Culture Magazine Winter 2019 Issue

FESTIVE CHEESE BALL DIY

THE CHEESE CART COMEBACK

CHEESY INDIAN-ISH RECIPES

CULTURED BUTTER

Centerfold: Calderwood

Better Domestic Butter

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VOLUME 11 . ISSUE 6

WI NTER 2019

WINTER 2019

US PRODUCERS PROVE THEIR CULTURED BUTTER PROWESS

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winter

2019

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CA LD E RWO O D

Vermont-grown hay takes this Alpine-style cow’s milk cheese from good to great.

Written by Rebecca Haley-Park

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COOKING

Layers of Love Cheesy lasagna recipes are the reason for the season.

Written by Christine Chitnis

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CA LI FO R N IA C R E ATIV IT Y

Less wine, more cheese at this coastal creamery.

Written by Jessie Nicely

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COVER STORY

G E T CU LT U R E D Answers to your burning questions about domestic cultured butter.

Written by Madison Trapkin

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Q U E S O W IT H O U T BORDERS

Learn how immigrants make America’s cheese industry great.

Written by Katjusa Cisar, Sierra Juarez, Molly McDonough, Tina Vasquez, and Carlos Yescas

ON THE COVER: Cherry Valley Dairy Herbed Rose Butter, Daily Driver Cultured Butter; Photographed by Holly Rike THIS PAGE: Spinach-Artichoke Lasagna; Photographed by Paul Saraceno, styled by Sunny Ricks

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What’s Inside

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24

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N EW & NOTEWORTHY

COLU M NS

CU LTU RE COOKS

11 New on the Market

20 Ask Culture

30 In Season

Discover just-released cheeses, accompaniments, and more.

12 Cheese Bites PHOTOS: Crucolo Parade: Brian Snyder; Tomatoes: Mackenzie Smith Kelley

VO LU M E 11, I S SU E 5

Catch up on recent cheese news, fun facts, and other tidbits.

14 Cheese Lit

In-house reviews of three curd-related books.

22 Drinks with Cheese

Pair blue cheese with beet shrub, port, grape juice, and more.

24 Voicings

15 Farm Animal

Nigerian Dwarf goats: so cute you’ll cry happy tears.

16 Wheys Less Traveled

Get social with the woman behind the world’s largest grilled cheese blog.

26 Cheese IQ

Cheese plates are making a comeback.

Eat like a (French) local.

18 Events

What’s the white creamy stuff inside burrata? Why is artisan cheese so expensive?

Every festival, holiday, and show turophiles should know.

104 Ruminations

A tale of one woman’s countertop kefir-filled childhood.

Bartlett pears are crisp, juicy, and great with cheese.

32 Cheese Plate

A divisive cheese stars in this all-blue plate.

34 Can Do

Make your own chicken liver pâté for the holidays.

36 Cheese Remix

Ball out with this cheesy, retro appetizer.

39 Chef’s Dish

Chefs Priya Krishna and Deepa Shridhar bring Indian-ish to Texas.

47 One Cheese, Five Ways

Add tangy Taleggio to polenta, pasta, and more.

4 Recipe Index 6 From the Editor 8 Contributors 9 @culturecheese 12 Giveaway 101 Shop Talk

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16 Aligot 94 Arugula and Radicchio Salad with Taleggio and Toasted Walnuts

93 34 99 91 95 92

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Brûléed Shrikhand Chicken Liver Pâté Mushroom, Chicken, and Kale Lasagna Pav Bhaji Samosa Pies with Raita Penne with Peas, Italian Sausage, and Taleggio Sauce Roti Pizza with Jammy Tomatoes and Cheddar

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Roti Pizza with Saag and Feta

96 98 98 97 95 96 94

Spiced Lamb Lasagna Spicy Skillet Eggplant Lasagna Spinach-Artichoke Lasagna Sweet Potato and Gruyère Lasagna Taleggio and Apricot Jam Panini Taleggio and Swiss Chard Omelette Taleggio Polenta with Mushrooms and Bacon

PHOTO: Adam DeTour

eat

R EC I P E S I N T H I S I S S U E

WINTER 2019

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CEO Bill Springer Publisher Matt Thomas Founder Stephanie Skinner Co-Editors Rebecca Haley-Park, Madison Trapkin EDITORIAL Molly McDonough Margaret Leahy Madeline Upson Gianaclis Caldwell Kristina DeMichele, Meghan Kavanaugh Monica Petrucci

Formaticum Ad Here

Editor-at-Large

Associate Editor

Editorial Assistant

Cheese Expert

Copy Editors

Digital Assistant

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Creative Director

Mallory Scyphers

ADVERTISING SALES

National Brand Managers

Sales Coordinator

Rebecca Carrington, Natalie E. Herman Shauna Epstein

CONTRIBUTORS EDITORIAL Christine Chitnis, Katjusa Cisar, Teresa Finney, Erin Harris

Sierra Juarez, Kayla Murdock, Jessie Nicely, Tara Q. Thomas, Tina Vasquez, Carlos Yescas, Fiona Young-Brown PHOTOGRAPHY Adam DeTour, Mackenzie Smith Kelley, Caleb Kenna,

Jennifer Olson, Holly Rike, Paul Saraceno STYLING Sunny Ricks, Kendra Smith ART AND ILLUSTRATION Tom Bingham, Jim Starr, Sonic Yonix SPECIAL THANKS Mary Jo Schuler DISTRIBUTOR Comag Marketing Group PRINTER Lane Press, Burlington, Vt.

HOW TO REACH US For SUBSCRIPTION ORDERS and customer service inquiries, call toll-free, 866.318.7863; 8 a.m.–5 p.m. EST Mon.–Fri. For ADVERTISING, contact Rebecca Carrington, t. 607.432.2219; f. 866.557.1212; rcarrington@jvjohnson.com or Natalie E. Herman, t. 908.996.7339; natalie@culturecheesemag.com For RETAIL SALES, contact Shauna Epstein at production@culturecheesemag.com For EDITORIAL, contact Madison Trapkin at editor@culturecheesemag.com For CREATIVE, contact Mallory Scyphers at design@culturecheesemag.com

culture magazine (ISSN 1945-1466) is published six times a year (Winter, Spring, The Great 28 Pairings Guide, Summer, Autumn, and Best Cheeses of the Year) by CheeseToast Inc., PO Box 1064, Lynnfield, MA 01940.

Back issues of culture are available online at culturecheesemag.com.

SUBSCRIPTIONS are $30 for one year. Canadian subscriptions $40; all other foreign subscriptions $60. US currency only.

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FROM THE EDITOR

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WINTER 2019

PHOTO: Lauren Taylor

W

here do I begin? I guess I’ll start with goodbye.

It’s true: this is my last issue of culture.

After nearly eight years of writing, editing, and ingesting all things cheese, I’m stepping away to welcome my son into the world. It’s bittersweet for sure—I’m going to miss our incredible team and the feeling of closure that print magazines provide when you finally hold that first copy after toiling over the content for months. Sometimes that content is approachable and light-hearted—in this issue, don’t miss our all-blue cheese plate (“Cool Blue,” p. 32) and five fun riffs on everyone’s favorite holiday appetizer (“Cheese Ballin’,” p. TK). Other times, it’s more serious, like our look at the impact Latin American immigrants have on the cheese world (“Queso Without Borders,” p. 36).

I’m also going to miss the cheese community as a whole. I have been blessed to fall into an industry with such genuine, down-to-earth people like the folks from Jasper Hill Farm (Calderwood is our winter centerfold, find it on p. 76), Central Coast Creamery (“California Creativity,” p. 62), and MacKenzie Smith of Grilled Cheese Social (p. 24). I had a blast (and learned a ton) at every American Cheese Society Conference I attended, and it has been a joy to oversee countless issues of culture—from our seasonal editions to special issues like the Great 28 and Best Cheeses of the Year. But I rest assured knowing the magazine is in the creative, competent hands of Madison Trapkin, culture’s next editor. I have no doubt she will take the publication to new and exciting places. Looks like it’s time for me to actually subscribe!

—Rebecca Haley-Park, Editor

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CONTRIBUTORS

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As the child of two cheeseobsessed Italian immigrants, Monica Petrucci felt right at home as culture’s 2019 Summer intern. When she’s not busy with her undergraduate coursework, writing for culture, or flipping through her favorite magazines, she likes to shadow her parents and grandfather as they prepare traditional Italian recipes.

Sonic Yonix is a bi-coastal creative duo comprised of visual artists Bianca González Marra and Diandre Fuentes.

Since 2013, they’ve been making comics and doodles that celebrate the quirky underbelly of femininity and brown girl power. The pair illustrated a few pieces depicting various dynamics among immigrants and the US cheese industry (“Queso Without Borders”, p. 76).

Vermont-based photographer Caleb Kenna photographed Latin American migrant workers on Vermont dairy farms in “Queso Without Borders” (p.

76). He uses his hand-held camera and drone to capture the people and landscapes from Vermont to India and everywhere in between. As a certified drone pilot, Kenna also takes aerial shots for real estate, commercial, and architectural clients.

Writer, photographer, and recipe developer Christine Chitnis cooked up this issue’s cheesy, gooey lasagna dishes in “Layers of Love” (p. 54).

Her work is inspired by the landscape of her adopted home in Providence, Rhode Island, as well as the natural beauty of her birthplace in Northern Michigan. Chitnis continues to add to her growing list of print publications with topics ranging from Indian textiles to healthy frozen desserts.

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@ CULTURECHEESE

@culturecheese YOUR DIGITAL DOSE OF DAIRY CULTURECHEESEMAG.COM

/tariffs

/article

The cheese world is abuzz with questions about President Donald Trump’s EU tariffs that went into effect October 18.

These tariffs affected a staggering 90% of imported cheeses and caused prices to increase 25 percent. If this is news to you and you’re frantically googling more information, don’t worry, we’re way ahead of you: check out culturecheesemag.com/eutariffs for our four-point summary.

With the help of their Nigerian Dwarf goats, Scott and Tessa McCormick of White River Creamery are bringing artisan cheese back to Arkansas. “We’ve had a great time supplying Arkansas with artisan cheese,” says Tessa.

“But we’ve [also] enjoyed turning the challenges we faced into adventures and sweet memories.” Go to culturecheesemag.com/white-river-creamery to read more about their story (hint: it involves yurts).

/cheese-library Blu di Bufala is a bit of an anomaly. Made in Northern Italy, this cheese is far away from the southern Italian region traditionally associated with buffalo’s milk cheese. This blue buffalo’s milk cheese is made by brothers Bruno and Alfio Gritti at Caseificio Quattro Portoni. With a distinctive, well-balanced flavor, a hint of sweetness, and an intense, tangy bite, Blu di Bufala practically begs to be paired with a sparkling Prosecco. For more, visit culturecheesemag.com/blu-di-bufala.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Drool over beautiful cheeses and get personal with our staff

Keep in touch and stay up-to-date with the latest curd word

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PHOTOS: Instagram: Nick Surette

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Visit culturecheesemag.com/ newsletters to learn more.

To see more gorgeous cheeses like What kind of cheese are you? this massive wheel of Supreme Head over to our Facebook Brie, follow us on Instagram. page to take the quiz.

FOLLOW US!

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Balance tangy goat cheese with rich chocolate in this biscotti crust cheesecake.

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FIND CHEESE NEAR YOU! It’s easy, just visit our website at culturecheesemag.com/cheese-shop. /culturecheese

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new & noteworthy

NEW ON THE MARKET 1

Made with wildflower honey and red raspberries from Chile and Mexico, Raspberry Mead from Long Islandbased Beacon Meadery has us dreaming of warmer weather. Pair the boozy, honey-forward pour with something sharp and salty, like aged gouda or Pecorino Romano.

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Forget baguettes— Peter’s Yard is new to the US market and they’ve got the perfect Sourdough Crispbread for your holiday cheese board. Their crisps boast the same bready flavor as the loaf you might otherwise reach for, and the flavor options (Original, Fig, Pink Peppercorn, and Caraway) amplify the classic sourdough tang.

4

German-made Baldauf Allgäu-style cheeses are finally available in the US (it’s about time—they’ve been produced for over a century).

Made with cow’s milk, homegrown cultures, and a smattering of toothsome rind coatings (think: Alpine flowers and chili flakes), you’ll be stoked to have these cheeses stateside.

3

Everyone’s favorite airplane cookie (and sweet spread) just got a cool upgrade.

That’s right, Lotus Bakeries, the makers of Biscoff, are entering the ice cream world with options that combine their classic cookie with flavors like Salted Caramel, Chocolate Brownie, and Blueberry Cheesecake.

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Laura Chenel is no stranger to fresh, flavorful goat’s milk cheese, and their new Garlic & Chive chèvre is no exception.

Spread it on a piece of rye bread and top with lox for a bagels-and-shmear vibe, or add it to your favorite omelet recipe—this cheese packs big flavor.

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new & noteworthy

CHEESE BITES

What’s In a Name?

The days may be numbered for Australia’s locally-made gorgonzola. That’s because the European Union is looking to protect traditional cheese names like gorgonzola, feta, and Gruyère from use by Australian cheesemakers in a new trade agreement.

Simon Birmingham, Australia’s Minister of Trade, Tourism and Investment, has proposed ways to protect these products while continuing to trade with the EU. This would involve the use of “geographical indications,” or GIs, which are labels put on products that have a specific geographical origin and therefore cannot be produced anywhere else in the world.

And it doesn’t stop with cheese—the list

also includes several liquors, meats, and beers whose names are closely tied to their lands of origin. The EU is determined to win this battle. “We will put up a strong fight in terms of areas of Australian interests,” Birmingham says. “What we’re trying to do is get the best possible deal that ensures Australian businesses can get better access to a [major] market.”

Turophiles Against Tariffs Your favorite cheese board wedges are not a bit more luxurious. The Trump Administration proposed a new list of dramatically higher tariffs on many EU imports, including cheese. This means

most of your go-to old country cheeses—like Parmigiano Reggiano and Dutch Gouda—now have a slightly higher pricetag. Aside from the major loss to American turophile’s palates, retailers also face a monumental challenge. Since half of the cheese sold in the U.S. comes from Europe, losing these sales damages these businesses greatly. Hunter Fike of Di Bruno Bros. told Modern Farmer that the company hopes not to increase prices of beloved products, but as their own costs have increased, they “might not have an option.”

GIVEAWAY

WIN

A Cypress Grove Gift Set

Here at culture, we’re all about cheese boards for dinner. In this kit from Cyprus Grove you’ll find the essentials to get you started: cheeseboard, cheese knives, and some really delicious cheese.

Winners will receive: 1 cutting board 1 Rustic Farmhouse Gourmet Cheese knife 1 lb. wheel Humboldt Fog Mini 1 lb. slice Midnight Moon 1 4 oz. Fresh Cup, Straight Up 1 4 oz. Sgt. Pepper 1 4 oz. Purple Haze

Visit culturecheesemag.com/giveaway to enter your name in our January 8, 2020 drawing. No purchase necessary.

You must be a resident of the US or have a US mailing address to win.

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CHEESE

1 1

Gem

A wheel of cheddar weighing approximately three pounds.

Coming Soon: Cow-Free Dairy Would you drink milk made in a lab? Many vegans and dairy-drinkers alike might say yes, according to up-and-coming food companies like Perfect Day and New Culture. Similar to the production of meatalternatives like the Impossible Burger, lab-made dairy seeks to recreate the real milk flavor that’s lacking from products like almond and soy milk. Their labs use proteins like casein and whey to produce the most milk-like texture and flavor. It doesn’t stop there; these companies also work to make products like yogurt, ice cream, and, of course, cheese, taste as close to the real thing as they can get.

So, before you wince at the thought of lab-made mozzarella, consider the environmental health and animal welfare benefits of this alternative—and the fact that the texture is just as stretchy.

Abolishing Cheesy Stereotypes Philadelphia Cream Cheese is under fire in the UK after releasing an advertisement portraying problematic gender stereotypes. The ad shows two fathers acting irresponsibly, instantly distracted from their children when offered cream cheese, leaving the babies on a moving conveyor belt while they enjoy a snack.

The UK began enforcing rules that ban this type of gender-based stereotyping in advertisements this past June, so it’s unsurprising that upon viewing the ad, over 125 viewers complained about its message. The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) investigated the cream cheese commercial and eventually had it pulled from the air. “The men were portrayed as somewhat hapless and inattentive,” says an official ASA spokesperson. “We did not consider that the use of humor in the ad mitigated the effect of the harmful stereotype.”

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new & noteworthy

CHEESE LIT

Reading chef Whitney Otawka’s debut cookbook, The Saltwater Table: Recipes from the Coastal South (Abrams, October 2019; $40), is like stepping into the sweltering steam of the book’s namesake area and being handed a fresh bowl of ceviche.

Bright in ingredients and design alike, the tome is rife with illustrations of mollusks, shots of vibrant citrus, and plenty of greenery. In case you’re thinking to yourself Where’s the cheese?, we’re here to assure you Otawka’s got that covered; she’s dedicated an entire section to Southern cheesemakers and her recipes run the dairy gamut. Ricotta Dumplings with Sweet Peas, Baby Carrots, and Parmesan Broth, and Caramelized Pumpkin with Guajillo Chile and Spiced Yogurt (garnished with grated Manchego) are only a couple of the cheesy recipes you’ll find within.

Cheese Boards to Share Cheese Boards to Share: How to Create a Stunning Cheese Board for Any Occasion (Ryland Peters & Small, September 2019; $20) is packed with all the info you need to know about crafting cheese boards.

