Cheese, Wine, and Bread: Discovering the Magic of Fermentation in England, Italy, and France

by Katie Quinn

“Open-hearted and buoyant, the book weaves together her hands-on experiences in Europe and introduces us to a rich cast of people who make, sell and care about these traditions.” —Jenny Linford, author of The Missing Ingredient

In this delightful, full-color tour of France, England, and Italy, YouTube star Katie Quinn shares the stories and science behind everyone's fermented favorites—cheese, wine, and bread—along with classic recipes.Delicious staples of a great meal, bread, cheese, and wine develop their complex flavors through a process known as fermentation. Katie Quinn spent months as an apprentice with some of Europe’s most acclaimed experts to study the art and science of fermentation. Visiting grain fields, vineyards, and dairies, Katie brings the stories and science of these foods to the table, explains the process of each craft, and introduces the people behind them. 

What will keep readers glued to the book like a suspense novel is Katie's personal journey as an expat discovering herself abroad; Katie's vulnerability will turn readers into fans, and they'll finish the book feeling like they're her best friends, trusted with her innermost revelations.

In England, Katie becomes a cheesemonger at Neal's Yard Dairy, London’s preeminent cheese shop—the beginning of a journey that takes her from a goat farm in rural Somerset to a nationwide search for innovating dairy gurus.

In Italy, Katie offers an inside look at Italian winemaking with the Comellis at their family-owned vineyard in Northeast Italy and witnesses the diversity of vintners as she makes her way around Italy.

In France, Katie meets the reigning queen of bread, Apollonia Poilâne of Paris' famed Poilâne Bakery, apprentices at boulangeries in Paris learning the ins and outs of sourdough, and travels the country to uncover the present and future of French bread.

Part artisanal survey, part travelogue, and part cookbook, featuring watercolor illustrations and gorgeous photographs, Cheese, Wine, and Bread is an outstanding gastronomic tour for foodies, cooks, artisans, and armchair travelers alike.

Genres: Food, Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Travel, Culinary, Italy, Wine

384 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 27, 2021

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a cookbook, but it will make you a better cook. I read this cover to cover. I love cheese, wine, and bread. With this book I felt as if I was with Katie, learning what is involved in good cheese, wine, and bread. This is a perfect armchair travel book, and a fun way to learn about the holy trinity of food, cheese, wine, and bread. Highly recommend.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've made bread and cheese, and I've consumed countless bottles of wine in my life. I'm more than slightly familiar with these food products. Yet I learned more than I imagined I could from this book. Katie Quinn's story is a personal journey, not a comprehensive guide to bread, wine or cheese, so if you're wanting to learn to make any of these things, this is not the book for you. Except maybe for bread -- she provides basic instructions for sourdough. And I'm thinking of procuring a bucket of wine grapes at harvest time to crush them and see what happens as she insists that the vitis vinifera grape basically can't stop itself from turning into wine.

Quinn is more than a food connoisseur. She's a food journalist and story teller. She gets access to some amazing artisan producers and brings the reader with her into their kitchens, cellars, vineyards and barns. And for those who find themselves hungry while reading, there are detailed recipes for delicious food made with cheese, wine and bread.

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm assuming you're familiar with the concept of "Wanderlust". This book evoked a feeling in me that went past that by a mile, and ventured into the territory of making me physically uncomfortable, like a was being prevented from following my dreams and fulfilling my life purpose of making cheese and bread. So really, it was more like "Zugunruhe", which is the word to describe the compulsion migratory birds feel when it's time to start packing their little bird suitcases. In other words, while I enjoyed vicariously getting to go to these places with Quinn and do what she did there, I very much did not actually get to do it and now I have a hole in my heart shaped like crusty bread with a big chunk of cheese on top. Wine is something I appreciate more on an intellectual level than gastronomically, so in this hypothetical hole in my heart, let's pretend I'm drinking water collected from a waterfall, to make it more whimsical.

Quinn is a very likeable person, and if you're a fan of Michael Pollan's writing, there's a lot of the same flavour, with about 50% more cuteness. The cheese and bread sections were obviously my favourite, but I appreciate the discussion of "natural" vs "conventional" wines. The Italians are, as anybody who has read the comment section for an Italian recipe on a YouTube video knows, particular about gastronomy. This includes wine.

