American Cheeses: The Best Regional, Artisan, and Farmhouse Cheeses, Who Makes Them, and Where to Find Them

by Clark Wolf, Scott Mitchell (Photographer)

In 1976, Clark Wolf ran a little cheese shop at the base of Nob Hill in San Francisco; in 1980 he became the manager of the San Francisco branch of the legendary Oakville Grocery. While the rest of America was on the verge of a decade of a morbid fear of butterfat, Wolf was looking for a source of local fresh mozzarella and newly devoted to the joys of rice flour-rubbed teleme and four-year-old Wisconsin cheddar. Today, we are all knee-deep in bocconcini and fresh goat cheese, and Wolf is a restaurant and food consultant. But glorious cheese, particularly American cheese, is still his passion.In American The Best Regional, Artisan, and Farmhouse Cheeses, Who Makes Them, and Where to Find Them, Wolf gives us an in-depth look at the art and craft of cheese across the United States, and documents in words and beautiful black-and-white photographs the story of the talented and committed women and men who create this dairy ambrosia. He shares his expertise (with a touch o

Genres: Food, Cookbooks

288 pages, Hardcover

First published December 9, 2008

Reviews

[Laura B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

so I was reading this as a way to put myself into a gentle sleepy mindset before bed, and for that I recommend it so readily. but if education about cheese or recs for shops that might still be around are what you're looking for, don't come here. the intro is so snobby but it's about cheese so I can't get too worked up.

[Catherine Woodman]

Ok, two strikes against it--doesn't mention Green Dirt Farm, my favorite Midwest farmstead cheese (Carr Valley is my fave production cheese place). Strike two was that he spent an inordinate amount of time on his credentials. Wnough already, show us what you really know about cheese, and that was just ok. As a non-professional (who has admittedly gone to the American Cheese Society annual meetings--he is right about the quality of the cheese judged there and influence this organization has wielded on improving the status of American cheesemakers), I would have identified well over half the cheesemakers he highlights--so he is not digging too deep into the barrel to find his subjects--and every cheesemaker I have met--both in the U.S. and in France has been happy, happy, happy to talk with me about cheese, so accumulating material for the book would have been a snap. SOme nice photos, but not enough to buy the book for. And again, not highlighting some of the up and comers--which you would only have to go to the ACS web site to identify who won this year in Austin, maybe show up in Seattle next year and voila, book in hand. The recipes were haphazard and didn't serve to highlight the quality of the cheese (except the classic baked goat cheese, which was impossibly complicated and unecessarily so. Made me want to do my own book and do it right!

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book. There's an intro about the state of cheese-making in America, and then the rest of the book is short blurbs about cheese-makers (divided by region) interspersed with recipes that feature cheese.

Excellent guide. I'm going to take it with me to Kroger and see if any of the brands mentioned in the book are represented there; I'd be surprised if none of them are there. Our Kroger has a really sweet cheese selection.

[Julia]

Christmas gift.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

very interesting, well written, limited scope

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gift from Clark Wolf. This is a walk through the recent history of cheeses in the U.S. Farm girl Quiche is a company fav for brunch!

[Lynne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I may have to make the blue cheese bread pudding.