Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking: The Ultimate Guide for Home-Scale and Market Producers

by Gianaclis Caldwell, Ricki Carroll (Foreword)

"Gianaclis Caldwell has poured her generous mind and heart into this book, and reveals the secret life of one of humanity's most delicious foods. Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking is a wealth of in-depth information won by first-hand experience, yet it's friendly and reassuring, and skillfully unpacks the science and craft of cheesemaking for the interested hobbyist and the artisan alike. After reading it, I'm more fascinated by cheese than ever! My next project may well be a few little bloomy rinds…"

—Margo True, Food Editor, Sunset Magazine

The key to becoming a successful artisan cheesemaker is to develop the intuition essential for problem solving, and creating unique styles of cheeses.

There are an increasing number of books on the market about making cheese, but none approach the intricacies of cheesemaking science alongside considerations for preparing each type of cheese variety in as much detail as Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking.

Indeed, this book fills a big hole in the market. Beginner guides leave you wanting more content and explanation of process, while recipe-based cookbooks often fail to dig deeper into the science, and therefore don’t allow for a truly intuitive cheesemaker to develop. Acclaimed cheesemaker Gianaclis Caldwell has written the book she wishes existed when she was starting out. Every serious home-scale artisan cheesemaker—even those just beginning to experiment—will want this book as their bible to take them from their first quick mozzarella, to a French mimolette, and ultimately to designing their own unique cheeses.

This comprehensive and user-friendly guide thoroughly explains the art and science that allow milk to be transformed into epicurean masterpieces. Caldwell offers a deep look at the history, science, culture, and art of making artisan cheese on a small scale, and includes detailed information on equipment and setting up a home-scale operation. A large part of the book includes extensive process-based recipes dictating not only the hard numbers, but also the concepts behind each style of cheese and everything you want to know about affinage (aging), and using oils, brushes, waxes, infusions, and other creative aging and flavoring techniques. Also included are beautiful photographs, profiles of other cheesemakers, and in-depth appendices for quick reference in the preparation and aging room. Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking will also prove an invaluable resource for those with, or thinking of starting, a small-scale creamery.

Let Gianaclis Caldwell be your mentor, guide, and cheering section as you follow the pathway to a mastery of cheesemaking. For the avid home hobbyist, to the serious commercial artisan, Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking is an irreplaceable resource.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Reference, Culinary

722 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 19, 2012

About the author

Gianaclis (gee-on-a-klees) is an award winning nonfiction author who's debut novel THE BINDING received a Kirkus Reviews "Our Verdict: Get it" accolade.

Raised in the wilds of Oregon playing in the woods and failing at picking string beans. In her spare time she guides other old ladies in plies, ronde jambes, and the occasional pirouette.

Reviews

[Alex Gravina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A detailed guide on cheesemaking that I'll need to read again! Fascinating and accessible

[Christiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a total nerd and this book was very science heavy. It's more than you can possibly ever want to know about cheese making, but it certainly helps you understand the science about it and why things can go wrong and what to do to fix problems. I like that the "recipe" section is very loose and gives you and general type of cheese to make, but encourages you to be creative. I can't wait to make some cheese! I'm really glad I bought this book and know I will come back to it time and time again for reference.

[Kim McKay]

Gianaclis Caldwell is undoubtedly an accomplished and knowledgable farmer and cheese maker! This book is crammed with information and very professional. I am thankful for it! Here's the but...I think her cheesemaking heart is in a chemistry lab with umpteen meters, producing artisan goat cheeses for competitions. My cheese making heart is in the Alps, with a copper kettle and wood fire, producing cheese for my family from our good cow.

More importantly, this is the sort of book that may boggle beginners by giving all the details necessary to become a creative master of the art. Believe the title! Any batch of cheese has about 5492 ways it can go wrong. Caldwell will help you know which one you're looking at, how to adjust next time with precision, and make creative refinements. But there is so much to learn about making cheese that there is no shame in starting with a recipe and following it cluelessly and slavishly. Once you've done that, you'll love the expert advice here. If you sort of wish you'd majored in chemistry or microbiology, you'll be thrilled. If you sort of wish you were hiking the Alps, you'll still appreciate the beautifully, even lovingly, presented details.

[Alyssa Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether you are a first time cheesemaker or an artisan producer, this book is full of guidance and of the chemistry behind cheesemaking.
Be prepared for an intriguing and comprehensive read that you will be sure to add to your library. Thank you Gianiclis for taking the time to share you expertise!

[Lacey Addis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely helpful book. I enjoy learning the science behind the process of making cheese and this one is very thorough. It is not merely a recipe book, but it shows how to make each category of cheese and how to tweak it to make the different variations. I will definitely be using this one as a reference book in the future.

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may never become a cheese maker myself but Caldwell's book is a fascinating read covering both the science and the art of the process. I will certainly keep this one just in case I want to turn out a wheel of blue cheese or crave some fresh, home-made Mozzarella!

[Sharif · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily the best book on cheesemaking I've come across yet

[Cait · Rating 5 out of 5]

My go-to resource for learning how to make cheese with my fresh goat milk I get from Lilly!