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The Cheese Chronicles
The Cheese Chronicles is an insider's look at the burgeoning world of American cheese from one lucky person who has seen more wedges and wheels, visited more cheesemakers, and tasted more delicious (and occasionally stinky) American cheese than anyone else. Liz Thorpe, second in command at New York's renowned Murray's Cheese, has used her notes and conversations from hundreds of tastings spanning nearly a decade to fashion this odyssey through the wonders of American cheese. Offering more than eighty profiles of the best, the most representative, and the most important cheesemakers, Thorpe chronicles American cheesemaking from the brave foodie hobbyists of twenty years ago (who put artisanal cheese on the map) to the carefully cultivated milkers and makers of today.
Thorpe travels to the nation's cheese farms and factories, four-star kitchens and farmers' markets, bringing you along for the journey. In her quest to explore cheesemaking, she high-lights the country's greatest cheeses and concludes that today's cheesemakers can help provide more nourishing and sensible food for all Americans.
Steve Jenkins, author of the celebrated Cheese Primer, calls this "the best book about cheese you'll ever read." The Cheese Chronicles is a cultural history of an industry that has found breakout success and achieved equal footing with its European cousins.
Thorpe travels to the nation's cheese farms and factories, four-star kitchens and farmers' markets, bringing you along for the journey. In her quest to explore cheesemaking, she high-lights the country's greatest cheeses and concludes that today's cheesemakers can help provide more nourishing and sensible food for all Americans.
Steve Jenkins, author of the celebrated Cheese Primer, calls this "the best book about cheese you'll ever read." The Cheese Chronicles is a cultural history of an industry that has found breakout success and achieved equal footing with its European cousins.
402 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
40 people are currently reading
290 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
May 6, 2015
This book is kind of fascinating but I can't pin down exactly why.
The author was the cheese buyer for a famous cheese shop in New York that supplied the top restaurants. As such her job took her to just about every single cheese-making operation in the US.
We aren't talking about Kraft Slices or Shur-fine here, no we are talking grass-fed, goat, sheep or cow-milk cheese "covered in a bloomy white mould with a line of ash" through the middle with a taste that can be described only by resorting to the cheese version of wine-talk. Wine talk has always struck me as extremely pretentious and meaningful only to those in the know, cheese is a bit more straightforward. After all, there really isn't any way of getting round the fact that goat's cheese smells and tastes of a whiff, or stronger, of rank old goat.
Either cheese-making is unbelievably simple or the author wasn't telling us the full story: curdle the milk, scoop off the curd, pat it into shape or stick it in a form, expose it to moulds and bacteria and store it and then when its aged days, weeks or months, sell it. Sounds simple doesn't it? But some elements of cheese-making, like introducing ash into the cheese (what ash? wood or charcoal? an old ciggie butt?) and washing it (how often? lather up first? dunked in the bath or just a spritz) are never explained.
So, the author, a woman with a strong and bumptious personality and very healthy ego, tours what seem to be every farm in Vermont, Wisconsin, California and more. She takes particular delight in cheese made from animals that live in pastures and are grass-fed, and this I very much approve of. I'm from a village where there were just two lanes and one of them was Cowshit Lane ('cowshit' wasn't considered rude back in Elizabethan times when the farm was established). Twice a day the animals would go up and down the lane, milking parlour to meadow. The milk didn't go into cheese though, and having read that this would make the best cheese, I'm really sorry it didn't.
So what did I learn from this book? That the best cheese is to be found made by ex-city execs who made their bucks young and bought into the ideal of organic farms but then applied their business sense and turned to cheese-making. I learned that top TV chefs are an absolute pushover for these cheeses, the more expensive and rare the better. But I also learned that the very same cheeses can be bought at Farmers Markets at a price the locals will pay.
I didn't learn what made the book so fascinating, but it was.
The author was the cheese buyer for a famous cheese shop in New York that supplied the top restaurants. As such her job took her to just about every single cheese-making operation in the US.