From board themes to cocktail pairings, author Thalassa Skinner offers the knowledge she gained from her time at Boston’s Formaggio Kitchen and 10-plus years as culture’s co-founder. The book includes simple recipes for accompaniments like Garden Patch Pickles and Rainbow Pepper Oatcakes, as well as advice on how to choose a showstopping wedge. Skinner spares few details in her comprehensive notes, pairings, and even substitution suggestions for every cheese described. Pick up this book to perfect your party plate.

Anthony Bourdain: The Last Interview This posthumous biography is everything you’d expect an Anthony Bourdain book to be: honest, passionate, inspiring, and decidedly brash. Anthony Bourdain: The Last Interview: and Other Conversations (Melville House, August 2019; $17) illuminates the prolific chef’s opinions on travel, parenting, Trump’s presidency, and beyond. Bourdain’s approach to food was to leave no stone unturned, no question unanswered, and no expletive unsaid. His decades-long television career gave us many cheesy moments, like the time he discovered joy in the cheese carts of Marseille, France on Parts Unknown, or the many occasions in which he professed his love for cacio e pepe.

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ILLUSTRATION: Jim Starr

The Saltwater Table

new & noteworthy

ILLUSTRATION: Jim Starr

FARM ANIMAL

Nigerian Dwarf Goat SPECIES: Capra aegagrus hircus BREED:

Various HEIGHT: 17 to 23.5 inches WEIGHT: 75 pounds REGION OF ORIGIN: West Africa COLOR/PATTERN:

OK, so we know Nigerian Dwarf goats are cute. They also happen to produce a surprising amount of sweet milk, given their small size (about 1 liter per day). The breed originated from a population of small African goats that were imported to the United States in the 1930s. Today, they are sought after for their highprotein and high-butterfat milk, which makes for Ăźber-creamy butter, cheese, and ice cream.

Their abundant milk production adds to their alreadyimmense appeal; Nigerian Dwarf goats are gentle and intelligent with a playful personality. Because of this, the mini goats can also make great family pets and even service animals, so go ahead and cuddle up next time you get the chance. —Monica Petrucci WINTER 2019

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new & noteworthy

WHEYS LESS TRAVELED

ribbons of the stretchy concoction onto the nearby plate.

The secret to good aligot is the cheese.

A local tomme fraîche should be used, made with unpasteurized cow’s milk and without additional salt. Tomme fraîche is aged for a short time (about two to three weeks) before it’s aligot-ready. The dish itself is surprisingly light and mild in flavor, not at all like the rather stodgy meal I had imagined. It is, in true French style, simple, comforting, and elegant. c FIONA YOUNG-BROWN is an author, writer, and adorer of cheese in its many forms. Originally from the U.K., she now lives in Kentucky, where she craves the tanginess of Welsh Perl Las or some Stinking Bishop.

Aligot

ONE WOMAN’S QUEST FOR LOZÈRE’S CHEESY POTATO PARADISE

True aligot relies on an unpasteurized French cheese, which isn’t available in the U.S. The recipe below suggests using fresh cheddar cheese curds as an alternative, but you could also use Emmental or Comté. To eat like a local, serve aligot with sausage and a green salad.

written by FIONA YOUNG-BROWN

Serves 4

A

s one of France’s most sparsely populated and rural departments, Lozère is both pastoral and ominous, with harsh granite outcrops dotting the otherwise tranquil landscape. This rugged ground is ideal for grazing livestock, and the resulting dairy produced here has made this area famous for centuries. The Roman historian Pliny the Elder praised the local pélardon—a soft, mild goat’s milk cheese available only in small 2-ounce rounds—whose fame was so widespread it was shipped as far as Rome. Of the estimated 48 cheeses produced in Lozère, only five carry the prestigious appellation d’origine contrôlée status.

And so, my husband and I found ourselves driving through the winding

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country roads of Lozère with a mission: to taste aligot, the region’s famed cheese dish. Reputedly once a favorite of the local monks, aligot consists of potatoes whipped by hand into a light puree and mixed with cheese, garlic, and cream.

By the time we arrived at our destination, Le Relais de L’Aubrac, the lunch crowd had dispersed and the parking lot was all but empty. But at the mere mention of the dish we sought, the proprietor’s eyes lit up. She ushered us to a nearby table. “I will make you aligot,” she announced.

A short while later, she emerged from the kitchen with a large bowl of the creamy, cheesy potato dish. With an incredible deftness that could come only from years of practice, she spun two spoons around each other, whipping

2 pounds potatoes, roughly chopped 1 cup heavy cream 3 cloves garlic, crushed and thinly cut 1¾ cups tomme fraîche de Laguiole or fresh cheddar curds Sea salt, to taste Pepper, to taste Bring a pot of water to boil.

Cook potatoes in boiling water until soft. Drain and mash by hand until smooth. Return potatoes to pot over low heat. Add garlic and cream to potatoes and stir to combine. Finally, add cheese. Using a wooden spoon, mix well, lifting as you do to incorporate more air and allow consistent cheese melting. Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

PHOTO: Lukasz Jérôme Rommé/Adboe Stock

Finding Aligot

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BEHIND THE LABEL

new & noteworthy

Cirrus Camembert A CREAMERY’S PICTURESQUE SCENERY TAKES CENTER STAGE ON THIS LABEL

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ll of Mt. Townsend’s labels are inspired by the surrounding Pacific Northwestern landscape, and Cirrus Camembert is no exception. Co-founder Matt Day describes the cheese’s label as a mirror to its name.

“Since this is a soft ripened cheese with a light, thin rind, we thought Cirrus was a perfect name for it,” Day says, referencing the cheese’s namesake. “We discussed all sorts of cloud names, but cirrus clouds are beautiful, thin, and wispy, which was a natural fit.”

Mt. Townsend’s co-founders all had a similar vision for their cheese labels from the get-go. Pamela Trail, co-founder and designer, agreed with her fellow founders in terms of environmental imagery, so they decided to make it a centerpiece.

“The combination of mountainous landscape, water, and temperate climate creates a special environment,” Day says.

This label also illustrates an iconic view overlooking the Olympic Mountains. “Summer sunsets are often spectacular because of the deep reds, oranges, and purple colors,” Day describes. “We wanted to [depict] those vivid colors on our [Cirrus label].” —Monica Petrucci WINTER 2019

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EVENTS

13–15

December

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ÉPERNAY, FRANCE

10th Annual Crucolo Cheese Parade CONCORD, MASS.

The Concord Cheese Shop commemorates the 10th anniversary of this fan favorite festival. The celebration begins with a giant wheel of Italian Crucolo—a mild Asiago shipped straight from Italy. Parade-goers can watch as the 400-pound cheese is rolled down a red carpet to the cheese shop. Pro tip: Stick around for a photo-op and tasty samples. concordcheeseshop.com

Cheese Fest UK BATH & WEST; NORWICH

7&14

Beloved animated turophiles Wallace and Gromit are celebrating their 30th anniversary, and a cheese festival is the most fitting way to honor the duo.

This traveling dairy-centric festival will feature plenty of cheeses for tasting along with family-friendly entertainment. cheesefestuk.com 18

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The Champagne capital of the world is hosting its annual three-day festival where you’ll find fireworks, parades, and, of course, world-class sparkling wines and artisan cheeses. Authentic champagne, delicious food, and cultural conviviality—what better excuse to book a flight? habitsdelumiere.epernay.fr

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National Eggnog Day

If you’re looking for something rich and boozy to warm you up during some of the coldest and darkest days of the year, look no further than our website. culturecheesemag.com/eggnog

Columbia’s Mac & Cheese Festival COLUMBIA, SC

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Satisfy your winter comfort food cravings at Columbia’s 2nd annual Mac & Cheese Festival hosted by Ashley’s Yummy Tummy, where local chefs dish up unique spins on a classic cheesy pasta. For tickets and more information visit eventbrite.com.

January

18

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National Milk Day For this year’s dairy-lover holiday, try one of our recipes for elevating your average glass of milk: culturecheesemag.com/ homemade-flavored-milk

Isthmus Beer & Cheese Fest MADISON, WIS.

Madison hosts its 11th annual beer and cheese party with hundreds of local brews and plenty of cheesy bites from the Badger State and beyond. It sells out every year, so get your tickets before they’re gone. isthmusbeercheese.com

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PHOTOS: Remington Wine, Beer, Cheese, Chocolate, and Artisal Festival: irinayurchenko/Adobe Stock; The Cheese Makers’ Resource Conference: thegaffphoto /Adobe Stock; Valentine’s Day: Picture Partners/

Les Habits de Lumière PHOTOS: Crucolo Parade: Brian Snyder; Les Habits de Lumière: illustrissima/Adobe Stock; Glasses of Milk: Theeradech Sanin/Adobe Stock; Mac & Cheese: istetiana/Adobe Stock; Isthmus Beer & Cheese Fest: Amy Stocklein; Remington Wine, Beer, Cheese, Chocolate, and Artisal Festival: irinayurchenko/Adobe Stock;

new & noteworthy

February Remington Wine, Beer, Cheese, Chocolate, and Artisan Festival For the fourth year in a row, Ogdensburg is hosting its delectable artisan festival featuring some of the most sought-after products at the most fitting time of year: Super Bowl season. fredericremington.org

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The Cheese Makers’ Resource Conference NEW HOLLAND, PENN.

PHOTOS: Remington Wine, Beer, Cheese, Chocolate, and Artisal Festival: irinayurchenko/Adobe Stock; The Cheese Makers’ Resource Conference: thegaffphoto /Adobe Stock; Valentine’s Day: Picture Partners/ Adboe Stock; Murray’s Boot Camp: Courtesy of Murray’s Cheese

PHOTOS: Crucolo Parade: Brian Snyder; Les Habits de Lumière: illustrissima/Adobe Stock; Glasses of Milk: Theeradech Sanin/Adobe Stock; Mac & Cheese: istetiana/Adobe Stock; Isthmus Beer & Cheese Fest: Amy Stocklein; Remington Wine, Beer, Cheese, Chocolate, and Artisal Festival: irinayurchenko/Adobe Stock;

OGDENSBURG, NY

2017, 2017, 2018 2018 && 2019 2019 ACS ACS Blue Blue Ribbon Ribbon Winner Winner

Cheesemakers of all skill levels are welcome to take part in this annual conference.

There are plenty of activities and opportunities to learn more about the industry, including tastings, classes, and one-on-one sessions. dairyheritage.com/cheesemakers-conference

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Valentine’s Day

Murray’s Cheese Bootcamp

Who said cheese isn’t sexy? Plan your date night around dairy this year, looking to our site for the most romantic fromageforward destinations across the country: culturecheesemag.com/ valentines

NEW YORK, NY

Fulfill your dreams of becoming a full-on cheese snob by taking part in Murray’s weekend-long intensive bootcamp.

Learn everything about cheese, from geography and chemistry to styles and pairings. And don’t worry—they’ve got wine and cheese tastings penciled into the schedule, too. dairyheritage.com/ murrayscheese.com/boot-camp

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ASK CULTURE

Ask Culture CHEESE EXPERT GIANACLIS CALDWELL ANSWERS YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS

A glistening-white, tender orb of burrata is the ultimate delicacy, with a gently-formed exterior of fresh mozzarella sequestering stracciatella: a decadent core of oozing, soft mozzarella bits mixed with cream.

The name “burrata” comes from the Italian word for “buttery,” a nod to not only the texture of the core, but also to the original production process that incorporated rich whey butter into the cheese’s filling. Whey butter is a potential by-product of making cheese from extra-creamy milk—such as water buffalo’s milk, used in traditional mozzarella di bufala. In contrast to churned butter, it’s very soft and almost oily in texture. This means that heavy cream makes a good, modern substitute when combined with bits of fresh mozzarella curd. This stracciatella (“shredded”) curd was originally comprised of bits and pieces left over after stretching and forming other shapes of mozzarella. Torn into fine threads, it is mixed with the whey butter or cream, then wrapped up in a fresh mozzarella pouch or spooned on its own.

When I teach home cheesemakers how to make burrata, I use a quick mozzarella recipe. For that stracciatella filling, an easy, acid-coagulated batch of ricotta mixed with a bit of heavy cream and/or butter, along with salt, pepper, and sometimes herbs, makes a fantastic

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stand-in. The entire process takes only a bit over an hour and produces dazzling, delicious results. For my recipe, head to culturecheesemag.com/burrata.

Q: A:

Why is artisan cheese so expensive?

One of the most common statements I hear from students at the end of an in-depth cheesemaking course is “I’ll never look at the cost of artisan cheese the same.” When made using traditional methods, with high quality milk and in small batches (the very definition of artisan cheesemaking), these cheeses have a very high input cost. Even with prices higher than those of most imported and industrial versions, it’s rare for a handmade cheese to truly reflect its cost—and to return a living wage to the producer.

Either by producing milk themselves or by nurturing relationships with select dairy producers, many artisan cheesemakers encourage production models that involve more expenses than those of conventional, high-volume fluid milk—including humane treatment of animals, high-quality, natural feed, and sometimes even better farm worker wages. Yet each gallon of thoughtfully produced milk will only give the cheesemaker about one pound or less of cheese! If you then add on hours of production—and, possibly, months of

labor-intensive aging—that little pound of cheese becomes even more expensive.

If the producer must then also account for distribution costs like transport, margins, and mark-ups, well…I think you get the idea.

Fortunately, when you purchase such a responsibly- and artfully-created cheese, you rarely need to buy as much as you might when making a pizza or nachos. Rather than a price per pound, you are more likely to buy a few ounces at a time. All of that attention to detail throughout the process adds up to powerful flavors and quality that can’t be surpassed. I encourage people to “taste” all of the good they are doing for the cheesemaker, the farmer, the goats, cows, and sheep—and possibly even the planet—when they invest in the true artisan cheese experience. c GIANACLIS CALDWELL is the author of six books on cheese and dairy topics. She lives in Rogue River, Oregon, where she manages her herd of dairy goats at Pholia Farm.

Got a question for the culture crew?

Write to us at

askculture@culturecheesemag.com, or tweet @culturecheese using #AskCultureCheese.

ILLUSTRATION: Tom Bingham

Q: A:

What’s that creamy white stuff inside burrata?

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PHOTO: Beet Juice: Adobe Stock/Tatiana Belova; Black tea: Adobe Stock/Alvaro

DRINKS WITH CHEESE

Thanks to a US ban on growing this European shrub that lasted from 1911 until 2003 (learn more at culturecheesemag.com/currants), black currants are only beginning to gain an appreciative audience stateside. Across the Atlantic, however, the small berries are highly regarded for both flavor and an abundance of vitamins and polyphenols. Tart, herbal, and spicy, the dark-purple juice has an almost tannic intensity; when it’s lightly sweetened or blended with other fruit juices, it drinks almost like a nonalcoholic Port wine—which makes it a natural match for blue cheese. Try it with Cayuga Blue from Lively Run Goat Dairy in New York State—the leading source of black currants in America.

Calling All Blues BLUE-VEINED CHEESES MEET THEIR MATCH IN SIMILARLY-HUED SIPS written by TA R A Q . T H O M A S

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or a cheese with such a stinky reputation, blues are incredibly accommodating when it comes to drinks.

This realization came to me this summer as I was travelling to Northern Germany, where the average grocery store shelf holds a wide variety of fruit and vegetable juices. As an American, I went somewhat bananas, thrilled with the tannic grip of black currant juice and the tangy zing of rhubarb, not to mention the differences between apple ciders. These weren’t

sweetened and watered down to appeal to a child’s palate; they were full-on flavorful drinks.

Back in the States, I’ve been looking harder for interesting juices, or pressing my own from whatever’s ripe and in season. But I’ve found the intensity of many is too much for fresh cheeses or chunks of sweet cow’s milk mountain wheels; the rush of sugar, acid, fruitskin tannins, and pure unadulterated flavor needs a cheese that has both richness and bite.

Time and again, blues came to the rescue. Here are some top finds. c

Brooklyn, New York–based TARA Q. THOMAS is executive editor of Wine & Spirits Magazine and a contributor to The Oxford Companion to Cheese (Oxford Companions, 2016).

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Grape juice When you can find fresh Concord grapes—the sort that are so ripe and sweet that you can locate them with your eyes closed—crush them whole, extracting some of the bitterness and tannins from the skins, and pour the juice over ice. Serve with a gentle blue, like a buttery Gorgonzola Dolce PDO.

PHOTO: Blue Cheese and Honey: Jeremy Merriam; Black Currants: Adobe Stock/volff; Grapes: Adobe Stock/Corona Borealis

Black currant juice

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It’s easy to make shrub, a tangy vinegar-based drink, with almost any fruit or vegetable at home (find out how at culturecheesemag. com/shrubs). For this particular drink, I pureed five large beets with 1 cup each of sugar and vinegar, then mixed in salt and black peppercorns. Strained the next day, it’s an intensely fuchsiacolored beverage that’s tangy, earthy, and spicy, with an acidic zip that makes it a versatile pairing with all sorts of blue cheese– infused dishes. It’s also delicious spiked with vodka or gin and served with a blue cheese ball rolled in chopped, toasted walnuts (for more cheese ball ideas and tips, flip to p. 36).

Port

Black tea works beautifully with blue cheeses. Its warmth emphasizes the creaminess of the cheese, while its tannins cut through the richness. A smoky tea, like oolong or lapsang souchong, works especially well with a pungent blue like Roquefort PDO; try it with a drizzle of dark honey to really round out the flavors.

