FEATURES

50 Great Soup Simply
Cooked in a soup or melted on top of it, cheese instantly ups the flavor ante in our one-pot wonders.
By Caroline Wright




From 4-H to For Profit
Jennifer Lynn Bice turned her love for a four-legged friend into a creamery with eco-sensitive ideals.
By Molly Watson


64 A Northern Star
Big Woods Blue from Minnesota is the award-winning result of a couple’s Roquefort-style inspiration.
By James Norton


COVER STORY
72 Cáis Feirme
“Cheese of the farm” in Ireland was a dying craft until hippies and hard times led to a do-it-yourself revival.
By Maggie Armstrong




88 Wheels in Motion
Follow the epic journey of a Spanish cheese from its rural home in Tarragona to a NYC customer.
Photography by Ivan Raga






EATS
24 Sides & Savories
A good smear of mustard isn’t just for meat; cheese likes it, too.

41 A Chef’s Dish
A New Zealand chef savors his country’s cheese comeuppance in recipes.

48 A Cheese Plate
This season’s trio plays up the flavors of Pacific Northwest creameries.




DRINKS
26 Beer with Cheese
The gutsy tart-sweet taste of lambic calls for assertive cheese picks.

98 Cocktails With Cheese
Let the spirit move you with cocktail pairings from a master mixologist.




TRAVEL
29 Urban Excursion
Get the lowdown on great dairy destinations in Colorado’s Mile High City.

80 Close Encounters
Visit Pennsylvania Amish Country, where new cheese trends are preserving old ways




INFORMER
37 Farm Animal
One of the hardiest sheep breeds, the Awassi has endured by virtue of its unique tail.

38 Voicings
Cathy Strange, global cheese buyer for Whole Foods Market, speaks from 22 years of experience.

106 Cheese IQ
The well-stamped rind on every wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano tells a story in code.

108 Cheese Talk
In Ragusa, Italy, a global fellowship meets to safeguard traditional cheesemaking.




GOODS
71 Centerfold Club
Join the club and receive limitededition cheeses and accompaniments, starting with this issue’s centerfold, Big Woods Blue, and small-batch raw buckwheat honey.

100 Gear
Update your fondue fashion with any one of these hot modern dipping pots.

114 Retailer Directory
Find your closest cheese fix with culture’s of 600-plus retailers.




CAN DO
102 Home Maker
With just four simple ingredients, create quesillo, Peru’s popular cooking cheese.

104 Projects
Creating their own economic recovery, DIYers build a biz with cheesy food trucks.




COLUMNS
22 Ask The Cheesemonger
Why are some cheeses coated in ash? Can I ripen a too-young cheese at home?

128 Ruminations A French immigrant finds her struggle for assimilation reflected in a cheese.




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