We aren't talking about Kraft Slices or Shur-fine here, no we are talking grass-fed, goat, sheep or cow-milk cheese "covered in a bloomy white mould with a line of ash" through the middle with a taste that can be described only by resorting to the cheese version of wine-talk. Wine talk has always struck me as extremely pretentious and meaningful only to those in the know, cheese is a bit more straightforward. After all, there really isn't any way of getting round the fact that goat's cheese smells and tastes of a whiff, or stronger, of rank old goat.
Either cheese-making is unbelievably simple or the author wasn't telling us the full story: curdle the milk, scoop off the curd, pat it into shape or stick it in a form, expose it to moulds and bacteria and store it and then when its aged days, weeks or months, sell it. Sounds simple doesn't it? But some elements of cheese-making, like introducing ash into the cheese (what ash? wood or charcoal? an old ciggie butt?) and washing it (how often? lather up first? dunked in the bath or just a spritz) are never explained.
So, the author, a woman with a strong and bumptious personality and very healthy ego, tours what seem to be every farm in Vermont, Wisconsin, California and more. She takes particular delight in cheese made from animals that live in pastures and are grass-fed, and this I very much approve of. I'm from a village where there were just two lanes and one of them was Cowshit Lane ('cowshit' wasn't considered rude back in Elizabethan times when the farm was established). Twice a day the animals would go up and down the lane, milking parlour to meadow. The milk didn't go into cheese though, and having read that this would make the best cheese, I'm really sorry it didn't.
So what did I learn from this book? That the best cheese is to be found made by ex-city execs who made their bucks young and bought into the ideal of organic farms but then applied their business sense and turned to cheese-making. I learned that top TV chefs are an absolute pushover for these cheeses, the more expensive and rare the better. But I also learned that the very same cheeses can be bought at Farmers Markets at a price the locals will pay.
I didn't learn what made the book so fascinating, but it was.
September 18, 2020
I am enlightened. This easy-to-read book details one woman's journey to becoming a cheese expert for Murray's, with detailed recommendations about the best cheeses world-wide and why they are extraordinary. Some of the cheeses I know well, such as my very favorite, Vella. I've had Cypress Grove goat cheese (and bought a new one last week, and was delighted to see it included in this book). But there are so. Many. Other. Cheeses. Really, this book is like a wish list for anyone who loves cheese.
The only reason I gave this four stars instead of five is the organization. The flow is choppy and nonsensical at times; I think a lot of that may be poor formatting for ebook, which is a shame. However, I was glad to find a straightforward index at the back so I can look up cheese names and easily search for them within the book or online.
The only reason I gave this four stars instead of five is the organization. The flow is choppy and nonsensical at times; I think a lot of that may be poor formatting for ebook, which is a shame. However, I was glad to find a straightforward index at the back so I can look up cheese names and easily search for them within the book or online.
March 31, 2017
Information overload. This book will be one hell of a reference guide if ever I take a serious interest in which cheese product I should ingest next.
This woman has a mind like a steel trap and inserted large sections of the 'cheese' portion of her brain into this tome. You know what, it's probably not even that large a portion and that's terrifying to me. Comprehension of a subject always frightens me.
Not going to lie, I have much more respect for cheese now. I'll never consciously buy anything but American from now on, open mind be damned, and I'll do it with confidence and much referencing back to this book and whichever chapter applies to the current cheese-buying situation I find myself in.
This woman has a mind like a steel trap and inserted large sections of the 'cheese' portion of her brain into this tome. You know what, it's probably not even that large a portion and that's terrifying to me. Comprehension of a subject always frightens me.
Not going to lie, I have much more respect for cheese now. I'll never consciously buy anything but American from now on, open mind be damned, and I'll do it with confidence and much referencing back to this book and whichever chapter applies to the current cheese-buying situation I find myself in.