When you want to pull out all the stops, it’s hard to beat Stilton PDO with a deep purple Vintage Port from Portugal’s Douro Valley. While there’s an old tradition of upending a bottle into a wheel of cheese to let the wine soak in, it’s best to keep the two separate. That way you can better appreciate the contrast of ripe, plummy fruit and salty, funky tang, and take advantage of the cleansing effect of the wine’s peppery alcohol after each bite. Both are intense and expensive, so wait for a cold, dark night to enjoy them.

Port: Adobe Stock/hansgeel

PHOTO: Blue Cheese and Honey: Jeremy Merriam; Black Currants: Adobe Stock/volff; Grapes: Adobe Stock/Corona Borealis

Black Tea

Isigny Ad Here

PHOTO: Beet Juice: Adobe Stock/Tatiana Belova; Black tea: Adobe Stock/Alvaro

Beet shrub

Berry-infused mead Given that blues like berries and a little sweetness—and nearly all cheeses appreciate the cleansing, lifting power of bubbles—a sparkling, berry-infused honey-based brew should be a nobrainer. The only challenge is finding one delicate enough not to clobber the cheese. A session-style version, like the 6% ABV Macho Mead Berry Savage from Crafted Artisan Meadery, makes a refreshing, fun pairing.

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VOICINGS

MacKenzie Smith

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acKenzie Smith didn’t plan on becoming a grilled cheese guru, or a two-time Food Network champion.

While pursuing a master’s in counseling psychology and social justice at Columbia, she found herself buried under papers, therapy, and the general monotony of day-to-day life; she needed a creative outlet. A friend suggested she write a food blog, and, after googling, “What is a food blog,” Smith decided to give it a try.

As a full-time student, Smith knew her subject needed to be easy, yet tasty. Her lifelong love of grilled cheese provided the obvious solution—but this was just the beginning.

Smith secured a position as editorial assistant at Saveur magazine after graduating from Columbia, as well as a job at a Brooklyn cheese shop. Her deepening cheese knowledge sparked a love for the industry, which spilled into her blog. After her post “How to Make a Grilled Cheese in a Toaster” went viral, Smith saw her name appearing on websites like Buzzfeed and the Huffington Post. Following the success of her recent cookbook, Grilled Cheese Social: Super Fun Recipes for Super Fun Times (Story Farm, 2018), Smith is now considering opening a cheese-focused cooking school. We caught up with Smith to talk Food Network competitions, nostalgia, and the best grilled cheese fixings. c interviewed by MADELINE UPSON

ON GROCERY SHOPPING I wish I could say I was more organized before going to the grocery store, but in reality, I get super blazed before I leave.

Whatever looks good, I buy.

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ON BECOMING A MONGER

A lot of cheese shops at the time were very pretentious. I wanted to bring that friendly attitude to the counter. Everyone at my shop considered themselves “the nice cheesemongers.”

ON PEOPLE’S LOVE FOR GRILLED CHEESE

I think the love is a mixture of nostalgia and modern creativity. Most likely everyone’s mom or grandmother made it for them, so it’s a comfort food. And, as we grow older, we learn about flavor pairings and different kinds of cheeses, and you’re able to up your grilled cheese game.

ON IMPROVISATION

I’m already freestyling in the kitchen every day—I feel like it helped me win Guy’s Grocery Games. I don’t even know what I’m making until I get there. Maybe being a procrastinator makes me think smarter and more quickly in the moment.

ON HER FAVORITE GRILLED CHEESE My favorite go-to at most of my events is smoked cheddar, candied bacon, and pickled jalapeños. It combines sweet, salty, spicy, and savory.

This interview has been condensed and edited. To read the full Q&A, visit culturecheesemag.com/smith.

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Cheese Plate Renaissance THE CHEESE COURSE IS MAKING A COMEBACK AND WE’RE HERE FOR IT written by K AY L A M U R D O C K

T

hough American palates may sometimes struggle with French dishes, the cheese course— a longstanding French custom—is one tradition that translates beautifully.

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“All over France, it’s uncommon to see a menu without a cheese course,” says Emma Young, wholesale manager at French affineur and exporter Mons Cheesemongers. French tradition prescribes that cheese plates are enjoyed

either between the main course and dessert, or simply in place of dessert. The selections of fromage—often chosen by the chef for their “seasonality, availability, and current quality,” Young adds—are the perfect meal’s final punctuation.

Stateside, the concept of a cheese course was once sequestered in the realm of fine French dining. With the industrialization of dairy that began in the 19th century, cheese produced in America was increasingly limited to cheddars and large-format blocks: calorie-rich commodities manufactured for mass nutrition. If a cheese was served for gastronomic pleasure and not purely for sustenance, it was probably imported from Europe.

But in the 1980s, American pioneers began producing artisan cheeses worthy of restaurant menus. As small farms in every region started to dabble in—and then master—small-batch cheesemaking, their products slowly displaced imported wheels. Cheese plates percolated out of haute cuisine and into less formal settings, becoming more digestible for a wider American audience.

“We’ve come a long way from the days when restaurant cheese plates were first and foremost French, and when only French restaurants served them,” says Janet Fletcher, author of The Cheese Course (Chronicle Books, 2000) and the blog “Planet Cheese.” “It’s important for any cheese enthusiast to know the ‘Gold Standard’ [European] classics like Comté and Brie de Meaux,” she adds—but in many ways, the rise of the cheese plate has its origins in a distinctly American local food movement. From her vantage point in the San Francisco Bay area, she’s witnessed the shift. At San Francisco’s Zuni Café, which she calls “a pioneer in showcasing the cheese course,” most of the cheeses are now local.

Across the country in Concord, New Hampshire, Revival Kitchen & Bar’s all-New-England cheese menu features five selections from within the state.

PHOTO: Adobe Stock/acrogame

CHEESE IQ

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PHOTO: Adobe Stock/acrogame

“Ten years ago, we couldn’t have had a cheese list with more than half from New Hampshire,” says chef-owner Corey Fletcher. “It would have been Vermont, California, and Europe.” He credits the new options to revitalized local farms that are adopting secondary ventures like cheesemaking, and notes that the cheese menu is more popular on weekends. “It’s more of a social thing,” he says, “Cheese is good for conversation.”

In addition to fostering dialogue among diners, “cheese is a relationship starter between the server and the guest,” says Peter Macone, manager at Campo Enoteca in Manchester, New Hampshire. The farm-to-table restaurant features four local cheeses; often, a server will begin by explaining the list to patrons. Macone confirms that cheeses are ordered “almost always as a starter,” and that Americans very rarely request them after a main course.

He mentions that cheese is occasionally ordered alongside the main course, however, because it has a “fajita effect” as it is carried through the restaurant— those who may have overlooked the cheese menu change their minds when they glimpse a composed board.

The restaurant setting is ideal for tasting new cheeses, whether you’re a novice or simply don’t want to commit to a full wedge. It’s a great way to try the artisan American products that debut seasonally, or learn about traditional European wheels whose rich histories have informed stateside cheesemaking.

For many, a cheese course is a trial of unfamiliar flavors, and we like to have others at the table to taste with us. As we’ve trended away from traditional French selections and toward locallyfocused and shareable cheese plates, it’s become clear that the cheese course is finding its own place American dining. c

HOW TO CRAFT A KILLER CHEESE COURSE

Buy the correct amount of cheese. If you’re serving the cheese plate as part of a meal, that’s about pound per person.

Put a label on it. Noting each cheese’s name and style is helpful for tasters, especially when pairing.

Diversify textures. All block cheddars? Boring! Aim for a mix of soft, semi-soft, firm, and hard cheeses. Visit culturecheesemag.com/texture for more on cheese textures.

Warm it up. Assemble the plate at least a half-hour before serving. Room-temperature cheeses—and accoutrements— just taste better.

Mix up milks. Too much moo means you’re missing out.

Include goat’s and sheep’s milk curds to keep things lively.

Set out (appropriate) silverware. Using the same knife to cut all the cheeses will mix up flavors, sometimes unpleasantly. Designate one serving utensil for each cheese, and make sure it’s the right one for the job (visit culturecheesemag. com/cheese-knives for a tutorial).

KAYLA MURDOCK is a paramedic-turnedcheesemonger with a special interest in the cheeses of New England.

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culture cooks

WINTER IS COMING

PHOTO: Mackenzie Smith Kelley

We’ve got cheesy dishes to get you through the long winter days ahead.

Cuddle up fireside with dairy-filled at-home Indian food, tips for upping your Taleggio game, a recipe for DIY pâté (if you’re feeling fancy), and more.

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in season

Cultured Kohlrabi THIS UNDERUTILIZED VEGETABLE TASTES GREAT RAW OR COOKED, ESPECIALLY WITH CHEESE

Cream of Kohlrabi Soup with Parmesan Crisps

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turnip.” Not so alien after all, just a little Bavarian.

And don’t let the name fool you: the biennial vegetable is actually a cultivar of cabbage, not a turnip. Beginning about 2,500 years ago, the wild form of this species (which resembled mustard greens) grew along the coast of Britain, France, and the Mediterranean. Over time the species spread and farmers selected seeds from only the most desirable of plants: enlarged stems, enlarged flowering structures, and many small heads among the preferred qualities. Today, all commonly used kohlrabi varietals, with

Move over spuds—kohlrabi takes center stage in this cold-weather soup finished with crunchy baked parmesan. Recipe adapted from The New York Times.

Serves 6 SOUP: 3 pounds kohlrabi, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes ¼ cup olive oil, plus more to garnish 1¾ teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste

PHOTO: Adobe Stock/denira

written by M A D I S O N T R A P K I N irst things first: it’s pronounced kohl-RAH-bee. Chances are you’ve spotted this cruciferous, alien-like vegetable at the grocery store or farmers’ market and wondered if you’ve accidentally stumbled onto the set of a sci-fi film.

While kohlrabi—which comes in both green and purple varieties—may look otherworldly, its origins are decidedly normal.

The name “kohlrabi” comes from the German kohl (“cabbage”) and Swiss-German rübe or rabi (“turnip”).

Unsurprisingly, it’s also called “German

the exception of the Kashmiri haakh, grow with this swollen base. Haakh—used in the Kashmiri dishes haahk and monj—has a thin stem and the same leaves as other kohlrabi.

Beyond India and Germany, the veg is commonly eaten in Bangladesh, Vietnam, Greece, Sri Lanka, and parts of the US with large German populations (like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania). In terms of taste and texture, kohlrabi falls somewhere between a broccoli stem and cabbage. If you find a bulb with lots of leaves attached, you’ve hit the kohlrabi jackpot—these greens make a great substitute for kale or collards, so fire up the sauté pan. The bulb calls for a little TLC, but it’s worth it, we promise. Remove the tough outermost layer with a vegetable peeler or paring knife. At this point you’ve got a decision to make: to cook or not to cook? Kohlrabi can be eaten either way.

For raw kohlrabi, toss it in a salad or eat drizzled with a bit of olive oil and salt to enjoy its radish-like spice. If you’d rather cook your kohlrabi, grate a few bulbs— along with some carrots—form into fritters, fry, and serve with herb-yogurt sauce.

Or, simply steam and top with grated cheddar while still hot to achieve maximum meltiness. Finally, soup is a simple-yetsatisfying way to enjoy kohlrabi in the winter—find a recipe below. c

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1 large white onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups vegetable stock, chicken stock, or water 1 bay leaf PARMESAN CRISPS: ½ cup grated parmesan cheese SOUP: Arrange an oven rack about 4 to 6 inches from broiler. Arrange kohlrabi cubes evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons olive oil, ¾ teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste, then toss to coat. Transfer to oven and broil until well-browned, about 10 minutes. Watch carefully to ensure kohlrabi doesn’t burn.

While kohlrabi cooks, heat remaining olive oil in a Dutch oven over mediumhigh heat. Add onion and cook for 7 minutes, or until translucent, stirring frequently. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.

Add roasted kohlrabi, vegetable stock, 3 cups water, bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon salt to Dutch oven. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium, cover partially, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove bay leaf and discard. Using an immersion blender, puree soup until smooth. Alternately, add soup to a blender in batches and puree. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

PHOTO: Adobe Stock/denira

PARMESAN CRISPS: Heat oven to 400°F. Place a heaping tablespoon of parmesan on a silicone or parchmentlined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cheese, spacing each pile at least ½ inch apart.

Bake 3 to 5 minutes, or until golden.

Cool completely before serving.

TO ASSEMBLE: Ladle a serving of soup into a bowl, drizzle with salt and olive oil, and garnish with 1 to 2 parmesan crisps.

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cheese plate

Cool Blue BRING BOLD FLAVOR TO THE HOLIDAY TABLE WITH THIS ALL-BLUE PLATE written by M A D E L I N E U P S O N photographed by A D A M D E T O U R styled by K E N D R A S M I T H

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ew things divide turophiles like blue cheese; creamy wedges laced with blue and green veins either make people lick their lips in anticipation or scurry away with a quick “no, thanks.”

Grace Pullin, head cheesemonger at Talbott & Arding in Hudson, New York, says that encouraging customers to try even a mild blue requires a light touch.

And pairing a blue? That’s a whole different animal. “[Blue cheeses] are tricky because of their high salt content and potential to overwhelm the palate,” Pullin says. “To balance those bold, savory qualities, spring for sweet accompaniments.” Check out her expert sweet-and-salty pairings below, from old classics like honey to new favorites like blackcurrant preserves. c

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The Grey Barn and Farm Bluebird

Origin: Chilmark, Massachusetts Milk: Raw cow’s milk

RAY TOUSEY HONEYCOMB Crafted on Martha’s Vineyard from organic cow’s milk, Bluebird resembles a mild Stilton. Here, the cheese’s density is juxtaposed with the chewiness of the honeycomb.

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Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Bay Blue

Origin: Point Reyes Station, California Milk: Pasteurized cow’s milk

ENGLAND PRESERVES BLACKCURRANT BLIGHTY This fudgy blue offers delightful yet subtle caramel flavors. Pullin pairs it with a slightly sour preserve to highlight the sweet and savory notes found in both foods.

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Old Chatham Creamery Ewe’s Blue

Origin: Old Chatham, New York Milk: Pasteurized sheep’s milk

TALBOTT & ARDING’S FRUIT AND NUT LOAF Talbott & Arding makes several food items in-house, and their fruit and nut loaf pairs perfectly with the creamy, slightly crumbly interior of Ewe’s Blue. “A bit of each makes for a sweet, transcendent bite,” says Pullin.

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Westfield Farm Classic Blue Log

Origin: Hubbardston, Massachusetts Milk: Pasteurized goat’s milk

ALAN GRAY’S SEVILLE ORANGE AND SCOTCH MARMALADE “Smooth, velvety goat logs are made to be eaten with a good marmalade,” says Pullin. Vary the distinct taste of this externally-rinded blue with crisp citrus preserves.

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Jasper Hill Farm Bayley Hazen Blue

Origin: Greensboro, Vermont Milk: Raw cow’s milk

FRUITION CHOCOLATE HUDSON BOURBON DARK MILK 61% With balanced notes of toasted nuts and anise, Bayley Hazen is approachable even for blue newbies.

“I’ve eaten it with countless kinds of chocolate, but the bourbon flavor of this Fruition bar adds delicious depth that I keep coming back to,” says Pullin.

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can do

Opulent Offal DIY CHICKEN LIVER PÂTÉ MAKES FOR A SHOW-STOPPING HOLIDAY APPETIZER written and photographed by E R I N H A R R I S

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rench bistros around the world have been serving velvety, luxurious chicken liver pâté for hundreds of years, and yet, it remains a culinary conundrum for many home cooks. It makes sense that folks feel daunted by the task of purchasing and cooking organ meat, but fear not—chicken livers share the same preparation rules that would apply to any piece of meat.

To begin, choose livers that are fresh and high quality (either frozen or one to two days old). Next, it’s important to thoroughly clean the livers to ensure the sweet, earthy character of the meat can shine. Cutting away bits of fatty sinew and soaking the livers in milk for at least six hours will soften any metallic or bitter notes. Lastly, generous rations of fat enrich the pâté’s savory meatiness.

While it’s not mandatory to seal your

pâté under another layer of fat, it is recommended if you plan to keep it for several days prior to serving it—the fat will protect the surface from darkening and losing moisture while flavors meld together and develop. Pâtés are traditionally served alongside slices of fresh baguette or wafer-thin crostini, with a tangy pickle, compote, or salad garnish to help cut through the richness (and perhaps ease your conscience). c

ERIN HARRIS is a chef, cheese specialist, and American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional based in Toronto, Canada.

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Chicken Liver Pâté Makes about 1¾ cups EQUIPMENT: Fine-mesh sieve Food processor Medium frying pan Ceramic pâté dish or glass jars for serving INGREDIENTS: ½ pound chicken livers 1½ cups whole milk 1 teaspoon olive oil cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature, divided 2 tablespoons minced shallot 1 bay leaf 3 sprigs fresh thyme cup tawny port 2 tablespoons maple syrup cup heavy cream, room temperature 1 teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon white pepper ¼ cup duck fat or clarified butter, room temperature

Pâté Pointers •If the pâté separates while you’re adding the heavy cream or butter, don’t panic! Gently warm the mixture over low heat and whisk until it comes back together, then continue with the rest of the recipe.

• Add 1 teaspoon of crushed pink peppercorns for a sweet, mellow heat. (Fold in after the pâté has been pushed through the fine-mesh sieve.)

• Serve with your favorite stone fruit or fig jam, along with a selection of crackers and slices of baguette.

1. Clean livers by running them under cold water and removing any fat and connective tissue. Place livers in a bowl, cover with milk, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to 12 hours.

