The Components

The cheese making ingredients are here.

The Weekly Cheese Log (#1)

This week in my fridge:

• shredded parmesan (Milk Pail)
• shredded gouda (Safeway) – used in a savory crepe!
• extra sharp cheddar (Safeway)- snacked it away in 3 days
• aged goat gouda (Holland) (Milk Pail)
• Saint Agur (France) – one of my favorite cheeses (from the Milk Pail)
• Saint-Andre (France)(Milk Pail) – creamy inside, tangy moldy delicious outside
• creamy toscano cheese soaked in Syrah (Trader Joe’s) – a great salty snack

At the Maker Faire

This is going to be a blog about making cheese. Despite a long love affaire with cheese, it had never occurred to me to try making it at home. Until last weekend.

Last weekend, I was at the annual Bay Area Maker Faire where two cheese-making workshops caught my attention — Chevre (fresh goat cheese) and Camembert (a creamy stinky cheese).  I attended the latter of the two and it took about 30 second for it to hit me: I must make cheese!

The 45-minute Camember-looza was led by Louella, the SF Milk Maid.

The Milk Maid’s card

Louella did a fantastic job walking us through the (accelerated) steps of cheese making. Her passion and knowledge were immediately.  How often do you hear somebody talk about a yummy food, mold, and positive ions all in the same sentence?

The Milk Maid had brought samples of her Camembert cheese at different stages of the ripening process.

Camembert’s bloomy rind

At the end of the workshop, I knew I’d have to try this at home and so begin a blog to document my adventures in the world of home-made cheese. The stinkier, the better!