January 31, 2016
Thorpe’s anthology lacks the pretention of other cheese anthologies that I have read. For instance, rather than pontificating about the most appropriate cheese-making technique, Thorpe personifies cheese as a living, living breathing entity. (Although not part of her cheese tour, she classifies Velveeta and Kraft Singles as “flacid”—that mental image just makes me giggle!) Furthermore, the cheese-makers she encounters along her journey truly love their craft and believe that mediocre cheeses, whether “artisanal” or mass-produced, should not be the norm. (Sorry, Kraft!!)
The many vignettes and Thorpe’s personal ‘cheese notes’ are dispersed throughout the text. For instance, Thorpe meets a 40-something cheese-maker from Dallas, TX who was kicked out of the Junior League because she faltered on her volunteering duties. (Personally, I think this chic had her priorities in order, and shame on the Dallas’ Jr. League for not realizing she could have brought those delicious cheeses to the meetings!! Foolish ladies.) Thorpe’s anthology is a testament that many large-scale manufacturers who really do care about the consumers’ taste buds, and not all factory produced cheeses are necessarily inferior products. So, cheese snobs, put your noses down and open your minds (and taste buds) to some of these delicious varieties.
If ever there was a book about cheese porn, Liz Thorpe has written it. Her vivid descriptions paint a vivid picture of the American landscape in which lovely, unpredictable cheeses are created. Using descriptors like splotchy,stinky, drippy, sexy,masculine, dark, globby, she reminds us that food today is so gluey, so over-processed that we often can't taste the terroir, 'the soul of the place,' the connection to the land. Our country definitely has reached a conundrum in which rubbery, tasteless blocks of cheese have become our norm. But, as illustrated by Thorpe, cheese does not have to be a predictable, processed blob. There is hope for the future of food, and Thorpe has the stories to prove it.
If Thorpe ever needs a travel companion on her next National Cheese Tour (or any cheese tour, for that matter), I am her girl. Her love of cheese, wine, and more cheese have helped me realize that no one, myself included, should ever settle for mediocre cheese.
The many vignettes and Thorpe’s personal ‘cheese notes’ are dispersed throughout the text. For instance, Thorpe meets a 40-something cheese-maker from Dallas, TX who was kicked out of the Junior League because she faltered on her volunteering duties. (Personally, I think this chic had her priorities in order, and shame on the Dallas’ Jr. League for not realizing she could have brought those delicious cheeses to the meetings!! Foolish ladies.) Thorpe’s anthology is a testament that many large-scale manufacturers who really do care about the consumers’ taste buds, and not all factory produced cheeses are necessarily inferior products. So, cheese snobs, put your noses down and open your minds (and taste buds) to some of these delicious varieties.
If ever there was a book about cheese porn, Liz Thorpe has written it. Her vivid descriptions paint a vivid picture of the American landscape in which lovely, unpredictable cheeses are created. Using descriptors like splotchy,stinky, drippy, sexy,masculine, dark, globby, she reminds us that food today is so gluey, so over-processed that we often can't taste the terroir, 'the soul of the place,' the connection to the land. Our country definitely has reached a conundrum in which rubbery, tasteless blocks of cheese have become our norm. But, as illustrated by Thorpe, cheese does not have to be a predictable, processed blob. There is hope for the future of food, and Thorpe has the stories to prove it.
If Thorpe ever needs a travel companion on her next National Cheese Tour (or any cheese tour, for that matter), I am her girl. Her love of cheese, wine, and more cheese have helped me realize that no one, myself included, should ever settle for mediocre cheese.
December 24, 2009
I love cheese. I eat it for breakfast lunch and dinner. And though I can enjoy a fancy cheese purchased at a cheesemonger or cheese counter of a local gourmet shop, and though I know the basics of dairy, such as grass fed is better than confinement grain-fed or the downside of pasteurization, I really am not very educated in the world of cheese. I like to know more about the different types, how to really taste the differences, and how to branch out and try something new. Where to start?
This book is an excellent place to start. But this isn't just a survey of cheese made in America. This is much more than that. Author Liz Thorpe also weaves in her personal story of being a girl who loves cheese who eventually comes to work at Murray's Cheese in NYC. It was inspiring to read about how she ditched her office job to work at a cheese store. She also wove in stories of her travels around the US, tasting cheese, visiting farms, and reviewing cheeses with chefs.