2. Remove livers from milk, place on paper towels, and pat dry. Discard milk.

Warm olive oil in a medium frying pan set over high heat. Once pan is hot, sear livers for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until browned on the outside but still rosy pink on the inside. Remove from pan and transfer to the bowl of a food processor. Wipe pan clean, add 1 tablespoon butter, and melt over medium heat. Add shallot, bay leaf, and thyme and cook for 2 minutes or until shallot is translucent. Deglaze pan with the port and maple syrup and simmer until reduced by half.

3. Discard thyme and bay leaf. Pour shallot and port reduction into the food processor and blend with the livers until smooth. Add the salt and pepper and blend again. Wipe down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure everything is blended together.

With the lid secured and the motor running, slowly pour in the heavy cream. Stop the motor and wipe down the sides of the bowl again. Turn the motor back on and slowly add the remaining cup butter, tablespoon by tablespoon, until it is fully incorporated.

Using a spatula, press mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Discard contents of sieve and use a clean spatula to transfer pâté to your desired serving vessel.

Smooth the top of the pâté and place in the refrigerator to set, about 4 to 6 hours.

4. Once firm, top pâté with duck fat and add a decorative garnish (try fresh herbs or peppercorns) if desired. Return pâté to the refrigerator until ready to serve.

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cheese remix

Cheese Ballin’ NEW SPINS ON THIS RETRO APP HELP IT FEEL FRESH written by R E B E C C A H A L E Y- PA R K

CHEESES

MIX-INS

COATING

ACCOMPANIMENT

Bacon Scallion Cheese Ball

Young cheddar, cream cheese

Chopped scallions

Chopped bacon

Woven wheat crackers

Chocolate Chèvre Cheese Ball

Fresh goat cheese

Cocoa powder

Semi-sweet chocolate chips

Vanilla cookies

Spicy Cheese Ball

Cream cheese, grated Asiago

Chopped pepperoncini, chopped salami

Toasted panko breadcrumbs

Butter crackers

Sweet and Salty Cheese Ball

Blue cheese, fromage blanc

Chopped caramelized shallots, chopped dates

Candied pecans

Water crackers

PHOTO: JJAVA/Adobe Stock

CHEESE BALL

Cheese Ball Tips ■

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Bring all ingredients to room temperature before assembling your cheese ball—but don’t leave fresh cheeses out for longer than two hours.

Every cheese ball needs a fresh cheese that can hold its shape to serve as the base. Cream cheese is the most common, but you can also use fromage blanc, fresh chèvre, mascarpone, and more. Whip in accent cheeses using a food processor for an additional flavor boost (grate them first if they’re firm).

Textural contrast is what makes cheese balls so addicting. Fold softer flavorings directly into the mixture, and roll the ball in something crunchy to finish.

If your cheese ball is too runny, add a tablespoon of unsalted butter to the mixture— this will help it solidify as it chills.

A dash of booze—beer, wine, or liquor, depending on your recipe—never hurt a cheese ball (it’s the holidays after all!).

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chef ’s dish

Supper Club Season CHEFS PRIYA KRISHNA AND DEEPA SHRIDHAR SERVE UP CULTURE, CONVIVIALITY, AND PLENTY OF GHEE written by MADISON TRAPKIN

photographed by MACKENZIE SMITH KELLEY

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chef ’s dish

C

hef-author Priya Krishna and Puli-Ra supper club founder Deepa Shridhar partnered this past summer for a celebratory supper club based on Krishna’s new cookbook, Indian-ish (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, April 2019). The Texan duo hosted their event at The Austin Winery in Austin, Texas, to give new meaning to the classic wine-and-cheese pairing. Their Indian-inspired dishes like Roti Pizza and Shrikhand—a traditional Indian dessert jazzed up with goat’s milk skyr—were paired with The Austin Winery’s libations as part of a larger dinner series called “Supper Club SZN.” Krishna and Shridhar’s collaboration was a testament to the power of food, partnership, and some good oldfashioned cultured dairy. c

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“There isn’t a singular type of Indian food, or a singular type of Indian experience,” says Krishna. “Both Deepa and I are representing our personal experiences as Indians who grew up in Texas. For me, the quintessential examples of this are [dishes like] Roti Pizza—[a recipe] born out of my mom using the ingredients she was able to find when she emigrated to the US and was feeling homesick for the flavors of India.”

Roti Pizza with Jammy Tomatoes and Cheddar p. 92

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“I love working with passionate, unwavering makers,” says Shridhar. “The Austin Winery makes great wine without compromise. That’s some hard shit, and I’m proud to help with that narrative.”

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chef ’s dish

Brûléed Shrikhand p. 93

“Dairy is pretty essential to Indian food,” says Krishna. “Yogurt, for example, was the bread and butter of most of my meals growing up. Ghee, too! I wish people would understand that it’s not just paneer.” Dishes like their Brûléed Shrikhand use yogurt-like goat skyr, and almost all recipes on their supper club menu utilize ghee.

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chef ’s dish

“Nothing is better than Texan and Indian food,” says Shridhar. She and Krishna developed a menu based on this concept, fusing traditional Indian dishes with homegrown Texan flavors, like their ghee-laden Pav Bhaji Samosa Pies with Bee Tree Farm Raita.

Pav Bhaji Samosa Pies with Bee Tree Farm Raita p. 91

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cheers to our new

Chardonnay & Tennessee Whiskey BellaVitanoÂŽ

107 N. Pleasant View Road, Plymouth, Wisconsin 53073 www.sartoricheese.com 1-800-558-5888

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Remnant to be sold

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one cheese, five ways

Cold Weather Comfort SMOOTH, FLAVORFUL TALEGGIO STARS IN WINTER DISHES written by T E R E S A F I N N E Y photographed by A D A M D E T O U R styled by K E N D R A S M I T H

T

aleggio—a fruity, tangy semisoft cow’s milk cheese from the Val Taleggio region of Italy—is no stranger to the cheese plate. And while the washed rind certainly makes a statement on its own, we’re here to convince you to use it in the kitchen, too. In the recipes ahead, we press Taleggio into panini, melt it into polenta and atop pasta, slice it for a hearty salad, and more. The bold yet approachable flavor of the cheese makes any dish it’s used in a standout—perfect for holiday entertaining. c

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1 Penne with Peas, Italian Sausage, and Taleggio Sauce p. 95

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2

Isigny Ad Here

Taleggio and Apricot Jam Panini p. 95

3 Arugula and Radicchio Salad with Taleggio and Toasted Walnuts p. 94

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4 Taleggio Polenta with Mushrooms and Bacon p. 94

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one cheese, five ways

5 Taleggio and Swiss Chard Omelette p. 96 WINTER 2019

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The firm paste boasts multifaceted notes of earth, caramel, chestnut honey, and tropical fruit.

What happens when you take a flagship cheese and roll it in hay? If you’re Jasper Hill Farm, you win awards.

After netting Best of Show first runner-up at the 2018 American Cheese Society Judging and Competition, demand for Calderwood soared (Jasper Hill also secured Best of Show that year with Harbison).

Calderwood begins as Alpha Tolman, a raw-milk Alpine style, and its transformation starts when the rind is washed with brine and pressed with toasted, shredded hay—but it’s not any old hay. Jasper Hill Farm was the first in the nation to build an Italian-style hay-drying facility, which allows their cows to be grass-fed yearround, even in Vermont’s rainy climate. This same hay is used to coat wheels of Calderwood. By doubling down on the terroir, Jasper Hill’s taste of place is compounded in the nutty, complex cheese.

written by R E B E C C A H A L E Y- PA R K photographed by A D A M D E T O U R styled by K E N D R A S M I T H

Calderwood CENTERFOLD

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Cryovac helps the hay adhere to the rind. After four months of aging, the plastic is removed and wheels are left to dry and form a natural rind.

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WR IT TE N BY CH R I S TI N E CH ITN I S PH OTO G R A PH E D BY PAU L S A R ACE N O S T Y LE D BY S U N N Y R I CK S

SPICED L A MB L ASAGNA P. 96

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Wintry weather calls for warming comfort dishes, and nothing quite hits the spot like lasagna. With its layers of starchy noodles, melty cheese, and bubbling sauce, it’s hard to find a cozier main course. Lucky, then, that there are endless lasagna iterations to keep you fed and happy all season long. In the pages ahead, find tips on everything from the best cheeses to use to tricks for no-boil noodle success. Preheat that oven and pull out the pasta! 

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(No-Boil) Noodle Knowledge If you’re looking for a quick dinner fix, lasagna isn’t your best bet, but there is a way to make the process a bit less time consuming (and unlike most cooking short-cuts, the result is just as tasty). No-boil lasagna noodles save time and the awkward task of arranging steaming hot, floppy cooked noodles.

A few things to take note of: no-boil lasagna noodles are thinner than regular lasagna noodles, which allows them to cook through as your dish bakes, but they need liquid to do so. Pre-cooked at the factory and then put through a dehydrating process, no-boil lasagna noodles use moisture from the sauce to rehydrate and soften to a proper consistency while baking. This is why a loose sauce, along with covering your lasagna with foil to trap the moisture, is key to success.

A few more tips: Make sure that noodles are well coated with both sauce and cheese. Naked noodles aren’t going to cook properly, and there is nothing worse than toiling over a lasagna dinner only to crunch into an uncooked noodle.

Additionally, recipes that call for noboil noodles are not interchangeable with traditional lasagna noodles; the cooked noodles will not soak up the extra moisture, and you’ll wind up with soupy lasagna.

It would be easy to assume that tomatoes are a product of Italy, given their prevalence in the country’s cuisine, but tomatoes actually originated in the Andes, growing wild in what is now Peru, Chile, Ecuador, and Bolivia. When the plant first arrived in Europe, many thought it to be toxic since it was a member of the nightshade family. Luckily, that rumor was cleared up and the tomato went on to become a culinary superstar.

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700 A.D. Tomatoes are cultivated by the Incas and Aztecs.

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SPINACH-ARTICHOKE L ASAGNA P. 98

1520s:

Spanish conquistadors introduce the tomato to Europe, where it is widely believed to be toxic. While the plant and raw fruit do have low levels of tomatine, a toxic alkaloid, most varieties do not contain high enough levels to be dangerous.

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1544:

Tomatoes are mentioned for the first time in European literature by Italian botanist Pietro Andrea Mattioli, who described them as a type of eggplant. During this time, tomatoes are mainly grown as ornamental plants.

1692:

In Naples, Italy, the earliest discovered cookbook with tomato recipes is published.

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SPIC Y SKILLET EGGPL ANT L ASAGNA P. 98

1710:

The first reference is made to tomatoes being cultivated (for ornamental use) in North America (present-day South Carolina).

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1820:

In front of a rapt crowd, horticulturalist Robert Gibbon Johnson eats a tomato on the steps of the courthouse in Salem, New Jersey, to disprove the widely held belief that the fruit is poisonous.

1821:

Alexander Livingston, a seedsman who went on to develop numerous tomato varieties with specific traits for commercial and home gardeners, is born in Reynoldsburg, Ohio.

1876:

F. & J. Heinz launch their tomato ketchup.

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MUSHROOM , CHICKEN AND K ALE L ASAGNA P. 99

1917:

At the French Lick Springs Hotel in Indiana, tomato juice is served as a beverage for the first time. Crafted by Louis Perrin, it contained a squeezed tomato, sugar, and his own secret special sauce.

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1999:

With many heirloom tomato varieties lost to over-breeding and commercialization, the Victory Seed Company begins the laborious process of recreating Alexander Livingston’s seed collection.

2016:

Worldwide tomato production clocks in at over 170 tons and over 7,500 varieties grown.

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All About That Cheese

SWEET POTATO AND GRUYÈRE L ASAGNA P. 97

There’s nothing better than a strong cheese pull, but to achieve one you need to use the right type of curds.

As a general rule of thumb, younger, fresher, softer cheeses are best for melting. Think of some of your favorite cheesy dishes, like Gruyèretopped French onion soup and mozzarella-topped pizza. Lasagna is no exception. Below, find five perfectly melty cheeses to try: MOZZARELLA: Made by heating, stretching, and forming curds, mozzarella is a tender, young cheese perfect for melting. Opt for the freshest you can find, or try your hand at making your own.

GRUYÈRE: With a flavor that varies widely with age, Gruyère adds a nutty, complex earthiness to dishes without overshadowing the other ingredients (which is why it works well in lasagna).

BRIE: Known to be a smooth melter that adds richness to dishes, brie is a soft-ripened cheese encased in a pliable rind. Note: the rind will not melt, so be sure to remove it before cooking.

RACLETTE: While nutty raclette can be served as part of a cheese plate, something magical happens when it’s heated. Traditionally the cheese is served tableside, where a large wheel is warmed and scraped with a knife, sending a cascade of melty goodness over a plate of potatoes, pickled vegetables, or bread.

TALEGGIO: An Italian cheese named after the caves of Val Taleggio, this semi-soft, smearripened cow’s milk cheese has a mild flavor with a hint of fruity tang. Although the rind is edible, it’s best to remove it before melting the cheese. (Find more recipes using Taleggio on p. 47.)

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CALIF

ORNIA CREAT IVITY Central Coast Creamery is quietly redefining what it means to be a small domestic cheese producer

WRITTEN BY JESSIE NICELY · PHOTOGRAPHED BY JENNIFER OLSON

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P

R obl e s —located halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco—is perhaps best known for its robust wine industry; Its proximity to the coast along with ideal growing conditions make it a mecca for tourists and vintners alike. But the city is also home to a number of small farms and dairies.

It’s hard to know the average Californian’s perception of a farm, but there’s likely a certain expectation of small-scale producers—that the operations have been handed down through generations and a level of instinctual practice and hereditary knowledge is at play. But talk to any rancher or farmer in the Central Valley and you’ll quickly find that precision is key to strong production and there’s little room for error when it comes to staying afloat. a so

A Well-Rounded Career With nearly 30 years of experience in the dairy industry, Reggie Jones, founder and head cheesemaker at Central Coast Creamery, knows his way around a wheel of cheese. While some would assume his passion was cultivated by a life surrounded by dairy, it was actually quite the opposite. “I got into cheese by happenstance,” Jones says. “I had a degree in biological sciences, and no job.” After signing up at a temp agency, he was placed in a lab at a large-scale cheese factory and things just clicked.

Jones quickly moved his way up to plant manager, overseeing the production of over 2,000 pounds of cheese a day and a team of over 400 people. Later in his career, Jones worked for a group that specialized in whey refining technology before taking over regional sales for a large seller of cultures and enzymes.

Jones always knew he wanted to open his own creamery. From his point of view, there was a clear gap between small-scale niche producers and the colossal creameries churning out cheese for the masses. “I made a comment to my wife 20 years ago that [there will

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be] very big cheese factories and very small ones, and nothing in the middle.

You can’t be in the middle and make commodity styles and compete with the big guys, and you can’t make artisanal [if] your equipment’s too big, so you can either be small or large.”

For his cheeses, he knew which direction to go: “I wanted to be small and make quality products. I thought that more complex flavor profiles were the next logical step for American palates.” But that didn’t mean he couldn’t bring everything he’d learned from large-scale operations with him to this new endeavor. “There’s no doubt that the road I traveled gave me the experience required to make it happen,” he says.

For Jones and his wife, Kellie, co-owner of Central Coast as well as a biochemist and pharmacist, Paso Robles felt like the perfect place to start.

“We conceptualized the company in 2007, and while coming up with a name, thought about where we [wanted] be.

Paso Robles was this burgeoning wine area and [while] there were a couple cheesemakers here, they were very small.”

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Ewenique, made with 100 percent sheep’s milk, was initially produced for Central Coast in Holland using milk from Spain. From an economic standpoint, it made perfect sense: Sheep’s milk is easy to come by in Europe, and usually at a very reasonable price point. Ever aware of the importance of supporting domestic producers, once Jones was able to secure a constant supplier of sheep’s milk cheese in 2018, they brought production home to Paso Robles. “It became a philosophical problem. We saw how tough it is, not only for our dairy producers here but also for our fellow cheesemakers. You see every year, people going out of business—a lot of that has to do with cheap imported cheese coming from overseas. We didn’t want to be a part of that problem.”

Over the years, the creamery’s line has grown to include numerous award winners, like Goat Cheddar; the Alpinestyle Bishop’s Peak; semi-firm, mixedmilk Seascape; and Holey Cow, a creamy, whole-milk Swiss style—the only of its kind produced in California.

Process and Culture Reggie Jones, founder and head cheesemaker at Central Coast Creamery

Production space was cheaper than areas with a more established cheese scene, like Point Reyes or Sonoma, and it helped that nearby California Polytechnic State University was Kellie’s undergraduate alma mater.

Playing the Long Game Most new cheesemakers ease into things, starting off with soft cheeses that age quickly to kick-start sales. Instead, Jones began with Goat Gouda (now a multi-

award winner). “We wanted [it] to be four or five months old. So, you’re in business, then you have to wait to see what the final flavor profile and result is,” says Jones. Keeping his day job as regional sales manager, Jones spent Central Coast’s early months refining his process and seeking out dairy producers; it was important to him that the milk was local, single-source, and came from happy animals. This was an easy enough task for their cow’s and goat’s milk cheeses, but sheep’s milk proved to be hard to find. So Jones turned to Europe.

Nearly all of Central Coast Creamery’s cheeses are aged at a lower humidity, keeping them semi-firm with a tight natural rind and a noticeable lack of mold. From the start, one of Jones’ main goals was to create cheeses that would appeal to a variety of palates and could withstand nationwide distribution. This meant foregoing a lot of the aging and packaging experimentation that most small producers are wont to do.

