out of their eggs every day and most are bought by local restaurants and whole foods markets.

A cream separator. I have big dreams for this. Long Dream is currently building on a creamery and I'm crossing my fingers this means cultured butter and fresh cheese very soon. They're working with Barbara Jenness (Nevada City Cheesemaker) to develop cheeses that fit best with their herd and land. Keep an eye out.

All of the cows have names at Long Dream Farm. Sometimes their ear fur is so long it covers up their name tags though. This one above just gave birth to Kofi.

Curious about Scottish Highland cows or want to read more about heritage breeds? Here's a little more on my blog by veterinarian Dr. Noreen Dmitri Called "Heritage Breed Milk Milk: Use it or Loose it."

Andrew and his wife moved from the east coast to become farmers. Physicist and former professor Andrew is now the herdsman. Former lawyer Krista is now the milker and soon-to-be buttermaker. Their children, Clara and Frodo below, are the chicken collectors. They make sure to put the birds away at night so they're safe in the morning.

The family also has emus. I got an egg! Any cooking suggestions?

These are their Mangalista pigs. These curly-haired Hungarian pigs (it's agreed that the family has a thing for animals with free-flowing locks) are a chef's best friend. In a cooking sort of way.

After the cows, the friendliest animal on the farm (the alpaca, not me).

Their uber-friendly Jersey. Legit is a nuzzler and likes mud.

Dutch Belteds, and a babe that was born a month early but is now super healthy.

Thank you for letting me play with your wonderful milk and pose with your cows, Andrew, Krista, Clara and Frodo!

Feta: Behind-the-Scenes of a Cheesemaking Class

Feta, like a pug puppy or a Reeses peanut butter cup, has always been something dear to my heart. It's reasonably priced. It's tasty in watermelon and basil salads. Roasted and doused with extra virgin olive oil and fresh ground pepper, feta is amazing straight from the oven. Need a little creamy, crumbly or salty boost to a brighten up a grain dish or salad? Feta's ready to rescue. So when 18 Reasons director Michelle and I were vetting cheesemaking classes I'd teach in the winter, and my beloved feta came up, I jumped on the chance to school.

Next Wednesday night, March 2nd, you'll find me at 18 Reasons with brine, olive oil, and feta galore. A couple spots still open for this feta cheesemaking hands-on class. 

What's it like when you're preparing to teach a feta class? Well it's super busy. And you're always full, like your fridge.

Teaching is always the best way to learn more about something you love. When something you love also happens to be cheese, it also means there's a lot of tasting involved. It also means if you're a geek like me who likes to read and study - anyone else have a note card fetish?- and experiment obsessively, your desk, bed, and kitchen are full of cheesemaking books and notes, and your fridge is packed with feta bobbing in brine. 

I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to test recipes I liked, and understood the reasoning behind why certain fetas tasted earthy, and others fresh and sweet so I could make mine exactly the way I wanted it. I wanted mine freshly tangy, creamy yet crumbly, and, salty. Because feta, well, it's salty.

Some books I found helpful for geeking out and recipe creation were:

Kitchen Creamery, Louella Hill

The Art of Natural Cheesemaking: Using Traditional, Non-Industrial Methods and Raw Ingredients to Make the World's Best Cheeses, David Asher

American Farmstead Cheese: The Complete Guide To Making and Selling Artisan Cheeses, Paul Kindstedt

Other things I did was attend classes taught by two of my favorite cheese class teachers, Louella Hill, and Sacha Laurin at the Cheese School of San Francisco to see their methods. And oh, I tasted feta's galore. If you're a reader of my book you may recall that I love Ardith Mae Feta. More than pug puppies. In fact, I'm going to New York next week and one of my planned excursions is acquiring their feta.

The recipe I ended up creating for next week's class was inspired by Ardith Mae's and the delicious fetas of the world, and was a hybrid of recipes I played around with in the first two books. I made kefir for Asher's feta, ended up using extra buttermilk in my recipe instead and pouring the kefir over granola (hungry), and falling in love with a salty, salty feta brine (helpful hint, if a feta's too salty for you, simply soak in cold, fresh water before eating).

I made all cow's milk batches, all goat's milk batches, gave away tons of feta, and ended up with a recipe that I loved, which my Turkish boyfriend said tasted like the "white cheese" of northwestern Turkey (their "feta") and made me smile all night. It almost felt like a Turkish grandmother complimented my briny, briny cheese.

If any of you feel like learning how to make your own feta and are in the bay, hop on over to the class. Spots are filling up quickly.

I'd love to see you there!