Thorpe also does an excellent job teaching about cheese. She explains pastuerization and why it is sometimes prefered and sometimes not. She explains the history of goat cheese in the USA. She describes a washed rind cheese and how that is different from a bloomy rind, for example.
Finally, each chapter includes a section on American cheesemakers and highlights some of their cheeses. She might talk about the physical location of the farms (verdant green hills, usually), or the history of the farmer. And she describes the cheese and what makes it good. I read these descriptions, and my mouth watered. Within days, I found myself at a local cheese monger trying various cheeses from the book. And I was not disappointed. This book led me straight to some great cheeses I never would have tried before.
I highly recommend this book. Eminently readable, it is something to keep on your shelf and refer back to. I'd like to get a copy for myself and try every cheese in there.
This book is an excellent place to start. But this isn't just a survey of cheese made in America. This is much more than that. Author Liz Thorpe also weaves in her personal story of being a girl who loves cheese who eventually comes to work at Murray's Cheese in NYC. It was inspiring to read about how she ditched her office job to work at a cheese store. She also wove in stories of her travels around the US, tasting cheese, visiting farms, and reviewing cheeses with chefs.
Thorpe also does an excellent job teaching about cheese. She explains pastuerization and why it is sometimes prefered and sometimes not. She explains the history of goat cheese in the USA. She describes a washed rind cheese and how that is different from a bloomy rind, for example.
Finally, each chapter includes a section on American cheesemakers and highlights some of their cheeses. She might talk about the physical location of the farms (verdant green hills, usually), or the history of the farmer. And she describes the cheese and what makes it good. I read these descriptions, and my mouth watered. Within days, I found myself at a local cheese monger trying various cheeses from the book. And I was not disappointed. This book led me straight to some great cheeses I never would have tried before.
I highly recommend this book. Eminently readable, it is something to keep on your shelf and refer back to. I'd like to get a copy for myself and try every cheese in there.
February 2, 2017
It was probably unwise to start a book dedicated to cheese right after I made a resolution to start eating more healthy. I was completely unable to handle the descriptions of all the many cheeses as I waited for my lunch hour. My carefully prepared healthy meal suddenly seemed woefully inadequate after the descriptions of delicious and luxurious sounding milky delights. And while this book is not entirely what I expected, I learned a lot about American cheese production that I never knew before.
This book is exactly what is says it is. If you are a cheese connoisseur looking for more information on great American cheeses, (note: when I say "American cheese," I mean cheese made in America, not the toxic yellow squares your mom put on your grade school sandwich with baloney) then this is the book for you. However, if you are like me and consider a wedge of brie from your local grocery to be high living, you are more in need of a cheese primer. That's not to say there isn't some interesting information to be gleaned for the cheese novice. Liz Thorpe takes us into to the cheese making process and gives a brief history of cheese in America. The book is well written, engaging and informative. It just wasn't my speed.
This book is exactly what is says it is. If you are a cheese connoisseur looking for more information on great American cheeses, (note: when I say "American cheese," I mean cheese made in America, not the toxic yellow squares your mom put on your grade school sandwich with baloney) then this is the book for you. However, if you are like me and consider a wedge of brie from your local grocery to be high living, you are more in need of a cheese primer. That's not to say there isn't some interesting information to be gleaned for the cheese novice. Liz Thorpe takes us into to the cheese making process and gives a brief history of cheese in America. The book is well written, engaging and informative. It just wasn't my speed.
December 30, 2016
Pretty good book about the way American cheeses have evolved over the last 30 years where Americans now are stepping up in the world cheese market.
There are so many cheeses that I want to try thanks to Liz Thorpe writing this book.
I took 19 months to finally finish reading this but I am definitely glad I did. I hope her new book comes out this Spring. I also have a couple more cheese books I need to bump up on my reading queue. Cheesemonger by Gordon Edgar and Cheese Primer by Steven Jenkins.
There are so many cheeses that I want to try thanks to Liz Thorpe writing this book.