Also worth noting was the inclusion of biodynamic agriculture. I talked about it in another recent review, but I still don't know why it's always written about nonchalantly as something some people do, when it's absolutely bananas. If you want to plant things according to the phases of the moon I'm not going to argue with you. That's just the passage of time. If you think the moon phases affect the growth of the plant, maybe they do. But "treating the soil homeopathically" is complete nonsense. If all of it was innocuous I wouldn't care, however, I take issue with the practice of "peppering" for pest control that involves gathering 50 animals of whichever ones you're trying to get rid of, killing them, burning them, figuring out the honest to Christ planetary alignment according to the zodiac (?????????), grinding the ashes and after following a few more insane steps, sprinkling the ashes over the field. (Source: https://www.biodynamics.in/peppering)

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katie Quinn is a food journalist and foodie. After she got married her husband had the opportunity to go work in London and they jumped at the chance. But, after getting there Katie felt a little like the "trailing spouse" who didn't have the primary career and was a little at loose ends. While eating one of her favorite meals, wine with bread and cheese, she had an epiphany - each of these foods were fermented and paired very well together. She had the idea to explore each of these foods in an area known for that food - so, cheese in England, wine in Italy, and bread in France. This book is a combination of Katie exploring these food items and the regions known for them and her own exploration of living in Europe and being a newlywed with a few recipes thrown in as well. Overall, it was a very fun, yet informative book. There are definitely some recipes I'd like to try as well. If you enjoy any of these foods then you will enjoy this book.

Some quotes I liked:

"The fact that France has something called a 'Bread Decree' is the first clue to bread's deeply engrained cultural significance. The law was seen as an effort to save French bread from industrialization and to protect this cultural icon; it gave hope to bread lovers across the country." (p. 259)

"When I asked Sarah her thoughts on why there had been such a resurgence of interest in making this kind of bread [sourdough/fermented bread] globally, she answered, 'Stomach issues. That's what brought me to it, too. In general, our food systems have seen the sort of progression from being basic food staples, made with integrity, to being completely industrialized. We're suffering the effects of that, so we're returning to the past in order to look forward to the future.'" (p. 283)

[Karena Bakas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really spoke to me in the place I am now in my life. I recommend it to anyone who loves food.

[Evelina T · Rating 5 out of 5]

made me wanna leave everything behind and go to France and Italy to learn all about wine, bread and cheese techniques…

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe closer to 3.5🌟 It was an enjoyable mix of memoir, info on cheese, wine and bread with some recipes mixed in.

[Maggie Lovitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cheese, Wine, and Bread by Katie Quinn is not a cookbook per se, but it is the perfect book for someone who wants to learn more about cooking with cheese, wine, and bread. (READ MORE: https://yourmoneygeek.com/review-kati...)


Katie Quinn’s book is a scrumptious journey through the world of three culinary staples and readers will come away from reading this book with a deeper understanding of why cheese, wine, and bread are the perfect trifecta.

There are recipes throughout the book, like the delicious Stilton Scones with Cranberries, a DIY Yogurt, Wine Cookies, and most intriguingly — Cheddar Brownies. Yes, you read that correctly. Cheddar Brownies! Quinn assures readers that the chunks of cheddar are complementary to fudgy brownies, and I think I have to agree! The sweet and savory combination of two of my favorite foods sounds like a match made in kitchen heaven to me.

The book is laid out in three parts: Part One: Cheese/England, Part Two: Wine/Italy, and Part Three: Bread/France. Each section features information about each of the staples, recipes, must-see points of origin, and history. If you’re still hungry for more information about wine, cheese, or bread Quinn has included a convenient page filled with further reading sources.

I would highly recommend Cheese, Wine, and Bread for anyone who is looking to expand their knowledge on the ingredients, or someone looking to find a reason to get a little more adventurous with these ingredients in the kitchen. It’s a very well-written, thorough, and engaging book that belongs on your kitchen cookbook shelf.

Cheese, Wine, and Bread is a love story to these three delicious elements of any well-rounded kitchen. From start to finish, you’ll find new experiences you’ll want to seek out, new ways to eat your favorite dishes, and a newfound respect for what makes each of these items truly perfect.