Every step of Central Coast’s process is meticulously planned, from their milk processing schedule—sheep’s milk on Mondays and Fridays, cow’s milk on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and goat’s milk Wednesdays and Thursdays—to the forming of their

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wheels, which are rotated and pressed multiple times to ensure the fortitude of their rinds. The thought that goes into the development of each cheese is equally matched by the care Jones puts into the company’s culture.

To wit: All of Central Coast’s milk suppliers are family-run farms located within a few hundred miles of the creamery. The whey from each batch of cheese is stored until local pig and cow farmers pick it up and add it to their feed. The creamery is closed on weekends to allow employees time for themselves and their families.

Recently, Reggie and Kellie’s teenage daughter, Avery, has followed them into the cheesemaking business, launching Shooting Star Creamery and experimenting with her own line of cheeses. “She’s following [our] road map,” says Jones. “It’s very smart because Central Coast Creamery has all the distribution channels already set up—it should be easier for her to get products approved.” So far, Shooting Star is off to a great start, winning third place Best of Show at the 2019 American Cheese Society Judging and Competition with Aries, an aged Alpine-style sheep’s milk cheese.

Risk and Reward One would hope that making exquisite cheese was enough to sustain a business, but artisan cheesemaking is often a losing game. It’s hard to know which cheeses will be hits and which will fall flat—even those well-received by judges and distributors can be ignored by consumers. One of Jones’ favorite cheeses, Bishop’s Peak, will soon be retired due to lack of sales. It’s a story many producers know, not just within the cheese industry but across the food world. Yet, this struggle also lends itself to innovation—in Central Coast’s case, the creation of Dream Weaver, the creamery’s first washed-rind goat’s milk Clockwise from top: Semi-hard Seascape, a mixed cow and goat's milk cheese; a variety of Central Coast Creamery cheeses; wheels in brine; wax being applied to Goat Gouda

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Wheels in various life stages at Central Coast Creamery.

cheese, as well as several soft cheeses currently in development. “It’s funny how you can have a concept and then it completely changes,” Jones says. “You have to keep evolving.”

Central Coast Creamery will be doing even more to make itself a household name. Their first retail store is opening soon in Santa Cruz, and another shop will follow shortly after in San Luis Obispo. The Santa Cruz shop will be run by a cheesemaker, with the hope that customers will get in-depth explanations on the creamery’s process as well as accurate descriptions of flavor profiles for all the cheeses. “People are going to come into the store and ask questions and they’re going to be able to get our whole story,” Jones says.

Eventually, Jones hopes to open a second creamery in the southeastern US to bring a special line of cheeses to the East Coast and expand their network of dairy producers. But for the immediate future, the focus remains here in California, where this creamery will continue to churn out quality wheels and build up their presence in the cheese world and beyond. c Los Angeles–based JESSIE NICELY is editor-in-chief of Compound Butter magazine and owner/head chef of food pop-up Burmese, Please!

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HERBED ROSE

Cherry Valley Dairy // Duvall, Washington

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GET CULTURED WRITTEN BY

MADISON TRAPKIN HOLLY RIKE

PHOTOGRAPHED BY

CULTURED BUTTER

(BLOCKS)

Daily Driver // San Francisco, California

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t’s tangy, creamy, and keeps you coming back for more. It’s sweet cream butter’s older, sophisticated cousin who drinks their coffee black and just got back from studying abroad in France. That’s right: we’re talking about cultured butter. “‘Culturing’ and ‘fermentation’ both basically mean growing microbes [to] change [our] food chemically,” says microbiologist Jessica Lee. This means cultured butter and run-of-the-mill sweet cream butter not only taste drastically different, they’re virtually different foods.

CULTURED BUTTER 101 Cultured butter likely came about by accident. “[At traditional European dairies,] farmers would store cream from multiple milkings before combining it all and churning butter,” Lee explains. “Some cream would sit around for hours before being churned, and during that time it would ferment.”

These days, most producers have turned to a controlled process known as lactic acid fermentation, which consists of adding certain lactic acid bacteria (also known as “cultures”) to batches of butter.

These are the same bacteria responsible for fermenting other dairy staples like sour cream, yogurt, and cheese, as well as non-dairy edibles like chocolate, pickles, sourdough bread, kimchi, and even coffee. They make the food they’re added to acidic, which in turn makes it an unwelcome environment for many microbes, including ones that make us sick.

Bacteria can either be sourced from the surrounding environment or purchased and added by

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CULTURED BUTTER WITH SEA SALT

Arethusa Farm // Bantam, Connecticut

CULTURED BUTTER BYPRODUCTS Ever wondered where buttermilk comes from? The real stuff is a byproduct of the buttermaking process; It’s the liquid left over after churning milk into butter. Arethusa Farm is a farm, dairy, restaurant, and bakery located in Litchfield, Connecticut, that makes good use of this byproduct. “All of our buttermilk goes to our restaurant, Arethusa al Tavolo, and our bakery, Arethusa a Mono,” says dairy manager Erin Hubbard. “I know the restaurant uses it to tenderize a lot of its proteins—the acidity and flavor are great additions to a lot of recipes.” Most commercial buttermilk is made by adding cultures to regular milk. “There are little bits of butter floating in [Arethusa Farm’s buttermilk],” explains Hubbard. “That’s how you can tell it’s [the real deal].”

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producers. “It took me about two full years of experimentation before I landed on [a culture] that I loved,” says Hadley Kreitz, co-founder and creamery manager at San Francisco– based Daily Driver. Kreitz had been making butter recreationally for years before she launched Daily Driver this past June. “Butter has always been a fascination of mine,” Kreitz says. “I love how it tells a story.” Daily Driver’s story involves a top-secret culture concoction, which seems par for the course among cultured butter makers.

“Every microbial strain has a unique set of metabolic activities that it carries out,” says Lee. “Changing the microbial cultures [used] for buttermaking will inevitably change the chemistry of the butter, which in turn will change the flavor.” It’s no wonder producers protect their particular recipe—it can make or break a butter.

“Since there aren't many traditional cultured butter makers in the States, there isn't much information to aid in the culture selection process...I guess in that regard, it’s kind of a protected recipe,” says Kreitz. “It's also not just about the cultures,” she adds. “It's about the cream, the time of fermentation, the temperature, the pH, the type of churn, the

hand plasticizing—it's a whole buttermaking dance!”

TASTE OF PLACE When so many factors depend on the surrounding environment, you can bet we’re talking cultured butter terroir.

“I believe the cultures I use bring out the best flavors from this particular cream,” Kreitz says. (She sources from Silva Family Dairy in nearby West Marin.) “[Silva Family Dairy’s] milk is one of the main reasons I love making butter,” she says. “I love watching the color of the cream change as their pastures change with the seasons...the butter tells the story of their ranch.”

On the East Coast, Georgia’s Banner Butter is imbuing their cultured butters with a taste of the Southeast. “The grass the cows consume, the climate, the soil, the season, and the way the cultures interact with the cream all contribute to something that is uniquely Southern, uniquely American,” says founder Andrew McBath. McBath is passionate about making cultured butter mainstream. “Culturing is the thing that gives butter its amazing subtleties and complexity,” he says.” It also imparts creaminess and silkiness because of the way the bacteria

also not just about the cultures .

“ItIt ss about the cream , the time of fermentation , the temperature, the pH, the type of churn , the hand plasticizing– it s a whole buttermaking dance! ” WINTER 2019

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CULT-ured BUTTER Animal Farm is a small dairy and farmstead creamery located in Orwell, Vermont, and its cultured butter has a serious following. The majority of their product is sent to the likes of Thomas Keller (of The French Laundry fame) and Barbara Lynch (Boston’s Menton, No. 9 Park, and more). If you’re searching for a block to bring home, check out Middlebury Natural Foods Co-Op in Middlebury, CT.

ROASTED GARLIC , BASIL & PARSLEY

Banner Butter // Atlanta, Georgia

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Europe s Finest

Cultured butters from across the pond

FRANCE: Pamplie AOP Beurre Charentes-Poitou ENGLAND: Ampersand Dairy Cultured Butter DENMARK: Lurpak Salted Butter

CULTURED BUTTER STICK

Vermont Creamery // Websterville, Vermont

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break down the lactose in the cream.”

In other words, when it comes to cultured butter, the juice is most definitely worth the squeeze.

But just because you’ve tasted one farm’s cultured butter doesn’t mean you can call yourself an expert.

“Terroir [matters] so much when it comes to the flavor and quality of fermented foods,” says Lee. “Every cow udder, dairy barn, and butter churn has its own unique microbial population, and therefore every dairy has the potential to make a uniquely flavored butter.”

Producers may select their cultures for any number of reasons—maybe they’re looking for a velvety, movie theater–popcorn quality, so they use Lactococcus lactis subsp. diacetylactis, named for its high levels of diacetyl.

matters] “soTerroir much when it comes to the flavor and quality of fermented foods

.”

Or perhaps they select cultures with European prestige, like the mix McBath uses from The Netherlands and France. Still, the taste of place shines through regardless.

“You can tell so many things about the cows—their breed, their diet, where they come from—just from looking at and tasting [our cultured butter],” says Kreitz. If cultured butters tell a story, as Kreitz says, then it stands to reason that the tale of American-made cultured butter is just beginning. c

Want to try your hand at crafting cultured butter? Learn how at cutlurecheesemag.com/ diy/cultured-butter.

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CULTURED BUTTER

Ploughgate Farms // Fayston, Vermont

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MONET S GARDEN

Bella La Crema // Lyons, Colorado

TASTING NOTES ,

Roasted Garlic Basil & Parsley Banner Butter Atlanta, Georgia

This 5-ounce round packs a punch. It’s just as herbaceous as it is garlic-forward, sort of like a piece of garlic bread dipped in homemade chicken broth.

Monet s Garden Bella La Crema Lyons, Colorado

Floral and sweet with a hint of cinnamon, this velvety cultured butter tastes like a fresh-baked sugar cookie. It comes in different sizes so you can go big or go pocket-sized (seriously, they’ve got minis available).

Cultured Butter Ploughgate Farms Fayston, Vermont

Ploughgate churns out this creamsicle-like cultured butter with slight notes of citrus and a smooth, dreamy texture. It’s also super salty and has some definite buttered popcorn flavor going on.

Cultured Butter with Sea Salt

COOK WITH CULTURED BUTTER PUT IT ON POPCORN… “You can substitute our cultured butter in place of uncultured butter with no difference in amount or weight. Though we may have a heavy hand...because butter just makes everything better!” —Brie Best, Cherry Valley Dairy sales and marketing SAUTÉ CHERRIES… “Monet's Garden butter has lavender, rose petals, nutmeg, and vanilla, all of which [add] lovely nuances to the cherry. I prepare a ricotta whip with vanilla, agave, and lemon oil and lay the sautéed cherries on top.”

—Shauna Lee, Bella La Crema founder

Arethusa Farm Bantam, Connecticut

Consider this the gateway butter for all cultured butters—it’s fatty and grassy, with a hint of sweet cream.

Herbed Rose Cherry Valley Dairy Duvall, Washington

This butter gets its flavor from blending classic French herbs with dried rose and lavender petals.

It’s peppery, heavy on the rosemary, and not too flower-forward.

Cultured Butter Daily Driver San Francisco, California

Lightly salted and waxy in texture, these blocks taste like asparagus without the pungent smell.

Cultured Butter with Sea Salt Sticks

TOSS WITH PASTA… If you’re in the mood for carbs, take Banner Butter founder Andrew McBath’s suggestion: “I love a good cacio e pepe.”

Vermont Creamery Websterville, Vermont

Clocking in at 82 percent butterfat, Vermont Creamery’s cultured butter sticks taste like buttermilk with a smooth, salt-crystal-free texture.

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Queso

without

Borders

The history of cheese in America is a history of migration: traditions are borrowed and reinvented; cuisines have mixed and mingled. And it continues today. Migration from Latin America is more than just a hot-button political issue. It’s a fact of life that’s continually shaping how we farm and eat.

Ahead, you’ll find five stories from around the country that demonstrate the impact of Latin American immigrants on milk, makers, and markets. Let’s explore how US demographics keep changing—and what that means for American cheeses.

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IN THIS FEATURE: WHO REALLY MAKES THE MILK? PHOTOS: CALEB KENNA THE CHEESE THAT DIVIDES PHOTOS: ALAN SHAFFER ILLUSTRATIONS: SONIC YONIX

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WHO REALLY MAKES THE MILK? DESPITE FACING DISCRIMINATION AND DEPORTATION, IMMIGRANT WORKERS KEEP DAIRY FLOWING WRITTEN BY MOLLY MCDONOUGH

hat would the Vermont dairy industry look like without immigrants from Latin America?

For Will Lambek, an organizer at Burlington, Vermont-based nonprofit Migrant Justice, the answer is simple: “It wouldn’t exist, at least in its current form,” he says.

Vermont needs immigration because Vermont needs milk. It’s the state with the heaviest reliance on a single agricultural commodity. About 80 percent of its open land supports dairy production. Not only does milk drive the economy; it shapes the landscape. It creates the bucolic scenes that attract tourists, provides raw material for world-famous cheeses, and sustains traditions woven into the social fabric. It keeps hillside pastures green and lush, dotted with cows. It holds up majestic red barns that might otherwise crumble.

And behind those postcard-worthy facades are the hidden daily toils of the dairy farm workers. Their days begin well before sunrise. They often work between 60 and 80 hours per week. Cows need to be milked multiple times and manure needs to be shoveled, every single day, all year long. Holidays and vacations are scant. Summers are hot and muggy; winters are frigid. The work is dirty, isolating, and physical. It’s not glamorous.

Nor is it lucrative. Milk prices have been declining for decades, forcing dairy farms to consolidate, increase output, and find people to work at low wages. “The traditional model of the family farm—run by family members and maybe the local high school students picking up some shifts—is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain,” says Lambek. “In order to survive, farms are having to grow. And when they grow, they’re hiring immigrant workers.”

DAIRY DEPENDS ON IMMIGRATION According to Vermont state representative Peter Conlon, dairy farms in Vermont really started struggling to with labor about 20 years ago. In a state with a declining population, it became increasingly difficult to find enough locals willing to do the backbreaking work. “Even back then, dairy work was falling out of esteem in the general population,” he says. “There was a certain culture of saying, ‘Be careful or you’ll end up having to do that kind of work.’ But at the same time, farms were growing.”

That’s when some immigrants from Mexico started showing up in the state, looking for jobs. “I think it happened organically,” says Conlon, who spent a decade working as a consultant at AgriPlacement, a company that connects dairy

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Queso without Borders farm owners with workers, who are often immigrants. “A couple of guys from southern Mexico came to a farm, and through their informal network word spread that there were good, reliable jobs here.”

With unemployment in Vermont currently hovering around two percent, it’s as difficult as ever for farms to attract local staff. Today, almost 70 percent of milk in Vermont is produced on farms that utilize immigrant labor.

There are likely around 1,500 migrant workers in the state, predominantly from Mexico and Guatemala, most working—and living—on dairy farms.

“Had these guys not shown up,” says Conlon, “a lot of dairy farms would have shuttered for their inability to find reliable labor.”

The situation here is not unique; similar patterns exist in other dairyproducing states like New York and Wisconsin. According to a 2015 study from Texas A&M University, over half of dairy workers in the US are immigrants. At the national level, almost 80 percent of American milk is produced on farms that hire immigrant workers. While farm owners in many other agricultural industries can hire foreign farm workers through seasonal work visas, dairy farming requires labor yearround. Since there is no year-round visa program for farm workers, the vast majority are undocumented.

That puts both immigrant workers and farm owners in a very precarious position. When workers depart, efficiency wanes. Herd health declines. More calves and cows die.

According to the same Texas A&M study, if immigrant workers were suddenly removed from America’s 58,000 dairy farms, 7,000 of those farms would close. Milk production would decrease by a quarter. The price of milk for consumers would nearly double. Direct economic losses would total $32 billion, with a rippling effect throughout the US economy. “Frankly,” says Conlon,

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“these immigrant workers have saved the dairy industry.”

IF IMMIGRANT WORKERS WERE SUDDENLY REMOVED FROM AMERICA’S 58,000 DAIRY FARMS, 7,000 OF THOSE FARMS WOULD CLOSE. MILK PRODUCTION WOULD DECREASE BY A QUARTER. THE PRICE OF MILK FOR CONSUMERS WOULD NEARLY DOUBLE.

THE OTHER BORDER Despite the fact that they keep its dairy sector afloat, immigrant farm workers in Vermont are routinely targeted, detained, and deported. It might be far from the Mexican border, but proximity to Canada puts Vermont in a unique position. Within 100 miles of the Canadian border, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers can detain, search, and question anyone freely—rendering protections from “unreasonable search and seizure” null. Between 2013 and 2017, local CBP officers have arrested almost 400 people believed to have crossed through the country’s southern border. “We see an average of one detention from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or border patrol every week,” Lambek says.

Migrant worker mother and daughters at a dairy farm in Addison, Vermont.

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Farmworkers Victor Diaz and Ivan Dominguez in the milking parlor at the Vorsteveld Farm, Panton, Vermont.

In a state that’s about 94 percent white, Latino residents stand out. CBP and ICE agents have acted on tips from “concerned citizens,” local cops, or even— controversially—Department of Motor Vehicles employees.

In the vast majority of cases, no crimes or suspicious behaviors precede these tips. It’s racial profiling, and it begins as soon as immigrants step off the farm. In recent months, people have been arrested in Walmart parking lots, at McDonald’s, or even on their way to and from doctors' appointments. News of these arrests ripples quickly throughout the immigrant community.