I took 19 months to finally finish reading this but I am definitely glad I did. I hope her new book comes out this Spring. I also have a couple more cheese books I need to bump up on my reading queue. Cheesemonger by Gordon Edgar and Cheese Primer by Steven Jenkins.
September 11, 2009
Highly enjoyable read with mouth-watering descriptions of cheese. Makes me want to go and blow my whole paycheck on cheese. My only critique is that the organization of the book leaves something to be desired. I have to keep checking which chapter I am on and then puzzle over how what I am reading somehow relates to her chapter topics. Great book for a crash course in American cheese (NOT the Kraft singles kind).
September 24, 2009
I need to keep this as a reference next time I go for cheese!
February 2, 2017
The Jonathan Gold of Cheese
just the way she describes cheese even if youre not a foodie is fun and entertaining. You can taste her passion and love of cheese.
Of course just because someone loves something doesnt make it worth reading, but the personalized intimate stories of the cheese makers and farmers is the difference maker.
Anyone who reads Jonathan Gold, the preeminent food critic, will appreciate her writing...Gold is the Gold Standard and she is in that or close to that level of writing.
Who knew mold could be so interesting?
just the way she describes cheese even if youre not a foodie is fun and entertaining. You can taste her passion and love of cheese.
Of course just because someone loves something doesnt make it worth reading, but the personalized intimate stories of the cheese makers and farmers is the difference maker.
Anyone who reads Jonathan Gold, the preeminent food critic, will appreciate her writing...Gold is the Gold Standard and she is in that or close to that level of writing.
Who knew mold could be so interesting?
December 18, 2023
Pros: Learned more about how cheese is made, the recent history of how high quality cheese in the US, names of good cheese producers to try out.
Cons: Author knows a lot about cheese, but thought some of her writing came off as arrogant, especially when talking about farming practices or working as a chef in a kitchen, neither of which she appears to have personally worked in before. Didn't like how she approached the chapter on the Amish, thought there were a lot of assumptions on her part without prior research. Decent content, didn't care for her tone for most of the book.
Cons: Author knows a lot about cheese, but thought some of her writing came off as arrogant, especially when talking about farming practices or working as a chef in a kitchen, neither of which she appears to have personally worked in before. Didn't like how she approached the chapter on the Amish, thought there were a lot of assumptions on her part without prior research. Decent content, didn't care for her tone for most of the book.
June 15, 2017
As an at best moderate cheese eater I'm not sure why I enjoyed this book so much. Perhaps it is because of the authors wonderful use of descriptive language. Not just in her cheese descriptions which like the describing of wines is more for insiders but she carries this use of language over into the landscapes she traveled through. That I liked.
December 24, 2017
The author did a very thorough job of researching small boutique artisan cheeses in rural America. She is an accomplished Cheesemonger, her reviews were relevant, and her suggestions forced me to go and buy some delicious cheeses!
October 11, 2010
My Mom gave me this book because I love cheese. The book discusses the history and future of American cheese - and not the stuff that comes in pre-wrapped single slices. The main idea is that American cheesemakers are producing cheese that is competitive with the finest imported cheese. Each chapter has a theme (sheep cheese, goat cheese, factory cheese, etc.) and following that chapter, the author includes notes on various cheesemakers who fall within the theme. The chapters are very educational. At some times the author gets so scientific about the bacteria/molecular make-up of the cheese that I started to zone out, but I think it was important to include that information nonetheless. I have to admit my favorite part of the book is the notes that follow each chapter. I've made myself a little list of all the cheese that the author called out by name and described so scrumptiously and deliciously so that I can attempt to try the cheese for myself. I'm not going to swear to never buy Kraft singles again because I think they have a place (namely on tostitos and burgers), but I will say that I am on the lookout for American cheesemakers. I have only one criticism for the book. The author's writing style was sometimes difficult for me to digest. Reading sentences twice or more happened on a few occasions.
Overall, great read! Ready for cheese!
Overall, great read! Ready for cheese!
