FEATURES



50 Make It With Mascarpone
Set aside your tiramisu recipe and try these other creamy mascarpone desserts.
By Jacqueline Plant





56 Treasure in the Adriatic
One signature sheep's milk cheese is big business on the tiny Croatian island of Pag.
By Kristin Vulkovic





64 A Considerable Cheese
Meet the temperamental Vermont beauty that's crafted with a homegrown culture.
By Stephanie Skinner





COVER STORY
72 Time On Their Side
Letting microbial nature take its course is the magic and challenges of lactic cheeses.
By Francis Percival





88 Doing Time Together
See inside a prison program where dairy animals are helping rehabilitate convicts.
Photography by Barry Staver
Written by Laurel Miller

EATS



36 Sides & Savories
Cheese inside sausage is a new taste trend among meat artisans.





41 A Chef’s Dish
A Chicago chef relishes his winter recipes using cheese.





48 A Cheese Plate
Assemble an irresistible trio of wedges and nibbles with expert help.






DRINKS



38 Beer with Cheese
The sweetness and heft of doppelbock is a match for many a cheese.




96 Wine with Cheese
Be red-y for winter with budget-wise, food-friendly Côtes du Rhône.






TRAVEL



25 Urban Excursion
A cheese hedonist’s guide to hardcore pleasures in Portland, Oregon.




80 Close Encounters
In Chile’s Valle Central, new cheesemaking brings profit and promise.






INFORMER



23 Farm Animal
The sleek Spanish Murciana goat is bred to turn arid pasture into rich milk.




34 Voicings
Dairy scholar and author, Paul Kindstedt, recalls his commodity cheese conversion.





105 Cheese IQ
An anti-obesity campaign prompts us to ask: Does dairy widen your waistline?




108 Cheese Talk
Seafaring cheese discovery adds options for cruise ship guests.






GOODS



71 Centerfold Club
Join the club and receive limited-edition cheeses and accompaniments, starting with this issue’s centerfold, Manchester, plus Vermont-made apple butter and crackers.





98 Gear
We’re not sheepish about our love for this selection of wooly comforts and curiosities.




113 Retailer Directory
Find your nearest cheese fix with culture’s listing of 600-plus retailers.






CAN DO



100 Home Maker
Find some goat’s milk and a little time to make amazing farmstead fudge.

102 Start Up
A San Diego cheese club founder shares tips for organizing dairy devotees.






COLUMNS



22 Ask The Cheesemonger
Is cut-to-order cheese better than pre-wrapped wedges? What is buttermilk?




128 Ruminations
A fledgling farmhand describes her disasters working in the milking parlor.




IN EVERY ISSUE
5 From the Editor
8 Readers Write
9 Digital DO
10 News & Events
14 The Giveaway
18 Cheese Lit
21 Calendar
110 The Crossword
111 Marketplace