A renaissance of Western cheeses - includes recipes and related article on cheese and wine course

Sunset, May, 1999 by Elaine Johnson

A new wave of artisan cheeses, from gouda to dry jack, inspires 16 delicious recipes

The clock ticks at a different rate for a growing group of skilled Western cheesemakers. They are taking their time and using old-fashioned methods to handcraft Old World-style cheeses. They're starting with more kinds of milk - using sheep's milk as well as cow's and goat's milk - and some of it is coming from organically reared and fed animals. They're experimenting with fresh cheeses such as buttery crescenza. Sometimes they age them briefly, so a cheese like teleme can grow creamy and goat's-milk camellia can develop a delicate white bloom. Others they age longer, to get the best flavor from the likes of firm, full-cream cheddars and to develop the ideal density and texture in hard cheeses such as dry Monterey jack.

The results are piling up on our cheese counters - deep gold wedges, wheels as supple as suede, pyramids coated with molds, logs white as snow, and much more.

The cheese family tree

To help you find Western handcrafted cheeses to suit your taste, we've divided them into four families (shown opposite) based on how they're made and on their textures. In addition to selecting cheeses just for the pure pleasure of eating them, you can use this guide to choose cheeses for cooking. Tasting and shopping details are on page 97. Although many of the cheeses we list are made in limited quantities, if they're not available locally, you can probably order them from the dairy or a specialty shop.

Fresh cheeses (opposite, top left). These young cheeses have the delicate flavor of fresh milk. Some, such as creme fraiche and mascarpone, are barely more than cooked, culture-thickened cream, drained just enough to spoon or spread. Others, like mild-tasting cow's-milk mozzarella and the more assertive fresh chevres made from goat's milk, are drained more thoroughly of whey (the amber liquid that separates from the milk) and get firm enough to slice.

Store fresh cheeses, wrapped airtight, in the refrigerator for no more than a few days. Discard any that are moldy or have a sour, wet-rag, or ammoniated odor. If airtight packaging around a cheese is swollen by gases (from deterioration), don't purchase or use.

FRESH CHEESES. 1. Fresh mozzarella, California Mozzarella Fresca. 2. Ricotta, Bellwether. 3. Crescenza, Bellwether. 4. Fromage blanc de Parma, Rollingstone. 5. Herb chevre, Cypress Grove. 6. Traditional quark, Appel. 7. Chevre en marinade, Haystack Mountain. 8. Chevre in oil, Sea Stars.

SOFT-RIPENED CHEESES. 1. Bermuda Triangle, Cypress Grove. 2. Buche, Juniper. 3. Schloss, Rouge et Noir. 4. Crottin, Laura Chenel. 5. Taupiniere, Laura Chenel. 6. Camellia, Redwood Hill. 7. Breakfast cheese, Rouge et Noir. 8. Humboldt Fog, Cypress Grove. 9. Rice-flour teleme, Peluso.

SEMIFIRM TO FIRM CHEESES.

1. Carmody, Bellwether. 2. Toscano, Bellwether. 3. Tumalo tomme, Juniper Grove. 4. St. George, Joe Matos. 5. Feta, Sea Stars. 6. Cougar Gold, WSU. 7. San Andreas, Bellwether.

HARD CHEESES. 1. Aged goat curado, Quillisascut: 2. Dry Monterey jack, Vella. 3. Alpine Chevre shepherd's cheese, Yerba Santa.

Soft-ripened cheeses (page 91, bottom right). The surfaces of soft-ripened cheeses are treated in various ways to develop edible rinds, which create environments that determine what flavors and textures the cheeses develop as they ripen. Teleme that is aged unwrapped is coated with rice flour; the surface dries and becomes a little leathery, while the center gets creamier and the flavor richer. Uncoated teleme is vacuum-packed and ages differently. Bacteria or molds are applied to the surfaces of other soft-ripened cheeses to develop various textures, from moist to dry and velvety. Inside, the cheeses may soften or get firmer as they age, but all develop more intense flavor.

The cheeses that will soften - breakfast, camellia, chestnut leaf-aged goat, and some crottins - are often still firm when you buy them. To ripen, leave the whole cheese in its wrapper at room temperature until it gives to gentle pressure, up to three days.

Store soft-ripened cheeses in their original wrappers or wrap loosely in waxed paper (to prevent sweating), then enclose in plastic wrap or an airtight container. Chill cut pieces up to a week.

If a little mold or rust-colored patches form on a soft-ripened cheese, trim them off if you like. But discard cheeses that are thoroughly moldy or have an ammoniated odor.

Semifirm to firm cheeses (page 91, top right). The members of this diverse group - which includes easy-slicing cheddar and gouda, and the crumbly blues - have flavors ranging from mellow to robust. Semifirm to firm cheeses have less moisture than fresh or soft-ripened cheeses and can be aged for months to years. Some form hard, dry surfaces, which may be coated with a finish such as wax; others develop specific molds. The natural rinds are edible, although their taste doesn't please everyone; discard waxy coatings.

Store whole cheeses and large pieces in original packaging in the refrigerator. After you cut them, seal remainders in plastic wrap and chill. Whole cheeses keep many months; large cut pieces may keep up to a month if trimmed of surface mold. Discard the cheese if it's penetrated with mold and smells or tastes unpleasant.