December 9, 2016
2010:My mother gave this to me as a gift and even though it's over 300 pages long and just about cheese it's really easy to read and super interesting. However, I did not anticipate before starting this book, my issue with wanting to eat whatever is being eaten in the books I'm reading. Within the first 100 pages I have already finished off a few pounds of cheese.
2016: I finally finished this book. Each day as I blow dried my hair I'd read about another kind of cheese so it took me awhile. It was perfect. I loved the book. I loved the descriptions, the backstories and the farms and people and the process, the research, the follow up at the end with animal varieties. There was a short time while reading this that I dated a rancher and this book surprisingly gave me some understand and ground for cow discussions with him. I tried a few new cheeses and gave a few more second chances. I even went to Murray's on my first trip to New York City last year. I wouldn't recommend this as a book to sit and read cover to cover in a week, but over time it was delightful.
Also, as a lover of all cheese myself I've always felt bad about hating Swiss. When Liz Thorpe includes a page about her dislike for Swiss I felt total and complete vindication.
2016: I finally finished this book. Each day as I blow dried my hair I'd read about another kind of cheese so it took me awhile. It was perfect. I loved the book. I loved the descriptions, the backstories and the farms and people and the process, the research, the follow up at the end with animal varieties. There was a short time while reading this that I dated a rancher and this book surprisingly gave me some understand and ground for cow discussions with him. I tried a few new cheeses and gave a few more second chances. I even went to Murray's on my first trip to New York City last year. I wouldn't recommend this as a book to sit and read cover to cover in a week, but over time it was delightful.
Also, as a lover of all cheese myself I've always felt bad about hating Swiss. When Liz Thorpe includes a page about her dislike for Swiss I felt total and complete vindication.
September 3, 2012
Liz Thorpe is a remarkable cheesemonger, and must have an exceptional palate and nose. What luck too! to find a profession so rewarding, and at a time when American artisan cheese was poised to plate in restaurants and homes around the country.
Thorpe's Cheese Chronicles is a must read introduction to the American artisan cheese movement. She covers every aspect of its making thoroughily and so readably. I love that each chapter focuses on specific regions and cheesemakers, and that she has personally visited farms and creameries. The cheesemakers vie for her palate and regard, offering her their best cheeses and pairings. Thorpe knows cheese and knows what's behind it too - the herds, the farms, the making of cheese, the thinking and strategy, the restaurants and chefs and the hard, hard work.
I love Thorpe's love of cheese and her respect for cheesemakers. Locally, I love her writing of Rogue Creamery's beautiful blues and Cypress Grove's goat cheeses.
Thank you Liz Thorpe.
Now. I'm off to see Valkyrie, my cheesemonger at Rogue Creamery!
Thorpe's Cheese Chronicles is a must read introduction to the American artisan cheese movement. She covers every aspect of its making thoroughily and so readably. I love that each chapter focuses on specific regions and cheesemakers, and that she has personally visited farms and creameries. The cheesemakers vie for her palate and regard, offering her their best cheeses and pairings. Thorpe knows cheese and knows what's behind it too - the herds, the farms, the making of cheese, the thinking and strategy, the restaurants and chefs and the hard, hard work.
I love Thorpe's love of cheese and her respect for cheesemakers. Locally, I love her writing of Rogue Creamery's beautiful blues and Cypress Grove's goat cheeses.
Thank you Liz Thorpe.
Now. I'm off to see Valkyrie, my cheesemonger at Rogue Creamery!
August 27, 2014
(3.5 stars) The author takes the reader on several excursions through the world of cheese in this book. she mixes in her own initiation and experiences with cheese, from eating and experimenting with different styles of cheese, working at a cheese counter, buying cheese at the wholesale level, and traveling to taste different styles and makers of cheese. She covers the cheese-making process particularly from the perspective of an artisan producer. Most of the book is dedicated to discussing small production cheese-makers and their cheeses. The author describes the challenges that they face to make and sell quality product. There is also discussion on the pros and cons and different facets of cow milk versus goat milk versus sheep milk in the production of cheese. While I enjoyed the book, it could at times be a bit overwhelming to try to keep track of the cheeses described. I did learn more about the cheese making process, but I think the cover misled me a little in thinking this would be more from the perspective of an artisan producer. Overall, it was an enlightening look into the world of cheese.