It’s not hard to see the implications. “People feel like prisoners on their farms,” Lambek says. “If they go to the grocery store, to the bank, to go play with their children at the park, they could be subject to arrest, detention, and deportation.” A 2017 survey by the Open Door Clinic, which serves under- and un-insured individuals in Addison County, found that 80 percent of immigrant workers felt more scared or anxious to go out in public since the 2016 election.

University of Vermont anthropology professor Teresa Mares, who studies health among dairy farm workers,

has found that the fear of going out is so pervasive that many immigrant workers are actually going hungry. “With people being galvanized into xenophobia by the highest levels of our government right now, migrant workers are expressing fear of being in public,” she says. “Very few farm workers are actually doing their own groceries.”

That leaves workers dependent on their employers and vulnerable to exploitation. A 2014 survey conducted by Migrant Justice found that 40 percent of immigrant dairy farm workers in Vermont were paid below minimum wage, almost a third routinely work for seven hours or more without a break, a quarter don’t receive a pay stub, and 15 percent had insufficient heating at home.

SPEAKING OUT Still, the Vermont immigrant community has refused to stay silent. In 2009, when a young Mexican farmworker was killed on a Vermont dairy farm due to unsafe working conditions, a group of immigrants came together to form Migrant Justice. The nonprofit organizes farmworkers WINTER 2019

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Queso without Borders By ensuring dairy farm workers have those basic rights, the program has already made a big impact.

“There have been so many changes,” says Luisa, a dairy farm worker and member of Migrant Justice (to protect her identity, we are omitting her last name). “We didn’t have a day off before. Now we get a day off… now that I have my baby, I’m able to spend more time with her.

Before, nobody cared if you got sick; we had to work and if we couldn’t,

Vorsteveld Farm, Panton, Vermont

in human rights campaigns, takes legal action against racial profiling, and has successfully aided dozens of individuals who have been detained— both through public campaigns and support behind the scenes.

Migrant Justice’s leaders know that the fight for immigrant rights should begin where most of them live and work: on dairy farms. In 2017, after years of talks, pressure, and protest, the organization finally convinced Ben & Jerry’s ice cream— one of the largest milk purchasers in the state—to sign its “Milk with Dignity” agreement. Inspired by the Fair Food Program, a workerdriven social responsibility program that’s transformed the tomato industry in Florida, the legallybinding agreement provokes large 80

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companies to consider their milk sources and the conditions on their supplier farms.

“It was important to have a company like Ben & Jerry's sign the agreement,” says Migrant Justice organizer Marita Canedo. “It's a very proud Vermont brand, and they already had commitments in place for animal welfare and environmental issues—so it was time for them to take a step forward to secure protections for the farmworkers.” Under the agreement, Ben & Jerry’s now pays a premium for its milk; in return, farm owners follow a code of conduct established by workers to guarantee fair wages, scheduling, housing, health and safety, and the right to work free from retaliation.

LITTLE BY LITTLE WE'VE COME OUT OF THE SHADOWS BY RAISING OUR VOICES. WE KNOW THE RISK, BUT IT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN DENOUNCE INJUSTICES AND EMPOWER OUR COMMUNITY. WE ALL DESERVE TO LIVE FREELY AND HAVE OUR RIGHTS RESPECTED.

that day was taken off our paycheck.

Now that we have Milk with Dignity, we’re paid that day. And that’s important for me, for all of us.”

Efrian, a worker at a Milk with Dignity farm in northern Vermont, says that one of the biggest changes has been the ability to stand up for

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Migrant workers celebrating the Milk with Dignity agreement with Ben and Jerry's in Burlington, Vermont. The agreement ensured fair working conditions for migrant workers on Vermont dairy farms.

himself without fear. “[Our bosses] are more interested in making sure that we’re comfortable and happy in our job,” he says. “I don’t have any reason to feel less than anyone else. It’s the opposite; I have the right to express what I feel to the boss without any fear that he’ll run me off the farm or call immigration on me.”

Migrant Justice’s leaders, who speak out publicly in spite of threats to their livelihood, have helped bring the lives of dairy farm workers out of the barns and into the spotlight—but it hasn’t been easy. Between 2016 and 2018, ICE and CBP arrested around 40 immigrants involved in the organization. “We’ve seen a clear pattern of ICE targeting Migrant Justice leaders for arrests and surveilling the organization in retaliation for the human rights work that we do,” says Lambek.

In 2017, ICE agents detained two activists, Enrique Balcazar and Zully Palacios, as they left Migrant Justice headquarters in Burlington. Following a rally outside immigration court, a petition with over 10,000 signatures, and 200 letters of support (including those

from Senator Bernie Sanders and other elected officials), the duo was released—and they didn’t stop speaking out.

“Our community has been criminalized for decades and little by little we've come out of the shadows by raising our voices,” says Palacios. “We know the risk, but it's the only way that we can denounce injustices and empower our community. We all deserve to live freely and have our rights respected.”

Jose Luis Cordova Herrera, a Vermont dairy farm worker and father of three, was arrested and detained on his way home from a health clinic in 2018. Community members condemned the circumstances of the arrest as an attack on his right to access healthcare. Nearly 1,500 people wrote to ICE calling for his release. Eventually, he was freed on bond, which fellow dairy farm workers raised the money to pay for. Upon his release, Herrera reflected on the experience in a public statement. “I came to realize how important it is to be part of an organization like Migrant Justice,” he said. “My freedom is proof of the power of an organized community.” c WINTER 2019

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THE CHEESE THAT DIVIDES WHETHER CONCRETE OR COTIJA, AN ARTIST ARGUES THAT ALL BORDERS CRUMBLE WRITTEN BY SIERRA JUAREZ

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hen President Trump declared he would build a “great, great wall,” the national conversation turned to how much it would cost, where it would be built, and, more importantly, who it would divide. Los Angeles–based artist Cosimo Cavallaro decided he would make a wall of his own—out of Mexican cotija cheese.

Cavallaro’s cheese wall is just steps away from a rusty old metal barrier, which is being torn down and replaced, in the town of Tecate in Southern California.

“Trump’s border wall won’t last. It’s just like a wall of cheese,” he says, reflecting on the proposed 2,000-mile-long barrier.

Cavallaro uses cheese in his work on a regular basis because he considers it a cultural symbol. Cotija cheese originated in Michoacán and is used in many Mexican dishes, from elote to enchiladas. He says the Mexican cheese wall is a form of protest against Trump’s plan. “[My art is] political in nature because it’s about people. Walls are about people. It’s about our society,” he says.

Although people often chuckle when they see the wall of now-rotting cheese, Cavallaro says the reaction means his art is working. He believes that his cheese wall, like Trump’s real wall, is so unnatural it’s almost silly. He hopes his art will make people take a moment to reflect on the experiences of immigrants and refugees.

“Most people don’t know what it’s like to have to leave your country because it’s miserable there,” he says. “It’s important to find compassion. If only people could realize we are all immigrants, that understanding would move us forward.” c SIERRA JUAREZ is a freelance reporter and fact-checker based in Querétaro, Mexico.

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Artist Cosimo Cavallaro assembles a "border wall" made entirely of cotija cheese.

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“HISPANIC-STYLE” IN AMERICA’S DAIRYLAND WISCONSIN’S CHEESEMAKING TRADITIONS ARE CHANGING WRITTEN BY KATJUSA CISAR

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outhern Wisconsin's rolling hills first attracted immigrants from impoverished regions of Switzerland in the mid-18th century. They quickly set about turning rich soil into pasture and, ultimately, cheese. The legacy of Swiss immigration, which continued into the early 1900s, thrives to this day. It fuels the economy, culture, and tourism. Swiss flags hang in town squares, cheese shops in wooden chalets beckon tourists, and yodeling is ubiquitous during Green County Cheese Days, a biennial festival drawing tens of thousands to Monroe, Wisconsin.

But today, a less visible immigrant influence is quietly reshaping the cheese industry here. Wisconsin leads the nation in “Hispanic-style” cheese production, cornering 32 percent of the market. And that market is growing. While these styles account for just 2.5 percent of cheese retail sales nationwide, the segment is growing five times as fast as cheese sales in general.

“It's booming,” says Jim Crubaugh, who oversees an annual production of about 40 million pounds of cheeses in the categories queso blanco and queso fresco, at Wisconsin Cheese Group's three plants in the Monroe area.

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County,” Crubaugh says. Like most Wisconsin-made Hispanicstyle cheeses, including queso quesadilla, cotija, and panela, his products leave the state for grocery shelves and restaurant kitchens in communities with large Latin American populations, from New York to Miami to Houston.

The rural Monroe area might

“HISPANIC” IS AN UMBRELLA TERM FOR A DIVERSE MARKET OF CHEESES THAT’S “BADLY UNDERSTOOD” IN THE US

have a Latino population of just a few percentage points—but the changing demographics of America have rendered it an epicenter for Hispanic cheese production.

“The quality milk is here,” says Carlos Osorio, a VenezuelanAmerican, third-generation cheesemaker, and owner of Moundview Dairy in Platteville.

Osorio’s grandfather founded Pasteurizadora Táchira in the Andean region of Venezuela in 1956. After arriving in Wisconsin 30 years ago to study engineering, Osorio fell in love with an American whom he later married. He opened Moundview Dairy in the summer of 2018. A year later, the factory is rolling out 100,000 pounds of queso blanco weekly, with room to grow.

Fresh, springy queso blanco is an all-purpose cheese in many Latino households in the US. “It's always on the table. It's almost like getting the butter out,” Osorio says.

“Hispanic” is an umbrella term for a diverse market of cheeses that’s “badly understood” in the U.S., Osorio says. Given the sheer size and diversity of Latin America, these cheeses have no standard identity.

Puerto Ricans expect queso blanco to look one way, while Mexicans have other expectations. So, cheesemakers tweak levels of salt, moisture, and enzymes—plus shape and branding—according to the market.

Part of Osorio’s business model is figuring out where, for example, the Venezuelan immigrants in the US are.

“We are chasing the market. We are chasing the Venezuelans,” he says.

John Jaeggi, grandson of a Swiss immigrant to Wisconsin and an expert in Hispanic cheeses at the Center for Dairy Research

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in Madison, first noticed local cheesemakers switching to Hispanic styles in the 1980s and ’90s; around the same time, he started learning about these cheeses by visiting plants in Mexico and Central America. While at least two other cheese factories in the area (Mexican Cheese Producers and V&V Supremo) were founded by immigrants, most local producers of “Hispanic-style” cheeses, at least at the management level, are white Wisconsinites who previously made European-style cheeses. They often switch after seeing a business opportunity in the large market, plus better margins, higher yield, and quick turnaround.

The transition hasn’t been without challenges. White Americans’ perceptions of what makes a good Hispanic-style cheese aren't necessarily authentic or what the market wants, Jaeggi says. The milk, methods, and regulations are different in Wisconsin, too. For example, cheesemakers here have had a tough time recreating a Nicaraguan-style hard grating cheese called queso duro. In Nicaragua, queso duro is often made over open fires with raw milk from cows fed fish meal, giving it an “intensely salty, smoky, even fishy” taste, Jaeggi says.

Early attempts at queso duro in Wisconsin tasted closer to parmesan.

But after experimenting with liquid smoke, enzymes, and cultures, the Center for Dairy Research found a way to make its own interpretation.

Jaeggi adds that an increasing number of white Americans are starting to discover Hispanic cheeses.

“One of the biggest growth factors is the Anglo market,” he says.

According to Lizzie Duffey, public relations specialist at Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, a key is to show consumers that there are myriad uses for Latin American–style cheeses beyond melting into a quesadilla, “from the stringiness of queso Oaxaca, to the

crumbliness of a queso fresco or aged cotija, to the firmness of a queso blanco that browns when heated but doesn’t melt.”

Osorio sees a possible opening for marketing his queso blanco more broadly as a frying cheese.

A slab of it fries up just like a steak—crisp on the outside but still squeaky on the inside. A nearby restaurant and bar, Gracie’s Point, uses Moundview's queso blanco to make “naked cheese curds,” a twist on Wisconsin fried cheese curds, without the breading.

The Swiss transplants of 150 years ago made this area the cheese

hub it is today, passing down skills from generation to generation and priming it for another wave of immigrant influence. At Moundview, plant manager Jake Niffenegger explains how his Swiss grandfather emigrated to this corner of Wisconsin and started turning out wheels of Emmentaler. Niffenegger was stirring curds by age 12. Now, he’s a certified Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker—who makes queso blanco. In the end, “making cheese is making cheese,” he says. c KATJUSA CISAR is a freelance writer and newspaper reporter living in Wisconsin.

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AISLES OF CHANGE HEAD TO THE DAIRY CASE IN YOUR LOCAL LATIN AMERICAN MARKET FOR A STUDY IN SHIFTING MIGRATION PATTERNS

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tatesville, North Carolina is the definition of “small town America.” Spanning just over 24 square miles, outsiders would never consider the Iredell County seat a melting pot—but the dairy aisles of its modest markets tell a different story.

Latinos make up the largest ethnic minority in the country, and the American South has the fastest growing Latino population of any region in the United States.

North Carolina routinely ranks as a state with recordbreaking Latino growth. For years, its food processing and manufacturing industries have drawn newly-arrived immigrants looking for work. Small towns like Statesville are impressively diverse, with communities from Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, and Nicaragua.

Right downtown, across from the Statesville courthouse, you’ll find El Reposo, a Colombian eatery and grocery store.

WRITTEN BY TINA VASQUEZ

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Queso without Borders

and tortilleria in 2015, the spot offers cheeses made in-house like queso fresco and queso Oaxaca, Mexico’s semi-hard melting cheese, often used in quesadillas. The market has expanded over time to offer products from Central America and South America.

Teresita’s dairy section is a study in underappreciated Latin American cheeses: There’s the salty and stinky queso de cincho from Mexico; multiple brands of queso de freir, a semi-firm cheese that can be griddled or fried like halloumi; grated and powdered cotija; fresh, milky cheeses from Honduras; queso seco for Colombian arepas; El Salvador’s queso arrocero, aged for more than 60 days and queso poroso, a soft cheese with a pockmarked appearance. The list goes on and on, reflecting the diverse needs of Statesville’s ever-growing immigrant community.

Along with these rural marketplaces, North Carolina’s major cities, including Charlotte, Greensboro, Durham, and

LATINOS MAKE UP THE LARGEST ETHNIC MINORITY IN THE COUNTRY, AND THE AMERICAN SOUTH HAS THE FASTEST GROWING LATINO POPULATION OF ANY REGION IN THE UNITED STATES. Set in a cramped trailer, space is limited—but a cooler is packed to the brim with a diverse mix of cheeses. There are fat rounds of crumbly queso fresco and bags of ubiquitous grated cotija—a salty, aged cheese that is Mexico’s answer to parmesan—alongside bricks of queso duro viejo, a hard, aged cheese from Nicaragua with a salty bite.

As the demographics have shifted, so have the markets.

Look closer in the cheese case at El Reposo, and you’ll now find cuajada, a soft, milky fresh cheese from El Salvador. The number of asylum seekers worldwide from Northern Triangle countries—El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala—increased five-fold between 2012 and 2015.

Many of them are seeking asylum after fleeing areas rife with gang violence, drug trafficking, and corruption in the poorest nations in the Western Hemisphere.

On the outskirts of Statesville, you’ll find Tienda Y Tortilleria Teresita. Launched as a small Mexican market

Winston-Salem, are also sites for the Latino-owned grocery store chain Compare. First launched in New York in the 1980s by Eligio Peña, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, Compare’s stores have a veritable wall of Latin American cheeses, reflecting the store’s surrounding immigrant communities, whether they’re using the cheeses to make chile rellenos, pupusas, or baleadas.

Throughout my four years in North Carolina, I’ve rarely seen white Americans in the aisles of these grocery stores, and it’s a shame. Immigrant-owned businesses have the power to open entirely new culinary worlds in American kitchens. And digging into an unfamiliar dairy case is more than a culinary adventure: It’s a way to get to know your neighbors. c TINA VASQUEZ is a journalist covering immigration in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

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SE VENDE QUESO FRESCO ON THE CHEESES IMMIGRANTS MAKE WRITTEN BY CARLOS YESCAS

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onsider yourself lucky if you’ve seen a sign with that phrase, which translates to “queso fresco for sale,” anywhere in the US. I used to see it often in my old neighborhood in Brooklyn.

Since I moved to Michigan, I started making my own cheese at home.

I’ve still never found some of the more unique cheeses from Mexico that I miss: Mountain Cotija, Queso de Bola de Ocosingo, or queso del moral enchilado.

We like to think that we “vote with our dollars,” but we often misjudge that the products in our neighborhood stores are there because of social, cultural, and even political decisions made by importers, distributors, legislators, and regulators. If you want to learn more about these decisions, just consider: Who is or is not present in the cheese case?

Behind America’s most prestigious cheese counters, Latin American cheeses are remarkably absent. Of course, you can find some of these cheeses in ethnic stores—but even then, the quality is only comparable to what you would find in a generic supermarket in their countries of origin. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t high-quality artisanal cheeses in Argentina, Mexico, or Costa Rica.

We just don’t get them yet.

Instead you’ll find cheeses made primarily in North America and in Europe. And when mongers and restaurant servers mention the craftspeople behind US-made 88

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cheeses, you’ll hear names of white Americans, or perhaps immigrant cheesemakers from France, the Netherlands, and the UK. Their craftmanship is impeccable and their accolades merited—but the names you don’t often hear are those of Hispanic-American and

WHAT WE OFTEN FORGET IS THAT LATIN AMERICAN IMMIGRANTS FORM THE BACKBONE OF CHEESE PLANTS AND FACTORIES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.

