Cheese is truly amazing—from only milk, salt, culture and rennet, thousands of unique cheeses come to life. But what really makes cheese so fascinating is its stories, which sprout from generations of culture, tradition and innovation. Telling the stories of cheeses means telling the story of people, places and lives.
The Brits take their cheddar seriously, and this is definitely the case at UK clothbound cheesemaker Quicke’s.
“Our philosophy is to see farming as a great responsibility,” says Mary Quicke, who runs her family-owned company. “Not only are we committed to doing right by the land, but we take great pride in creating things for the enjoyment of others. Our cheese is the perfect expression of this; it is our crown.”
It was back in 2014 when Laura Davenport and Fons Smits decided to start their own creamery after working together for more than 10 years at two other creameries, Traders Point Creamery and Ludwig Farmstead Creamery.
Celebrating fresh mozzarella and the season of fresh tomatoes, Chef Jason Dunn recently created what has been dubbed the World’s Largest Caprese Salad at Lewis Station Winery, in Lake Mills, WI.
Feta cheese has been a part of Greece for nearly as long as humanity itself. It comes from the very first cheese around 8,000 years ago, which was made soon after people began domesticating animals. Historians believe that milk began to ferment while being transported in the stomach of a goat or sheep. The shepherds noticed that the new product lasted much longer than fresh milk—and cheese was born.
There aren’t many Michelin-starred restaurants in New York that offer a private dining room and another for dinner for two or 20 as well as one that gives you a bird’s eye view into the kitchen’s magic. And, still, there are two other spots here for times when you just want to stop by for cocktails and appetizers or add a sweet ending to an evening with a nightcap and dessert.
When we think of specialty cheese, we think of its accompaniments—wine, beer, fruit, jam and perhaps a platter of charcuterie—but the cheese itself is generally always served fresh and in its original form, served pure and simple.
It’s like the world hit the refresh button. Everything is coming alive, babies are being born, daffodils and spring onions are peeping up through the soil that has been opened due to the freezing and thawing of winter months.