March 21, 2010
Very good overview of some top-notch cheese producers working in the United States, with a lot of interesting anecdotes that convey the personalities involved. Ms. Thorpe has a tendency to flowery tasting notes, something I don't find particularly helpful, but her enthusiastic prose clearly stems from her passion for the topic.
I agree with a previous reviewer that the organization of the producers was not the most helpful, particularly if one wanted to use it as a reference when shopping. The chapters jumped around the country, and across cheese "families" (cow, goat, sheep) following Ms. Thorpe's meta-categories, rather than more logical ones (which is fine - it's her book!).
There were also good insights into both cheese production on an artisinal scale, as well as the realities of retailing these cheeses. The book is probably best for someone who is already interested in cheese, and has access to a good cheesemonger - because this book is definitely going to make you crave some cheese!
I agree with a previous reviewer that the organization of the producers was not the most helpful, particularly if one wanted to use it as a reference when shopping. The chapters jumped around the country, and across cheese "families" (cow, goat, sheep) following Ms. Thorpe's meta-categories, rather than more logical ones (which is fine - it's her book!).
There were also good insights into both cheese production on an artisinal scale, as well as the realities of retailing these cheeses. The book is probably best for someone who is already interested in cheese, and has access to a good cheesemonger - because this book is definitely going to make you crave some cheese!
December 9, 2012
You know that phrase "The cheese stands alone?" Well, before reading this book I had few reasons not to use that saying and the terms "American Cheese" in the same sentence. The AC of my experience is a gross slice of rubbery plastic that makes me want to hurl. Through a leisure reading of this book, I now view American cheese (emphasis on the lower case c) as a smorgasbord of incredible flavors, textures, creation methods, creativity, ingenuity, and of course the stories behind their births and evolutions.
This book provides a lovely narrative and reference for the best American cheeses, and their makers, that I expect to refer to over and over in years to come. During the course of reading it I took care to seek out some of the names in my local stores and love the thrill of sampling delicious morsels after learning of their orgins and setting a virtual foot on the farms where they were first conjured up.
A great read and recommended for the cheese lover, and admirer, in all of us.
This book provides a lovely narrative and reference for the best American cheeses, and their makers, that I expect to refer to over and over in years to come. During the course of reading it I took care to seek out some of the names in my local stores and love the thrill of sampling delicious morsels after learning of their orgins and setting a virtual foot on the farms where they were first conjured up.
A great read and recommended for the cheese lover, and admirer, in all of us.
February 22, 2016
The author takes us on a journey of the development of American fine cheese production (not like Kraft). I was surprised how young the American market is and how quickly it has developed. Liz Thorpe is a vice president of Murray Cheese in New York and is in charge of their restaurant and wholesale customers, including Whole Foods and The French Laundry Restaurant. She also gives courses to the wait staff of her clients. This book is a combination of a story on how she came to her position, an explanation of the differences between cheeses, and a survey of quality producers and their history. It is a very enjoyable read and, as I am not a cheese connoisseur, I learned a lot. I will probably seek out some of the cheese that she has recommended.
November 6, 2010
This book is an homage to fromage (he he). It's organized around the best American cheeses as selected by a VP at Murray's in NY. She goes through each style of cheese, selects the best American examples, and tells the story of the dairies that produce them. The stories are a little too personal for my taste. I didn't really care to hear that much about her early faux-pauxs and the development of her palate. Her enthusiasm for telling the story of each dairy is great, but the format of reviewing each dairy one by one becomes tiresome. She sometimes reviews up to 8 cheeses from one dairy. I couldn't read more than 20 pages at a time before feeling overwhelmed with names, places, and styles.