Latin-American immigrants.

Some are well known—Mariano Gonzalez originally from Paraguay and now at Grafton Village Cheese; Veronica Pedraza from Miami, Florida of Cuban descent; and Emiliano Amir Tatar from Argentina, of Merion Park Cheese, for example. But what we often forget is that Latin American immigrants form the backbone of cheese plants and factories all over the country. Much like in restaurant

kitchens, immigrants from Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador are the core personnel of many cheese operations. Even if the cheeses they produce are not in Latin American style, they are Latin American cheesemakers. Their indelible contribution should make us question how we define Latin American cheese.

Further complicating matters, you’ll find some artisan cheeses with Hispanic-sounding names that aren’t tied to any particular Latin American or Spanish cheese tradition. Take, for example, Queso de Mano from Haystack Mountain Cheese in Colorado, an aged raw goat’s milk cheese with deep almond notes and an aroma of warm hay, made by Jackie Chang, an immigrant from Taiwan. In Illinois, Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery makes Pelota Roja, a semi-firm goat’s milk cheese that’s reminiscent of paprika-rubbed wheels from the Canary Islands— but it’s rubbed in guajillo chile, a common ingredient in Mexico.

You’ll also find stellar Americanmade takes on more typical Latin American styles. In Oregon, Mexican immigrant Francisco Ochoa makes Don Froylan Queso Oaxaca, a pulled curd cheese shaped into a knot inspired by Oaxacan quesillo de hebra. Narragansett Creamery, a Rhode Island company specializing in mozzarella, also makes versions of queso fresco and queso blanco that are fresh and tangy, with a perfect acidity as is common in their Latin American counterparts.

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While it’s probably wrong to consider these cheeses “authentic,” it’s also oversimplifying to dismiss them as “stolen.” Not only do they have great stories behind them—they taste amazing. They break the mold of what we consider American cheese.

Instead of drawing imagined borders between “American” and “Latin American” cheeses, or

between well-known cheesemakers and those who labor in the background, what if we focused instead on celebrating the work that goes into creating great cheese?

That means creating conditions for all cheesemakers—named and unknown, lauded and novice, USborn or immigrant. Let’s reward that work not only by paying the full

price for good food, but by working towards political changes—amnesty for undocumented migrants, health care access for all, freedom to relocate, and wealth redistribution— that give dignity to the makers behind the scenes. c CARLOS YESCAS is originally from Mexico. He is an advocate of traditional and raw milk cheeses from all over the world. Learn more about his work at carlosyescas.com.

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recipes

PIE DOUGH: 3 cups whole-wheat flour Pinch salt ½ tablespoon wine yeast ¼ cup ghee, room temperature 2 tablespoons juice from fermented tomatoes

Pav Bhaji Samosa Pies with Bee Tree Farm Raita Indian and Texan flavors play well in this shareable dish topped with creamy, goat skyr-based raita.

Ferment tomatoes for the pie filling ahead of time—you’ll use the juice to make the pie dough. You’ll need a 1-gallon ceramic crock for this recipe.

Serves 4 FERMENTED TOMATOES: 3 to 5 pounds tomatoes 2 tablespoons salt ½ cup warm water 2 tablespoons wine yeast (available at most brew shops) ½ cup edible flowers such as basil flowers or arugula blossoms HABANERO CHILI OIL: 3 pounds habanero peppers ½ tablespoon wine yeast 2 tablespoons sea salt ½ pound honeycomb ½ tablespoon ground cardamom 3 cups olive oil cup purple basil RAITA: 1 English cucumber 1 bunch mint, dill, or other seasonal herb 10 curry leaves ½ tablespoon sea salt 1 teaspoon mustard seed 2 cups goat’s milk skyr ¼ cup fresh goat cheese 1 tablespoon chili oil

PIE FILLING: 2 tablespoons ghee 2 red onions, thinly sliced 1 pound carrots, roughly chopped ½ tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon peeled and diced fresh turmeric cup garlic chives, roughly chopped 2 pounds diced potatoes 2 tablespoons Habanero Chili Oil 3 to 4 fermented tomatoes Sea salt, to taste FERMENTED TOMATOES: Rinse tomatoes and add to ceramic crock. Add salt, water, wine yeast, and edible flowers. Cover crock with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature overnight.

The next morning, the plastic should have formed a dome and tomatoes should smell like bread. Transfer to a lidded glass storage container and place in the refrigerator.

HABANERO CHILI OIL: The day before you want to serve this recipe, wash habaneros and mix with wine yeast and 1 tablespoon salt in a ceramic crock. Cover crock with plastic wrap and set aside somewhere warm overnight.

The next day, chop habaneros and honeycomb and mix with cardamom. Add remaining salt.

Heat oven to 325°F. Add habanero mixture, olive oil, and basil to a cast-iron skillet. Place skillet in oven for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven, rest until cool to touch, then transfer to a glass bottle and refrigerate until ready to use.

RAITA: Roughly chop cucumbers and herbs. Add curry leaves, salt, mustard seed, and chili oil. Mix well and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

TO ASSEMBLE: Heat oven to 400°F. Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Roll out each section into a large oval. Add enough filling to each section so you can comfortably fold each side over (it should look like a very long kolache). Brush with ghee and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes. It will rise in the oven and should be a bit flaky. Cut into sections and serve with raita and chili oil.

Add skyr and goat cheese and let sit for 1 additional hour in the refrigerator. Garnish with more chili oil.

PIE DOUGH: Add dry ingredients to a large bowl, then add ghee. Mix ingredients using your hands. Once dough is crumbly, make a well and add ½ tablespoon water at a time until dough forms into a smooth, elastic ball, about 5 to 15 minutes. (Kneading time will vary depending on temperature that day.) Cover and set aside to rest.

Check dough after 1 to 2 hours, depending on how hot the day is. (Proof time is based on temperature, so the hotter the day, the less time needed.)

Once it has doubled in size, punch dough down and set aside until you’re ready to bake.

PIE FILLING: Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.

Add ghee and onions and cook until translucent, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add carrots, spices, chives, salt, and chili oil. Cover and cook until carrots are soft, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for another 15 minutes until tender. Set aside.

Roti Pizza with Saag and Feta

This pizza transforms the elements of saag, a traditional leaf-based Indian dish, into a raw salad. Reach for seasonal greens to make the saag bright and fresh. Plan to make the Habenero Chili Oil at least a day in advance.

Serves 4 to 6 HABANERO CHILI OIL: 3 pounds habanero peppers ½ tablespoon wine yeast (available at most brew shops) 2 tablespoons sea salt ½ pound honeycomb ½ tablespoon ground cardamom 3 cups olive oil 1/3 cup purple basil

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DOUGH: 3 cups whole-wheat flour Pinch sea salt ½ tablespoon active dry yeast cup olive oil 2 tablespoons yogurt TOPPING: 2 bunches dandelion greens (about 3 cups) 2 bunches mustard greens (about 3 cups) 1 tablespoon sea salt 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for garnish 1 tablespoon peeled and diced fresh turmeric ½ tablespoon toasted whole cumin seed 3 cardamom pods, crushed 1 tablespoon toasted coriander seed, crushed 8 to 12 ounces feta cheese 1 tablespoon Habanero Chili Oil HABANERO CHILI OIL: The day before you want to serve this recipe, wash habaneros and mix with wine yeast and 1 tablespoon salt in a ceramic crock. Cover crock with plastic wrap and set aside somewhere warm overnight.

the remaining dough. Place all six 9-inch circles on well-oiled or parchment paper–lined baking sheets. Top with greens and feta, then place in oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through.

Remove pizza from oven. Top with more olive oil and Habanero Chili Oil, then serve hot.

Roti Pizza with Jammy Tomatoes and Cheddar

Reserve half of your roti pizza dough and switch up the toppings— fermented tomatoes and cheddar add extra zip to this pizza. You’ll need a 1-gallon ceramic crock for this recipe.

Serves 4 to 6

The next day, chop habaneros and honeycomb and mix with cardamom. Add remaining salt.

Heat oven to 325°F. Add habanero mixture, olive oil, and basil to a cast-iron skillet. Place skillet in oven for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from oven, rest, then transfer to a glass bottle and refrigerate until ready to use.

DOUGH: Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the center to add olive oil and yogurt, then combine using your hands. Make another well and add ½ tablespoon warm water until you get a smooth and elastic ball. Cover and set aside in a warm place.

TOPPING: Heat oven to 425°F. Roughly chop greens, then add to a large bowl. Add salt, olive oil, and spices to greens. Using your hands, take about 1/6 of the dough and form a 9-inch circle. Repeat with 92

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FERMENTED TOMATOES: 3 to 5 pounds tomatoes 2 tablespoons salt ½ cup warm water 2 tablespoons wine yeast (available at most brew shops) ½ cup edible flowers such as basil flowers or arugula blossoms HABANERO CHILI OIL: 3 pounds habanero peppers ½ tablespoon wine yeast 2 tablespoons sea salt ½ pound honeycomb ½ tablespoon ground cardamom 3 cups olive oil 1/3 cup purple basil DOUGH: 3 cups whole-wheat flour Pinch sea salt ½ tablespoon active dry yeast cup olive oil 2 tablespoons yogurt TOPPING: ½ cup olive oil 1 bunch garlic chives,

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thinly sliced 1 white onion, thinly sliced 2 cups fermented tomatoes cup basil leaves ½ pound raw cheddar cheese 2 tablespoons Habanero Chili Oil FERMENTED TOMATOES: Rinse tomatoes and add to ceramic crock. Add salt, water, wine yeast, and edible flowers.

Cover crock with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature overnight.

The next morning, the plastic should have formed a dome and tomatoes should smell like bread. Transfer to a lidded glass storage container and place in the refrigerator.

cook until tomatoes are caramelized and blackened, about 10 to 20 minutes (cooking time will vary depending on desired doneness).

Heat oven to 425°F. Using your hands, take about 1/6 of the dough and form a 9-inch circle. Repeat until you have 6 9-inch circles. Place on a well-oiled or parchment paper– lined baking sheet. Top with whole basil leaves and jammy tomato mixture. Top with a ¼-inch thick slice of raw cheddar, then transfer to oven and bake for 15 to 25 minutes. Drizzle with Habanero Chili Oil and serve hot.

HABANERO CHILI OIL: The day before you want to serve this recipe, wash habaneros and mix with wine yeast and 1 tablespoon salt in a ceramic crock. Cover crock with plastic wrap and set aside somewhere warm overnight.

The next day, chop habaneros and honeycomb and mix with cardamom. Add remaining salt.

Heat oven to 325°F. Add habanero mixture, olive oil, and basil to a cast-iron skillet. Place skillet in oven for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from oven, rest until cool to touch, then transfer to a glass bottle and refrigerate until ready to use.

DOUGH: Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the center to add olive oil and yogurt, then combine using your hands. Make another well and add ½ tablespoon warm water until you get a smooth and elastic ball. Cover and set aside in a warm place.

TOPPING: Add olive oil, chives, and onion to a cast-iron skillet set over medium heat and cook until onions are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add tomatoes and stir to combine. Lower heat and

Brûléed Shrikhand

Here, goat’s milk skyr makes a great substitute for traditional homemade yogurt. Consider this your go-to lightly sweet Indian dessert, perfect for wintertime (or whenever you’re craving something toasty). You’ll need a kitchen torch for this recipe.

Serves 4 to 6 3½ cups goat’s milk skyr 2 teaspoons saffron threads 1 teaspoon ground cardamom Honeycomb, to taste Cinnamon, to garnish Cookies or biscuits, to serve Combine skyr, saffron, and cardamom in a large bowl.

Gently fold in honeycomb and transfer to a large baking dish, spreading mixture evenly. Dust lightly with cinnamon.

Using a kitchen torch, carefully brûlée honeycomb into skyr.

Serve immediately with cookies or biscuits.

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Cold Weather Comfort PAGE 47 Bring 2 cups water, chicken stock, and butter to a boil in a large saucepan set over high heat. Slowly whisk in polenta.

Stirring constantly, cook polenta until it begins to thicken, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in salt and pepper. Stir in Taleggio cheese using a wooden spoon until it melts.

Taleggio Polenta with Mushrooms and Bacon

This dish comes together quickly thanks to instant polenta. Cooking the bacon in the oven ahead of time is an extra time-saver.

Plate polenta and top with chopped bacon and mushroom mixture. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 6 slices thick-cut bacon 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons minced shallots (about 1 small shallot) 2 cloves garlic, minced ½ pound cremini mushrooms, sliced 2 cups chicken stock 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 cup instant polenta 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste 2 teaspoons ground black pepper, plus more to taste 4 ounces Taleggio cheese

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Heat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Set a wire rack on top of baking sheet. Place bacon strips on wire rack and bake for 20 minutes or until bacon has rendered and crisped. Cool, roughly chop bacon, and set aside.

Drizzle olive oil in a medium skillet set over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until slightly translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and stir. Add mushrooms to skillet and stir.

Cook mushrooms until browned and tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

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Arugula and Radicchio Salad with Taleggio and Toasted Walnuts

Toasted walnuts pair nicely with slightly fruity taleggio. Drop a poached egg on top if you’re feeling fancy.

Serves 4 to 6 ½ cup shelled walnuts 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about half a small lemon) 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Sea salt, to taste Ground black pepper, to taste 2 small heads radicchio, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 cups baby arugula 3 ounces Taleggio cheese, halved and sliced Heat oven to 350°F. Add walnuts to a baking sheet and toast for 5 minutes. Rotate baking sheet and continue to

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toast for 5 additional minutes.

Let toasted walnuts cool slightly, then roughly chop. Set aside.

Add red wine vinegar and lemon juice to a small bowl.

Whisk in olive oil, then add salt and pepper to taste.

Add radicchio and arugula to a large salad bowl. Drizzle in prepared dressing and toss to coat salad. Add toasted walnuts and toss again. Plate salad and top with sliced Taleggio. Serve immediately.

Taleggio and Apricot Jam Panini

No need to fret if you don’t own a panini press—two medium-size skillets will do just fine. Serve this tasty sandwich with a side salad to round out the meal.

Serves 2 4 slices sourdough bread 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 2 ounces Taleggio cheese, halved and sliced 2 to 4 tablespoons apricot jam Heat a panini press for 5 to 7 minutes. Alternatively, heat a medium skillet over medium heat.

Add 1 ounce Taleggio cheese to 1 side of 1 slice of sourdough bread. Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons apricot jam on remaining slices of sourdough.

Place jam-coated sourdough slices on top of the taleggio slices, jam-side down, to form two sandwiches. Spread 2

tablespoons butter onto panini press and add 1 sandwich to the press. Cook according to manufacturer’s instructions, or until sourdough is golden and Taleggio has melted, about 3 to 5 minutes. If using a skillet in lieu of panini press: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet set over medium heat. Add 1 sandwich to skillet. Top sandwich with another mediumsize skillet and press down gently. Cook until sourdough is golden brown and Taleggio has melted, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Repeat with remaining sandwich.

Penne with Peas, Italian Sausage, and Taleggio Sauce

A Taleggio and parmesan cheese sauce takes this baked pasta dish to another level. Feel free to substitute your favorite frozen vegetable for the green peas (no need to defrost prior to baking).

Serves 4 to 6 1 pound dried penne pasta 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 small yellow onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, finely minced 1 pound ground Italian sausage 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon ground cumin 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups whole milk 8 ounces Taleggio cheese, rind removed, and diced 6 ounces parmesan cheese, grated and divided 10 ounces frozen peas WINTER 2019

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Layers of Love PAGE 54

Cook penne pasta according to package instructions and cool. Meanwhile, heat oven to 375°F. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet set over medium-high heat.

Add diced onion. Cook until translucent, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Add garlic to skillet and stir.

Add ground Italian sausage and break up with a wooden spoon.

Add salt, pepper, and cumin and cook until sausage has browned, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Melt butter in medium saucepan set over medium heat. Sprinkle in flour and stir with a wooden spoon to make a roux. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden. Add milk and whisk constantly, bringing mixture to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue whisking until sauce has thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add Taleggio and 4 ounces of parmesan. Whisk until cheeses melt.

Add sausage mixture, frozen peas, and Taleggio sauce to reserved pasta. Toss to combine.

Pour pasta into a 9-inch-by-13inch baking dish and top with remaining parmesan. Bake pasta for 20 minutes or until parmesan is golden brown.

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Taleggio and Swiss Chard Omelette

Swiss chard is a hearty winter substitute for spinach in this brunch classic. The Taleggio melts just slightly while the eggs cook, which is as delicious as it sounds.

Serves 2 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 2 cloves garlic, finely minced 2 cups stemmed and chopped Swiss chard 4 large eggs, lightly beaten ½ teaspoon sea salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper 4 ounces Taleggio cheese, diced Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet set over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, being careful not to let garlic burn. Add Swiss chard to skillet and cook until tender and reduced, about 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to a small bowl and wipe skillet clean with a paper towel.

Whisk eggs, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to combine.

Meanwhile, melt remaining butter in same skillet used to cook Swiss chard. Pour in half the egg mixture. Cook until eggs are just barely set in the center, swirling the pan to ensure even cooking of the omelette, about 2 minutes.

Top 1 half of the omelette with half the Swiss chard and half the Taleggio. Fold omelette over Taleggio and Swiss chard using a rubber spatula. Slide omelette out onto a serving plate. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make the second omelette.

