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Join Our Free Monthly Moosletter
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June, 2012 New England Cheesemaking Supply Co. www.cheesemaking.com
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Back by popular demand at the Queen's palace!Starry Mountain Singers is an offshoot of Village Harmony - the group Ricki and Jamie have been singing with for many years. Every year, these 9 young people who met through Village Harmony get
together for a fabulous tour.
One of their stops is Ricki and Jamie's
house in Ashfield, MA where they teach a workshop, and then perform a concert to a large crowd of
enthusiastic fans.
(If you would like to be on the mailing list for Ricki and Jamie's music events, e-mail info@cheesemaking.com.) |  Jeff Fellinger and Ricki |
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The Starry Mountain singers present traditional music from around the world, including shapenote - a traditional New England style of singing, gospel, and Appalachian folk songs as well as Georgian, Bulgarian and Corsican arrangements.
If you think you know what this group sounds like, think again! These young people make magic with their voices in an intensely powerful way. |
To visit their Facebook page - click here |
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 Terrie Travers in Butler, Tennessee
There is a lot of cheese making going on in Appalachia, where folks take the concept of "doing-it-yourself" to the highest possible level.
Terrie Travers and her husband, John do just about everything themselves. They retail their artwork (The Appalachian Shed) all across the country, grow vegetables (including mushrooms, cotton and quinoa) which they sell at farmer's markets, and they make a lot of cheese.
We posted a blog article in 2010 about Terrie and her Fromage Blanc. At that time, she had been making cheese for less than a year. Now, she's an expert and her "cave" currently holds: two traditional Swiss, one Gruyere, one Asiago Pressato, half of a Honey Rubbed Montasio, two traditional Cheddars, and one Parmesan.
We asked her to take pictures the next time she made Swiss because there are so few tutorials online, if any, with pictures of the process. She did this (thank you, Terrie) and now, it's all there at our fabulous blog.
To see our blog article with Terrie making Swiss - click here |
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 St. Maure de Touraine
When you make this cheese, call it St. Maure de Your House!
You can easily make this cheese, but don't try to sell it by it's real name. You can label it Sainte Maure de Pittsburgh or Sainte Maure de Texas or, well, you get the idea.
There are many Sainte Maures, but Sainte Maure de Touraine is the only one with an AOC designation (translated from the French, that means Controlled Name of Origin). 
Thus, the only cheese that may be sold by that name has to come from the Touraine region in France and it has to be made to certain specifications.
One of the specifications involves the rye straw which runs through the center of the cheese. To be AOC designated, Saint Maure de Touraine must have the AOC seal imprinted in the straw along with the number of the producer. (The straw makes it easier to handle the log-shaped cheese when making it.)
Jim gets his straw from a local farm. He hasn't figured out how to imprint it with his name yet, but when he does, you will be the first to know!
To see Jim's recipe - click here
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 What a great senior project!(Note: Amanda asked to interview Ricki as part of her presentation, and Ricki agreed as long as she promised to share her final product with all of us.)
As requested, I am sending you my final product (minus the cheese) for my senior project. For my class, I brought in the cheeses I made and everyone loved them!
I included pictures of the process except for the goat cheese. I did not manage to get my own pictures for that, so I took some off the internet.
Thank you very much for your time and help. I loved using your book to make the cheeses. It is really addicting. Once you start, you just want to keep trying out different recipes. Thank you so much again.
Amanda Titus, Belmont, New Hampshire
Note: To see Amanda's project, click here. It's very easy and fun to read, but it may take a moment to upload because there are 21 pages.
  | Cheese Plus Honey Equals Big Yum!I make some of my own cheese and recently added a bee hive to my property.
I
would love to combine the two and wondered if there are any
cheese/honey recipes you are aware of and if there are any tricks or
recommendations on combining the two?
Would enjoy learning how these both work together on proven recipes before experimenting.