July 1, 2015
3.5 This managed to both exceed and fall short of expectations. Or perhaps it was simply unexpected. I set it aside a couple of years ago when within 50 pages we seemed to be done with personal story and moving on to "cheese basics"... my tolerance level for autobiography/reference mashups is pretty low - they are rarely much of either, and they abound in the culinary world. Well, it turns out that when this one turned a corner, it's into a bit of an educational tour of the U.S. small-scale cheese industry (mostly -making). Not the journey I'd expected or hoped for, nor the depth, yet enjoyable, both interesting and well organized.
February 15, 2010
Well let me say I am not so sorry I read this -- but it is going down on the 3rd shelf of my bookcase-- which means i won't suggest any of my friends actually pay for it-- It does not go into any depth to speak of on best way to pick a cheese or individual cheeses attributes etc-- so
If you are looking for a travel log of Liz Thorpe's life running around to cheese makers and her life in general -- its OK -- if you are looking for an in depth study of American cheeses -- don't pick this one up--
If you are looking for a travel log of Liz Thorpe's life running around to cheese makers and her life in general -- its OK -- if you are looking for an in depth study of American cheeses -- don't pick this one up--
August 4, 2011
The most delightful book about cheese and people who make cheese that I've ever read (and I've read quite a few). I couldn't put it down, and I dreamed about cheese after reading it. One caveat: probably more interesting to people with access to Murray's, as much of the book reads like an incredible cheese shopping list. But Thorpe's journey from the basement of Eli's to the top of Murray's is a captivating read with a few laugh-out-loud moments. I wonder if she'd grant a former strategist, current stay-at-home-mother an "informational interview"...
September 1, 2011
Part memoir, part guide to types of cheese and specific producers and varieties in the U.S. Liz Thorpe achieves what is unfortunately all too rare: the food writer without pretension. Most writers resort to florid prose in talking about food, but Thorpe manages to be down-to-earth as well as descriptive. In fact the whole book is written in a chatty, engaging style that I really liked. Recommended for anyone looking to learn more about the growing number of smaller cheesemakers in the United States.
August 2, 2012
Sort of a magnum opus of cheese – a handbook of the growing phenomenon of well-made cheeses in America. Sounds a bit deadly, but is so winningly written and engaging that it’s more of a brilliant field guide to our native cheese, and it sent me out looking for some of our local purveyors at the Farmer’s Market. What I appreciate about Liz Thorpe is that while she is clearly comfortable in the rarefied air of the New York gourmet scene, her book doesn’t hesitate to take a hard look at more commonly available cheeses and celebrates all levels of cheese production.
October 1, 2010
As an aspiring goat cheesemaker, I found the book very interesting, and gave me a few ideas. However, if I wasn't interested in making my own cheese, I would think the abundance of tasting notes on so many different cheeses could get tiresome. I would hope other readers, especially those without experience raising animals, will read this and want to buy local/regional or at least from a cheesemaker where they know the animals were treated well.
July 24, 2015
Probably 2.5 stars. This is a book about cheese. I expected more anecdotes. Or more interesting anecdotes. Kind of dragged a bit. Could have used some editing. If I lived in the US, I'd probably have been more excited. And if I were a crazy foodie, I would have probably given this about a b'zillion stars.
So .. if you are located in the US, LOVE LOVE LOVE cheese and are a crazy foodie, read this book.
Otherwise .. I'd give it a pass.
So .. if you are located in the US, LOVE LOVE LOVE cheese and are a crazy foodie, read this book.
Otherwise .. I'd give it a pass.
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September 15, 2009although i do not eat cheese (vegan) this was a very thorough and feels as if you have completely exhausted the cheese in america coast to coast; even though she readily allows that there are too many to count not included. if i ate cheese i would systematically go through her lists trying her recommendations.
July 11, 2010
I found myself actively reading this great chronicle of American cheese (not the Kraft singles). That is, I often picked up some of the mouth-watering specimens described in Thorpe's chronicle so I could truly understand the descriptions and make my own notes. This is a fantastic reference for anyone who likes cheese and wants to know more about the not too shabby options available in the U.S.
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