The Cheesemaker's Apprentice: An Insider's Guide to the Art and Craft of Homemade Artisan Cheese, Taught by the Masters

How to Make Your Own Handcrafted CheeseLearn to make cheese from the masters. Pick up the fundamentals of cheese making, and then gain behind-the-scenes insight from 19 interviews with industry experts. This apprenticeship will teach you to take control of your ingredients and processes. Your results will be delicious.Inside:·       All the basics you need to get started: ingredients, equipment, taxonomy, techniques, process, and how it works·       16 illustrated, step-by-step recipes—for fresh cheese, washed curd, grana-style, blue cheese, and more—that will build your skills·       In-depth interviews on everything from the microbiology of cheese to making it to selling it—how cheese works, and how to make it work for you·       Tricks of the trade from experts on mozzarella, Cheddar, Comté, Parmigiano Reggiano, Stilton, and more·       Tips on selecting, handling, storing, tasting, and pairing cheese, so it will be presented perfectly whether your goal is to make it at home, sell it, or simply enjoy it

Sasha Davies is an author and cheesemonger in Portland, Oregon. She started her cheese career in New York City as an apprentice in the cheese caves of Artisanal Premium Cheese, going on to manage the caves at Murray's Cheese, serve as a resident cheese expert for Marlow & Sons, and consult for cheese shops across America. Sasha serves on the board of the American Cheese Society. Her interest in cheese led her to embark on a tour of 45 American cheesemakers, a project documented at http://www.cheesebyhand.com. Her first book, The Guide to West Coast Cheese: More than 300 Cheeses Handcrafted in California, Oregon, and Washington, was published in September 2010. Davies has taught classes at the French Culinary Institute and the Cheese School of San Francisco. Other food writing by Davies has appeared in Mix Magazine, the Diner Journal, and the cheese-focused magazine Culture.David Bleckmann is an obsessed home cheesemaker in Portland, Oregon. Before cheese, he worked his way through other domestic culinary crafts including making beer and wine, preserving jam, pickling, curing bacon and other meat, and roasting coffee. This interest in creating food from scratch and a fascination with food science led to an immersion in the art of turning liquid milk into solid cheese. He teaches cheesemaking classes and writes freelance articles for Culture, and also maintains a blog and hosts a hobby cheesemaking podcast at his website, http://www.joyofcheesemaking.com.

David Bleckmann is an obsessed home cheesemaker in Portland, Oregon. Before cheese, he worked his way through other domestic culinary crafts including making beer and wine, preserving jam, pickling, curing bacon and other meat, and roasting coffee. This interest in creating food from scratch and a fascination with food science led to an immersion in the art of turning liquid milk into solid cheese. David teaches cheesemaking classes and writes freelance articles for the national magazine Culture: The Word on Cheese. David also maintains a blog and hosts a hobby cheesemaking podcast at his website, http://www.joyofcheesemaking.com.