A word of caution though. This book will leave you starving to tour the countryside of Italy for wine, venturing to the rolling hills of England for cheese, and wandering the sidewalks of Paris in search of the perfect loaf of bread.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and the author! She's fun and funny and very knowledgeable and curious which made for an interesting read. There were parts that were very scientific (maybe a bit too much for me) but I learned a lot. I've gotten some good tips of places to go in London, Rome and France. And I can't wait to have a grilled cheese sandwich from Kappacasein!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm this book again. It's heart-warming. The photos are swoon-worthy and the illustrations delightful. Oh, and did I mention there's a recipe for brownies with cheddar cheese? Fear not. You can also read about Welsh rarebit and making cheese toasties.

[Dean Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cheese Wine and Bread is a fun and thrilling look into the world of these three things. Take a journey of discovery with author Katie Quinn.

When I saw the title of this book initially, I knew I would love it, having three of my favorite things in it. I was able to learn more about Katie Quinn on social media and then watch her fabulous Vlogs. More than a cookbook, this work is a memoir of Katie Quinn’s life with recipes.

Katie Quinn started out her young life working in the Big Apple as a page at 30 Rock. (Yep, just like the character Kenneth on the hit TV show also titled- 30 Rock) She would attend Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, before moving on to live in Italy as well.

The book is divided into three sections, respectively. Cheese is the first section, and it encapsulates Katie’s time in England discovering the wonders of fermentation. Here she had many jobs, such as working in the milk industry (natch) and then in a cheese shop. Her time traced the path of milk to cheese production and then to your table. She learned a lot about cheese in this time period and it’s one of my favorite sections of this book. The tales of her working in the cheese shop are fun and really bring home why she’s such an adept storyteller and how this carries on to her blog.

This section has some fantastic recipes. The one for “Scotch Eggs with Potato and cheese” is a genius recipe that is a take of the pub classic. This is one recipe that you would want to try yourself. Her recipe for “Stilton Scones with cranberries” is a keeper that you will want to make again and again. Katie’s take on “Pub Mac and Cheese” is exceptional. “Welsh Rarebit with a kick” is a recipe that you will want to try. If you have not had “Welsh Rarebit” before-you are going to want to give this a try. Once you eat these, you might bring it into your repertoire. “Cheddar Brownies” is one recipe you must see and try. Most of us would never dream of Cheddar being combined with chocolate, but this stand out recipe will keep you making this again and again and might become a “go to” dish for potlucks.
The second section is Wine and this covers her time in Italy. (Where she still lives.) This section is a mix of the narrative of Katie’s time learning how wine is made with the people she meets in Italy and also with flashbacks of her childhood and earlier life. It’s an engaging section and it’s peppered with recipes that will make your mouth water!

The recipe selections in this portion are amazing! “Friulian Polenta”, “Spaghetti Al Ubracio or Drunken Spagetti”, ”Pasta E Ceci or Pasta with Chickpeas”, “Zuccini Carbonara”, “Tortolini in Parmigiano Reggiano Brodo”, “Ciambelline Al Vino (Wine Cookies)”
The third section is Bread, and it is about her time in France discovering artisan bread baking and the wonders of natural leavening agents. This section is also informative and really lets you feel what it might be like to be behind the scenes in a bakery. This portion of the book was really interesting and kept me wrapt with attention.

This chapter has some really great introduction recipes for beginner and non expert level bakers to give us something to sink our teeth into. “Sourdough Starter and Sourdough Bread”, “Susie Q’s Sour Cream Challah”(Really a stand out-Ill be baking this a lot-recipe),”Ratatouille Khachapuri”,”Sriracha Sourdough”(a recipe I can’t wait to try!),”Sourdough Pissalidare”(A classic with a twist),”Honey and Olive Oil Loaf with Einkorn”

The travel journal portions of this book are poignant and entertaining. Katie’s journey is one that most of us can identify with or wish for. The book is well written and evidence that Quinn is a natural storyteller. I recommend this book to anyone who loves food and travel.

[Socraticgadfly · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, this book is as much, or more, a travelogue by a foodie than an actual food book.

Second, a side note: I don't drink, so I skimmed and skipped on the wine section. So sue me.

