The Art of Cheese: From Basics to Brilliance
Make no mistake, I love artisan and farmstead cheeses! The cheese industry has been my chosen career for two decades, and I am passionate about all things cheese and cheese-related. I adore a wheel of Époisses and always appreciate it when my husband manages to come home with a new cheese that I somehow overlooked ordering at the cheese counter. However, I can also appreciate a good basic cheese.
First, though, a dirty little secret about myself: I didn’t always love and adore cheese! I know, it’s shocking. I remember my job interview at Sendik’s Food Markets for a cheese associate position as if it were yesterday, not two decades ago. The question was, “Do you like cheese?” I responded with, “Not really, but don’t I just need to cut and wrap it?”
I really just needed a job to get through college. However, my manager was so enthusiastic and passionate that I couldn’t help but start trying new things. We began with basic cheeses, and my palate started to blossom! I moved from sharp cheddar to aged goudas to some of the best cheeses in the world, like Pleasant Ridge Reserve. I ate imported bries and started to enjoy the tanginess of a good chèvre.
Soon, I was studying cheese books as much as psychology books, and I loved every minute of it. I loved every minute then, and I still love it now. That’s why I took on the position of cheese department manager and then director. I couldn’t bear the thought of my manager’s, now my mentor’s, hard work falling into a stranger’s hands. This is how I ‘fell’ into the role of cheese manager, and I am grateful every day that I get to go to ‘work’ and tell the stories of our local cheeses, as well as the rich histories of our imported cheeses.
Anyhow, back to why I still sometimes go ‘back to basics’ when selecting cheeses. First, we all comfort eat at some point in our lives. Believe me, I appreciate a good, gooey brownie, but the ultimate comfort food that takes me right back to five years old at the lunch table with my mom is grilled cheese. I know, you’re thinking, but she just said she hated cheese early on in life?! Like a typical kid, I hated cheese in any form except melted. I loved grilled cheese sandwiches between two slices of white bread slathered in butter. I still occasionally make a grilled cheese like this when I am super stressed (like during the holidays in retail) or getting sick. It is instant comfort and brings back a wealth of happy memories!
Another reason to go back to basics is that when you put together a gourmet cheese tray for a mixed crowd, it’s sometimes useful to include a basic cheese among your gourmet selections. Not everyone in the group will necessarily be a turophile (cheese connoisseur), and sometimes kids may be at a party. A cheese that more people are familiar with provides a comparison point for them to explore the other cheeses on the plate. It serves as a reference point. Many customers at my cheese counter over the past ten years have transitioned from a basic cheese like sharp cheddar to cheeses such as Pleasant Ridge Reserve, Explorateur, aged goudas, and many more choices.
My goal in my career is to help people expand their horizons when it comes to cheese tastings and to help them see just how amazing cheese really is. I love to share the stories behind every bite of cheese and hope to delve in and help myself and others understand how so many of the cheeses out there have come to be. And by the way, if you really just like a regular old cheddar or some pepper jack, that is okay too, and I am happy to recommend the highest quality one I can!