Gen Defoe, Nashua, NH
(Picture by Kagen Weeks of Hive at Your Home) |
Our technical advisor, Jim Wallace answered Gen and we thought you might want to know what he said:
Adding honey or any other sweeteners to cheese is not a great idea because the objective has been to convert the milk sugars to lactic acid and keep bad molds and other bacteria from growing in the cheese. Adding sweetness to any cheese that is aging can result in problems.
However, honey can be used with the finished cheese and in some of the softer cheeses it can be used when serving to complement the cheese but will need to be consumed immediately. Quite often honey can be warmed and poured over a slice of a fresh cheese for a great accent.
Here I make a very rich ricotta and then pour warm honey over it an hour or so before serving along with a few toasted pine nuts. It sinks into the cheese and makes a terrific dessert.
Jim Wallace |  |
 Regarding Thistle RennetFirst, I've found thistle cheese for sale at Artisanal Cheese in Manhattan , NYC. Although a complex taste - not bitter - it was covered with ash. Reminded me of Romano Pecorino.
Second, I've found both plants and seeds for Cynara cardunculus (Perennial Cardoon):
Plants at Plant Delights Nursery
Seeds at Digital Raingardens
And, lastly, I ordered thistle rennet from Spain. Contact is Mafalda at contacto@capraispana.com.
So, I got some sheep milk and made some Romano - reminiscent of centurions cheese. It is aging, ready by July. If it is as good as the Parmesan I make with cow's milk and your vegetable rennet, it will be good.
Rich McGaughey, Wheatridge, Colorado
(Note: Rich teaches classes in the Denver area. To see a blog article we did about him two years ago - click here)
"Holey" cheese is not made in heaven!Jean MacKensey at Forest Island Farm in British Columbia, Canada wants to know if anyone has any tips for ridding her kitchen of bread yeast spores so her cheese won't be "holey." Please reply to Moosletter@cheesemaking.com
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Cheese and Culture: A History of Cheese and it's Place in Western CivilizationWho else but Paul Kinstedt would tackle a subject this broad? Nobody else would and nobody else has. This is the last word on the history of cheese. Paul Kinsted is a Professor at the University of Vermont in the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences. In 2005, he wowed the cheese world with his comprehensive book, "American Farmstead Cheese. Now, he's expanded his focus to the history of cheese in every part of the globe where it's ever been recorded.
To have "Cheese and Culture" on your shelf is to have an accurate reference for any time in cheese making history you might want to research. What a great addition to your home library!
For more info about this book - click here | |
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Cheesemaking 101
Workshops with Ricki Carroll
A full day of hands-on cheese making with Ricki in her beautiful house in the foothills of the Berkshires. You will learn to make Farmhouse Cheddar, Queso Blanco, Whole Milk and Whey Ricotta, 30 Minute Mozzarella, Fromage Blanc, Creme Fraiche and Mascarpone.
Cheesemaking 201
Advanced Workshops with Jim Wallace
Jim Wallace has been our technical resource for a number of years now, teaching and answering our technical questions. He is an expert photographer, a great teacher and he has a wealth of knowledge. You will be delighted with his classes. They are more technical in scope than Ricki's introductory class, but are fine for the cheese maker who wants to learn more details of the process.