Third, the actual content? While it's not bad on bread, it interestingly has a few shortcomings there. It briefly talks about einkorn, briefly talks about buckwheat, and mentions spelt in one recipe. Other than that, there's not really anything there on alternatives to traditional wheat flour. Yes, rice and corn don't have gluten, so you can't do much with them. But rye (mentioned briefly but no recipe despite a [Jewish?] mother's challah recipe) and barley do. And, commercial wheat flours have a little malted barley in them for various reasons. And, I've baked with oat flour. Also, whole wheat flour breads aren't discussed. In addition, while sourdough is played up, and modern active yeast recipes are mentioned a few times, no-knead "macrobiotic" bread — which, not sourdough, is likely how humans first made bread — isn't mentioned at all.

On cheese? Nobody will deny that England has great cheeses. I've had Neil's Yard Dairy clothbound cheddar, red hat Leicester, a bit of Stilton and more. But, cheese from the rest of the world is stinted to ignored entirely. The US is only mentioned with American commercial cheddars becoming popular in England in the 1800s and her going to Rogue River Creamery on an assignment. No mention of American dry Jack, a wonderful cheese, for example. France gets obligatory mention, as does Switzerland. Italy gets none out of an obligatory reference to Parmagiano Reggiano. Dutch cheeses? Zilch. And, Quinn mentions a side trip to Norway, and a an award-winning cheese from there, so it's not like she totally confined herself to England.

[Kelsey Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not in love with fermentation, so perhaps I am not the target audience. I learned quite a bit about cheese, wine, and bread; however I wish they would have been three separate books or else intertwined the three foods more seamlessly. While the book was arranged chronologically, the chapter names were confusing and left me wondering if a chronological order was the best choice. It took me a considerable amount of time to read the cheese part 1 portion which could have been better served with a tidier outline or overall organization.

The author has a compelling personal story that was backgrounded, which I think was a missed opportunity. The book centered on the technical aspects of fermentation instead of diving deeper into the beautiful analogies embedded in the writing. As an aside, the author writes punchy one-liners that I found quite entertaining. I am now a firm believer that fermentation teaches us a lot about life and wish this theme could have been foregrounded.

My final critique of the book was the author, who went to culinary school, posited that if she can learn how to make sourdough then the reader can, too. Uhm….what?

Overall the book offers niche stories from loads of people across England, Italy, and France. Their stories alone warrant a read.

[Willow Rankin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love food; I love eating food, reading about food, cooking food! You name it I have a love affair with food. So when I saw this book I was intrigued; the fermentation process of several foods I love - that doesn't include beer (which I am not the biggest fan of), I had to pick up.
I enjoyed this book, it was a good read. Its got three sections focusing on Cheese in England, Wine in Italy and Bread in France. Though I do feel like this missed a trick as all three countries do Cheese and Bread very well. England and by extension the UK does not do wine very well, we just don't have the climate for growing grapes.
However, towards the end of the book, in the bread section I got tired with the format of the book - my issue is that each chapter felt like an over long blog post - though at least here related to the food theme, and then delved into the recipe. I don't really care for Katie Quinn's personal life story her relationship with the oh-so amazing Connor; her TV journalism in the big Apple; or which friends apartment she is crashing in. I wanted more from those she worked with, and about the process of the fermentation and depth within cheeses, wines and bread.

[Tiffany (OomilyReads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cheese, Wine, and Bread: Discovering the Magic of Fermentation in England, Italy and France written by Katie Quinn

PUB DATE: April 27, 2021

Katie Quinn takes us on a gloriously delicious journey through England, Italy & France the 3 staples of these countries from harvest to fermentation. These are the foods & recipes that have traverse through time and European culture.

Quinn passionately illuminates the process and people behind how these foods are made and she includes part memoir and part culinary travel documentary. It’s a unique book with beautiful photos & illustrations. I have included a few of them here. I can’t wait to try some of these delectable recipes.

Thank you to William Morrow for sending me this gorgeous book! It continues to be an incredible & new experience every time I open it up.

[Linnea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw this book recommended on Dorie Greenspan's instagram account and bought it on a whim. I am so glad I did! I have learned a lot, nevermind the number of places I have added to my "must visit" lists when I am in England, Italy or France. I have, so far only tried one recipe, the British Pub style Mac and cheese (aMAZing!!) But I plan to try my hand at her sourdough making sometime soon.