Spiced Lamb Lasagna

If you appreciate spiciness and aren’t afraid to play around, feel free to substitute the red pepper flakes for an equally hot counterpart, such as harissa, hot sauce, or chipotle powder. Or skip it altogether if you’re feeding a crowd that prefers their lasagna on the mild side.

Serves 12 1 pound ground lamb 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1½ 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes 1 6-ounce can tomato paste 2½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided 1 teaspoon cumin 1½ teaspoons paprika 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 12 lasagna noodles 12 ounces ricotta cheese 1 large egg 1 teaspoon olive oil 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, grated and divided ¾ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, divided Combine ground lamb, onion, and garlic in a Dutch oven set over medium heat until well browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, cumin,

paprika, and red pepper flakes.

Simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If sauce appears to be drying out, add up to ½ cup water.

Once lamb sauce is nearing completion, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.

Cook according to package directions. Drain noodles and rinse with cold water.

Combine ricotta, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Set aside.

Heat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish with olive oil. Spread roughly 1½ cups of lamb sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange 4 noodles, overlapping slightly, lengthwise over meat sauce.

Cover with ½ cup ricotta mixture and top with grated mozzarella.

Spoon 1 cup lamb sauce over mozzarella, then sprinkle with a layer of Parmiganio Reggiano.

Repeat layers, switching the direction of the noodles from lengthwise to widthwise with each layer. Top the final layer of noodles with meat sauce and a generous sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano and mozzarella. Cover dish tightly with foil coated with cooking spray. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 to 15 additional minutes, or until cheese is browned and bubbly.

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Sweet Potato and Gruyère Lasagna

Add potatoes to a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender when pierced, 15 to 20 minutes.

Drain and puree in food processor until smooth. You should have about 1½ cups of puree. Set aside.

Serves 12

Combine ground turkey, onion, and garlic in a Dutch oven set over medium heat and cook until well browned.

Add crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, thyme, and oregano.

Simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If sauce appears to be drying out, add up to ½ cup water.

Sweet potato puree boosts the flavor and creaminess of the cheese in this lighter take on lasagna. Gluten-free lasagna noodles work well here, so substitute them if you choose.

1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 2-inch cubes ½ pound ground turkey breast 1 pound ground turkey thigh 2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes 1 6-ounce can tomato paste 1 medium Vidalia onion, finely diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped 12 lasagna noodles 16 ounces ricotta cheese 1 large egg 1 teaspoon olive oil 8 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated and divided ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese, divided

Once meat sauce is nearing completion, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water according to package directions. Drain noodles and rinse with cold water.

Heat oven to 375° F. Grease a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish. Spread 1½ cups of meat sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange 4 noodles, overlapping slightly, lengthwise over the sauce. Cover with ½ cup ricotta mixture and sprinkle with a layer of Gruyère.

Spoon 1½ cups meat sauce over cheese, then sprinkle with a layer of parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, switching the direction of the noodles from lengthwise to widthwise with each layer. Top the final layer of noodles with meat sauce and a generous sprinkle of both parmesan and Gruyère. Cover dish tightly with foil coated with cooking spray. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 to 15 additional minutes until cheese is browned and bubbly.

Combine ricotta, 1½ cups sweet potato puree, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.

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Spicy Skillet Eggplant Lasagna

Roasted eggplant slices are layered with spicy pork sausage tomato sauce and zesty ricotta flavored with red chili flakes and roasted garlic. Cut down on dishes by using the same skillet to both make the meat sauce and cook the lasagna.

Serves 8

Spinach-Artichoke Lasagna This creamy vegetarian lasagna is a decadent combination of béchamel, spinach, artichokes, and noodles, topped with bubbly raclette cheese.

No-boil noodles are used here to simplify the recipe, but make sure the sauce completely covers the noodles to ensure proper cooking.

Serves 12 cup salted butter cup all-purpose flour 4 cups whole milk 1 teaspoon salt, divided 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 8 ounces whole-milk ricotta 1½ cups grated raclette cheese, divided 4 cloves minced garlic ½ cup fresh basil, chopped 1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped 12 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained 1 teaspoon olive oil 12 no-boil lasagna noodles (try Barilla Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles) 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Whisk in flour and cook for 2 to

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3 minutes, until mixture browns.

Slowly whisk in milk. Remove from heat and add ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.

Set aside.

Combine cream cheese, ricotta, ½ cup raclette, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and basil in a large bowl.

Add artichoke and spinach and mix well.

Heat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish with olive oil. Spread 1½ cups of béchamel sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange 4 noodles, overlapping slightly, lengthwise over sauce. Spread with ½ cup spinach-artichoke mixture and top with a layer of raclette. Cover with 1½ cups béchamel sauce and top with ¼ cup grated parmesan. Repeat layers, switching the direction of the noodles from lengthwise to widthwise with each layer. Top the final layer of noodles with remaining spinach-artichoke mixture and a generous sprinkle of parmesan and raclette. Cover dish tightly with foil coated with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for 25 additional minutes until the cheese is browned and bubbly.

1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 large eggplant, cut lengthwise into ¼-inch-thick slices 1 head garlic 12 ounces hot Italian sausage, casings removed 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes 1 tablespoon tomato paste ¼ cup dry red wine ½ cup fresh basil, chopped 16 ounces ricotta cheese 1 large egg 1 teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced ¾ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese Heat oven to 400°F and coat a baking sheet with olive oil.

Arrange sliced eggplant in a single layer, brush with olive oil, and roast for 15 minutes or until just tender. Meanwhile, slice the

top off the head of garlic to expose the cloves inside. Place the head on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap in the foil. Roast until cloves are tender and lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Set aside; once cooled, remove cloves and mash well.

Meanwhile, combine sausage and onion in a large cast-iron skillet set over medium heat, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Cook until well browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and wine, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to mediumlow and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes. In the last minute, add basil. Remove meat mixture from skillet and set aside.

Combine ricotta, roasted garlic, egg, salt, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl. If you prefer a smoother ricotta mixture, whip in a food processor.

Heat oven to 375°F. Spread 1 cup of meat sauce in the bottom of a cast-iron skillet. Arrange 2 to 3 eggplant slices on top. Cover with ¾ cup ricotta cheese mixture and top with a layer of mozzarella slices. Spoon 1 cup meat sauce over mozzarella slices and sprinkle with a layer of parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, switching

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the direction of the eggplant slices with each layer. Top the final layer of eggplant with parmesan, then arrange the remaining mozzarella slices in a single layer. Cover dish tightly with foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 to 15 additional minutes until the cheese is browned and bubbly.

3 ounces brie cheese, rind removed and paste diced into ¼-inch cubes Bring broth to boil in a large pan set over medium heat. Add chicken breasts, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is opaque.

Remove chicken from pan, cool, and shred. Reserve broth.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet set over mediumhigh heat. Add onion, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, thyme, chipotle pepper, lemon zest, and mushrooms. Sauté for 6 to 8 minutes. Add kale and cook until just wilted. Remove pan from heat and add shredded chicken.

Mushroom, Chicken and Kale Lasagna

A creamy béchamel sauce, along with the addition of brie, adds richness and flavor to layers of chicken, mushrooms and kale.

Serves 12 2 cups chicken broth 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast 2½ tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 cup chopped onion 2 tablespoons minced garlic 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided ½ teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped 1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1 cup baby bella mushrooms, sliced 2 cups kale, stemmed and roughly chopped 1½ cups half-and-half ½ cup butter ½ cup all-purpose flour ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese 12 no-boil lasagna noodles (try Barilla Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles)

Heat oven to 375°F. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until mixture browns. Slowly whisk in half-and-half. Remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon salt, stir in Parmigiano Reggiano and add the broth ¼ cup at a time until you’ve reached desired consistency.

Grease a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish with remaining olive oil. Pour ½ cup béchamel sauce into the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange 4 noodles, overlapping slightly, lengthwise over the sauce. Top noodles with another ½ cup sauce, making sure noodles are completely covered. Cover with 1 cup chicken mixture and a light sprinkle of brie. Repeat layers, switching the direction of the noodles from lengthwise to widthwise with each layer. Top the final layer of the chicken mixture with remaining sauce and brie. Cover dish tightly with foil coated with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 to 15 additional minutes until cheese is browned and bubbly.

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SHOP TALK

Shop Talk

W

e’re pleased to introduce you to a few businesses where you can score great cheese. Looking for a shop near you?

Find all your favorite and local purveyors at culturecheesemag.com/cheese-shop.

BLACK RADISH CREAMERY Columbus, Ohio

This family-owned creamery started its cheese journey in an untraditional way. After co-founder John Reese finished culinary school and decided to go into cheesemaking, he and his wife Anne unintentionally started their business, but there was a different product at the forefront. “We created a special fruit preserve for the cheese plate at our wedding,” says Anne. “It was a hit, so we began selling the preserve at our local farmers’ market, thinking the cheese wouldn’t be far behind.”

After a few setbacks, the Reeses opened their first cheese and accompaniments shop in 2016. A year later, they started selling their own cheeses alongside their preserves. “Since we sell and produce our own artisanal cheese, we have a unique perspective to offer and educate our customers,” Anne says. The Reeses trust that their commitment to quality and hospitality sets them apart from other shops. “We believe buying cheese should involve a conversation, a bit of history, a sensory experience, [and] a window into local or faraway cultures,” Anne says. “We try to put some of this into every interaction we have with our guests.” —Monica Petrucci

culture: What is your favorite cheese and preserve pairing?

John Reese: Depends on the season really, but you can’t go wrong with our Billionaire preserve (strawberry, rhubarb, Beaujolais wine, and vanilla bean) and a ripe bloomy rind.

Anne Reese: Agreed. This is the special pairing we created for our wedding and what started our entire preserve product line, so it’s also got a bit of nostalgia for us as well.

culture: Do you have a mentor who inspired you?

JR: For me, after the general love of cheese, I’d have to say Danny Meyer. It doesn’t matter what you are selling; when you have a culture of great hospitality behind the counter, the passion behind the focus of the business easily shines through and is shared with others.

AR: I can’t name one in particular that I would specifically call a mentor. However, I can share that I have found great inspiration from reading through Ari Weinzweig’s signature book collection on business at Zingerman’s.

culture: What is the weirdest cheese pairing you’ve ever had…and did you like it?

JR & AR: Gjetost and a local sherry-finished bourbon whiskey. It worked surprisingly well!

Inside North Market 59 Spruce St. Columbus, Ohio 43215 614.517.9520 blackradishcreamery.com

Sun.–Mon. 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Tues.–Sat. 9 a.m.–7 p.m

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BEEHIVE CHEESE Uintah, Utah

This cheese shop began when two brothers-in-law—Tim Welsh and Pat Ford—left their fast-paced lives in software and real estate for the “slower rhythms of crafting and aging world-class cheese,” as Welsh’s son, Britton, describes it. Britton Welsh, president of the company, has watched their family-based artisan shop grow into a beloved local hub since its opening in 2005.

Named after their home state of Utah (the Beehive State), this shop “caters to Utah locals’ insatiable hunger for fresh curds and fun, cheesy gifts,” explains Britton. In addition to their unique local cheeses, the shop also offers local jams and other cheese accompaniments. “Over the years, we’ve made lots of friends, including Savannah Bee Company out of Georgia and Rustic Bakery from the Bay Area in California,” Britton says. “Locals can pick up a variety of their amazing products [as well].” Utah cheese lovers can register for seasonal creamery tours and tastings or stop by to pick up cheeses and other tasty snacks any weekday. —Monica Petrucci

2440 E 6600 S Suite 8 Uintah, UT 84405 801.476.0900 beehivecheese.com 102

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Mon.–Fri. 9 a.m.– 5 p.m.

Sat. & Sun. Closed

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PHOTO: Troy Boyce

culture: What’s the strongest cheese in your shop…and do you like it?

BW: Beehive Cheese’s Trufflehive is loaded with savory truffle flavor. It’s amazing!

culture: What’s the coolest new food media you’ve come across lately?

BW: YouTuber Maangchi. Korean food is amazing! This has nothing to do with cheese, but Maangchi is the most authentic, amazing person, and her food is the real deal. She’d make a great cheesemonger.

PHOTO: Terese Sy

culture: What is your go-to cheese to bring to a party?

Britton Welsh: Beehive Cheese, Barely Buzzed, baby.

HARVEST MARKET NATURAL FOODS Hockessin, Del.

Co-owners and spouses Bob Kleszics and Karen Ashley pride themselves on the wide selection of local and organic foods offered at Harvest Market. Kleszics has always had a passion for food; before opening the store in 1995, he worked at a local food co-op for 16 years. His goal was to open a market that provided food from as many local and organic producers as possible, and that includes cheese. “We especially love raw milk cheeses from animals raised on grass,” Kleszics says. “[We] avoid industrial cheeses and any that contain GMOs or artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.”

Most of Harvest Market’s cheeses are domestic, but they also offer European staples like Manchego, Parmigiano Reggiano, and Gruyère. Their cheese selection is extensive and diverse. “Our customers who avoid cow dairy really appreciate our selection of goat’s and sheep’s milk cheeses,” says Kleszics. Harvest Market is also a 10-time Best of Delaware award winner and has been nationally recognized for its excellent customer service. All of its employees, like marketing manager Heather Sachs, are passionate about Harvest Market’s mission. —Monica Petrucci

culture: How do you come across new cheeses to feature in your shop?

Heather Sachs: We love searching out new cheeses at farmer’s markets in our region and are in touch with our local cheese makers to see what new cheeses are in the pipeline. We are also tuned in to what our customers would like to see offered and inspired by new cheeses featured in culture!

culture: If you could make up a new motto for your shop, what would it be?

HS: We recently came up with a new motto for our store: Eat with purpose, shop with confidence.

7417 Lancaster Pike Hockessin, DE 19707 302.234.6779 harvestmarketnaturalfoods.com Mon.–Sat. 8 a.m.–7 p.m.

Sun. 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

PHOTO: Troy Boyce

PHOTO: Terese Sy

culture: What is your favorite in-store cheese pairing?

HS: Baba’s Brew Kombucha, brewed out of Phoenixville, PA, paired with Farm at Doe Run’s Batch #13. The bright

bubbles cut through the sweet and salty bass tones and protein crystals, creating a total party in your mouth.

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RUMINATIONS

My Mom’s Weird Dairy LESSONS I LEARNED FROM LUMPY MILK written by M A D I S O N T R A P K I N illustrated by T O M B I N G H A M

T

his is a story about one of those things I wish I’d appreciated about my parents as a kid, but instead felt totally mortified by.

I was never a “cool kid.” I got glasses in fourth grade, which was the same year I started the growth spurt that put me well over five-and-a-halffeet tall before most of my friends had even hit the five-foot mark. I was awkward.

My mom raised me to love food. As a chef and owner of a catering company, it was her lifeblood. She took my sister and I to Chez Panisse when we were 12 and 9, respectively, and I’ll never forget the buttery, flaky goodness of the salmon I ordered. She dragged us to early morning farmers’ markets on weekends, and I’d groggily follow her around as she picked up produce for dinner and bragged to vendors about our latest accomplishments. Her catering company also served as a CSA pickup site for multiple local farmers, including an Atlanta-based dairy that sold unpasteurized, non-homogenized

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milk in gallon jugs labeled “FOR PET CONSUMPTION ONLY, NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION.” Appetizing, right?

As a child who often conflated skim milk with “skin milk,” this not-for-humanconsumption variety freaked me out.

We weren’t a family who drank milk with our meals (or really consumed it at all on a regular basis), but my mom still brought home a chunky, shake-beforedrinking gallon every so often. I’d reach for it when I needed something to dip my cookies in, then immediately complain about how the fat at the top didn’t fully dissolve no matter how hard I shook before pouring. And I absolutely never offered a glass to a visiting friend or houseguest—that would have been social suicide. I didn’t want to become known as the girl with chunky milk.

To my horror, my mom’s weird dairy obsession didn’t end with milk. I came home one afternoon with a friend in tow and was greeted by a large Mason jar on our kitchen counter, filled with

lumpy beige mush that looked alive. And alive it was. Kefir, my mom explained, was made from milk and yeast-like grains that needed to be fed regularly in order to grow. Grow!? How could dairy possibly need to grow? I never tried this particular dairy experiment, and my mom gave up trying to convince me of its merits around the same time I refused to try cod liver oil.

Our refrigerator contained other animal products that were off-putting to my tweenage self: goat’s milk yogurt, eggs so fresh they still had feathers and poop stuck to them, a slab of beef or pork that had been butchered by one of my mom’s farmer friends. At the time, I didn’t like knowing the animal I was eating, and I certainly didn’t like having to wash chicken poop off my eggs.

I’m not saying my mom’s penchant for these foods is what led me to become a vegetarian in college and never look back, but I’m also not not saying that. (I’m still in favor of humane, sustainable meat and poultry consumption for the general populace, I just choose not to partake.)

Vegetarianism aside, my mom’s foodbuying habits taught me to value fresh produce, support local farmers, and eat what’s in season. She never forced me and my sister to try any of her culinary oddities, but rather showed us our options and taught us to be conscientious eaters.

These days, I miss my mom’s weird dairy, plain and simple. Do kefir grains still freak me out? Absolutely. But now, as someone whose Big Girl Job involves knowing the dairy world inside and out, I’ve developed a deep appreciation for the countertop kefir and fresh, lumpy milk of my childhood. My mom taught me so many lessons, both purposefully and by osmosis, but her kitchen-based teachings are what stuck with me the most. I survived my awkward childhood relatively unscathed, and came out on the other side in full appreciation of the things that once left me mortified. c

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