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 Victoriaville Fine Cheese Festival & Selection CaseusVictoriaville, QuebecJune 14 - 17http://www.tourismecentreduquebec.com/ Canton Wine & Cheese FestivalCanton, PennsylvaniaJune 23http://www.cantonwineandcheese.comVermont Cheesemakers FestivalShelburne, VermontJuly 22http://www.vtcheesefest.com/The Big Cheese FestivalCaerphilly, WalesJuly 27 - 29http://www.visitcaerphilly.comAmerican Cheese Society Annual Conference
Raleigh, North CarolinaAugust 1 - 4http://www.cheesesociety.orgVermont Beer, Wine & Cheese FestivalMiddlebury, VermontAugust 4http://www.middsummerfestival.comSturminster Newton Cheese FestivalSturminster Newton, United KingdomSeptember 8 - 9http://www.cheesefestival.co.ukWashington County Cheese TourSalem, New YorkSeptember 8 - 9http://www.washingtoncountycheese.comWayne County Wine & Cheese FestivalHonesdale, PennsylvaniaSeptember 15http://www.upstatewinecountry.comThe Great British Cheese FestivalCardiff, WalesSeptember 22 - 23http://greatbritishcheesefestival.co.uk.comThe WedgePortland, OregonOctober 6http://oregoncheeseguild.orgPennsylvania Apple & Cheese FestivalCanton, PennsylvaniaOctober 6 - 7http://www.paapplecheese.comGreat Northern Cheese FestivalCumbria, EnglandOctober 7http://www.rheged.comWisconsin Cheese Originals Annual FestivalMadison, WisconsinNovember 9 - 10http://www.wicheesefest.com | |
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Free Ads!This is a partial listing of the new ads since our last issue. To see the full classifieds - click hereWhen you send your copy to ads@cheesemaking.com, your ad will be placed in the classified section of our website and it will also appear in the next month's Moosletter.
For SaleJobs & Employment
Expand our cheese making operation; we currently have a retail store in the Hartford, Ct area that features wine, beer, cheese and soda making supplies. The Hartford area is ripe for an expanded cheese offerings and classes. We are looking forward to retirement. If you are interested in owning this type of business, Contact bwmwct@cs.com or 860 247-2969.
Small goat dairy producer searching for a cheesemaker
willing to share fifty-fifty in an artisan cheese venture located in
Stowe, Vermont. Kaiser Farm currently milks a herd of 60 mixed-breed
goats, shipping
fluid milk. Applicants should have proven business,
marketing, and cheese making skills, and be able to work independently.
Farm experience is desirable also. Housing available. Christine
Kaiser, 802-253-8222 Or, send cover letter and resume to: 1148
Nebraska Valley Road, Stowe, VT 05672
Assistant Cheesemaker and Plant Assistant at
Appleton Farms in Ipswich Mass. is seeking a full time assistant in our
newly opened cheese plant. Duties include all aspects of assisting in
cheese and yogurt making , also plant clean up and maintenance. The
successful applicant will be also driving a small milk truck and
assisting with milk bottling 2 days per week. Email jmiller@ttor.org or phone 978-356-5728 ext. 17
Services
Creative Labels of Vermont
has been printing cheese labels for some of the finest Cheese Makers in
our area since 1983. A Family owned and operated Flexographic printing
company; we also do Digital printing for short runs. All custom quotes
are free! Call 800-639-7092. Check us out online at www.clov.com or http://m.clov.com/zara-mobile. Tell your customer service rep Zara sent you, and receive 2 free plates (a $60 value) for new customers.
Wanted
Used aluminum or stainless 5 gallon/20 liter milk containers wanted. Please respond bprezant@uw.edu, thanks!
Workshops & Classes
Professor Chef located in North
Providence, Rhode Island runs monthly cheese Mozzarella, Ricotta and
Yogurt Cheese making demos and a variety of other cooking classes.
Professor Chef is a husband and wife team Phil Griffin is an award
wining chef and former Johnson and Wales culinary instructor his wife
Malinda Coletta is an award winning cook - together they teach you how
to play with your food! Please visit their web page at Professorchef.com or call 401-749-312
LEARN CHEESE MAKING with Merryl Winstein. Complete array of
traditional & professional methods taught in every class. HALF-DAY
CLASSES: Feta, basic hard cheese (tomme), soft spreadable chevre,
yogurt, & ricotta. ALL-DAY WEEKENDS (Choose one day or both).
Saturdays: Traditional cheddar, alpine/Swiss, camembert, &
ricotta. Sundays: Blue, traditional mozarella, & ricotta. www.cheesemakingclass.com, 314-968-2596, St. Louis, Missouri.
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What are people saying about us? Check it out here.
The Cheese Queen is in Food and Wine and Barbara Kingsolver's
book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle!
Thanks for joining our cheese making family, keep those stories & photos coming. We love to hear from you!
In Peace,
Ricki, the cheese queen | |