The easy way Quinn has with sharing her journey is both personal and informative. I will miss my armchair travels and meals with her!

[Mark Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cheese, Wine, and Bread is an engaging blend of travelogue and culinary education that never feels like a textbook. The author pulls you right into her adventures across England, Italy, and France, introducing you to the people and places behind the world of fermentation. Her storytelling made me feel as though I were traveling with her. The book even inspired me to dream about apprenticing abroad—and to try some of her recipes, especially as I work to perfect my baguette. A charming, inspiring read for any foodie.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the books in a recent Harper influencer package.

I did really like Katie Quinn's deep dives into cheese-, wine-, and break-making. (Got some new recipes to try) I did feel like the cheese section was much easier to get into than the wine and bread sections - I felt like I couldn't connect the grape names to the actual wine I might find in the store and then the bread section had a lot of people to keep track of.

[Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, stopped reading at the end of the CHEESE chapter since I am not that interested in wine and bread.

Love the chapter - lots of cute goat and cheese pictures and delicious looking cheesy recipes and the descriptions of the cheeeeseeee...ahhhhhh 🤤

Think I might need to purchase Katie Quinn's three books!

And totally did subscribe to Katie Quinn's YouTube channel...and she is now in Italy! So jelly!🐙

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I’m not big on baking/ cooking, this book leaned into my background in microbiology and the fermentation process used in all three topics.

She did a great job of explaining each process, and made me want to try hands-on process of all three. There is so much of the chemistry in food fermentation, it would be fascinating to see this live/ in person just to get the “smells” and experience of the process from beginning to end.

She also made me very hungry for all three.

[Tony WANG · Rating 3 out of 5]

For all the cheese, wine and bread connoisseurs out there, this is a great book about its histories, gastronomy and recipes. The author detailed her journey into how she delved and got involved into each one of these three delights at various stages of her life. From becoming a cheesemonger at England tasting English cheeses, staying at Italian vineyards to being an apprentice at a France boulangeries. Quite an interesting read if you are into those finer things in life.

[Babs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for the English cheese chapters and they did not disappoint. Great bits of information on the process, the farms and farmers, and the beloved NYD cheesemongers.

Neal's Yard Dairy (NYD) sounds like a must-see and taste stop next trip to London. But in the meantime, thankful to find some of the varieties mentioned in the book locally for tasting.

[Louise Beckett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting book full of useful knowledge. I enjoyed it so much that I bought the hard copy after listening to it on audible, so I could refer back to it for details on baking bread and grape and wine varieties of different regions in Italy and to have the recipes Katie Quinn includes. Katie Q. weaves in fun personal stories of her travels throughout England, Italy and France.

[Heather Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parts One and Two (cheese and wine) were four star reads, but something got lost in Bread, leaving it less meaningful but still enjoyable. I appreciate Katie Quinn's willingness to share her journey with the world in a approachable manner, while also teaching me alot about fermentation. The recipes throughout out are 5 stars! (At least the ones I've tried anyways).

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this as an audiobook because it was available sooner than the ebook via my library platform, but given the depth of research and numerous recipes, I'll probably end up buying a hard copy. Very enjoyable deep dives into each of the three topics.

[Kaitlyn Offhaus Labenske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and engaging, this book is a mashup part science, part cookbook, part travel journal, and I think for the most part it works. Some parts are a little drawn out and some of the dialogue feels awkward but all in all an enjoyable read.

[Loren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. Part memoir, part cookbook, part food science, part arm chair travel all with great photos and easy to read chapters. Would’ve been better if I could have read slowly in the evenings with wine, cheese and bread in hand.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m hungry and thirsty after reading this

I swear I went to the store during each section to buy cheese, wine and then bread. This leaves you wanting more food and to travel to Europe.

[Joy Marker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fascinating read to learn about the culture and process behind cheese, wine, and bread making. I found the story itself didn't flow as easily as I would have liked, but I still enjoyed learning from Katie's hands-on experience.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the in depth descriptions of the processes behind cheese, bread and wine. The recipes included were a bonus. Some of the parallels/life of the author stuff felt rambling but overall I really enjoyed and learned a lot from this book :)