200 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes: From Cheddar and Brie to Butter and Yogurt Paperback – August 29, 2013

As a home cheese maker, I was ready to up my game and try some new recipes. This book has lots of information, from basic terms to more advanced recipes. There are also numerous recipes to use your home made cheese. It has awesome directions and photos. I've already marked 3 new types of cheese I'd like to make.

I almost didn't purchase the book because of the title, thinking it was for beginners only, or that it might only contain kitchen recipes using cheese as an ingredient. However, this book is the real deal. As those of us who already make cheese know, cheesemaking IS fairly easy on the whole, thus the title. I think she was trying to remove some of the mystique of this ancient art, but if I had been her PR person, I would have insisted on a more worldly, much-deserved title acclaiming her incredible book. As a home cheesemaker striving for artisanal quality, I was wowed by her excellent recipes, (there really are a lot of hard-to find cheese recipes for those seeking to make lesser-know European style cheeses) , suggestions, information (ever spend days on a search engine trying to find out just how farmstead cheeses get those amazing rinds? You will now know! ), and yes, as a bonus, even some lovely meal-planning recipes to use up all this fabulous gourmet cheese you will be making. But cooking with cheese is not what the book is about. It is about making your own cheese from milk. Cheesemaking has been shrouded in secrecy, and has almost become a lost art in much of the world. It is a wonderful hobby, fairly easy, filled with benefits, and, up until now, filled with frustration in finding much advanced information. It is a real delight to find one source with so much information. The author is amazingly generous with her knowledge. She covers a lot of territory, with many pages for troubleshooting, and lots of helpful tips scattered throughout the book. The recipe list for how to make various cheeses is extensive, and covered here, more or less (Please forgive my typos):Quark, Fromage Frais, Fromage Blanc, Cream Cheese, French Cream Cheese, Greek Island Mizithra, Shepherd's Mizithra, Vangelis' Sour Mizithra, Alpine Ziger, Traditional Ricotta, Sweet Ricotta, Chevre, Traditional Provencal Chevre, Brousse, Sheep's milk Brousse, Cottage Cheese, English Farmhouse Cheese, Fresh Goat cheeses, Mascarpone, and both Cow's and Goat's milk Faiselle,Several versions of Mozzarella, plus Mozzarella di Bufala, Bocconcini, Provolone, Caciocavallo, Scamorza, Asadero, Kasseri, Saganaki,Brie, Camembert, Camembert with Calvados, Coulommiers, Chaource, French Neufchatel, St.-Marcellin, Valencay, Ste-Maure, Selles-sur-Cher, Pouligny-St.-Pierre, Crottin, Goat Brie,Castle-Blue, Cambozola, Gorgonzola, Fourme d'Ambert, Roquefort, Stilton, White Stilton, Blue Pyrenees, Bleu de Queyras,Septomoncel,Port Salut, Reblechon, Limburger, Meunster, Morbier, Brick, Taleggio, Monostorer, Esrom, Tilsit,Colby, Edam, Gouda, Leiden, goat's Milk Gouda, Havarti, Raclette, Fontina, Bel Paese, Butter Cheese, Caciotta, Tomme,Cheddar, Stirred-curd Cheddar, Chihuahua, Cheshire, Caerphilly, Emmental, Leerdemmer, Jarlsberg, Greyere, Appenzeller, Vacherin Fribourgeois, Wensleydale, Sheep's milk Wensdleydale, Cantal, Sbrinz, Manchego, Parmesan, Asiago, Piora, Kefalotyri, Romano, Pecorino Romano, Monterey Jack, Goat's Milk Cheddar, Goat's Milk Caerphilly, Lancashire, Montasio, Graviera, Derby, Ossau-Iraty, French Tomme, Raw milk Tomme, Colonia,Feta, Paneer, Cumin Paneer, Queso Blanco, Halloumi, Libyan Sheep's Milk cheese, Tomme d'Arles, Chestnut Leaf-Wrapped goat cheese, Gjetost, Cabra al Vino, Handkase, Domiati, Gammelost, Liptauer,Yogurt, Yogurt with skim-milk powder, Greek-style yogurt, Goat's milk yogurt with gelatin, Bulgarian-style yogurt, Yogurt cheese, Lebanese yogurt cheese, Labneh cheese balls, Kefir, Kefir grains, Kefir cheese,Butter, Bacterially-ripened cream butter, Naturally ripened cream butter, Sweet cream butter,Ssalted butter, 19 different flavored Butters (such as morel mushroom butter, cranberry orange butter, etc!), Ghee, Cultured buttermilk, Buttermilk cheese, Buttermilk hand cheese, Sour cream, Creme fraiche, and Clotted cream!This is simply the best hands-on manual for cheese-makers to come along in a long time! If I could only buy one book on cheesemaking, I would insist on two -this book and 'The Cheesemaker's Manual' by Margaret Morris. Even if you are a beginner you might quickly outgrow some of the other titles. This will last you through a lifetime of cheesemaking. I have made at least a dozen, and counting, of the more advanced recipes and found all of them to be excellent. Highly recommended!

I have been making cheese (mostly cheddar) for about 18 months. I own this book, Ricki Carroll's book, "Home Cheese Making", and "Artisan Cheese Making at Home" by Mary Karlin. [Karlin's book has quite a few errors which are listed on her website, so check that if you are using it.]I like all three books, but I cook with four gallons of milk at a time, and the recipes in this book are set up for those proportions. I find them really easy to read and there is a nice selection of options. The how-to section at the front of the book is quite clear, and I turn to it when I have any questions. The book is straightforward and not too chatty or silly (I get tired of another author's continual use of "whey" for "way" for example - the first time was mildly amusing, but after that it is tiresome).Mary Karlin's book is beautiful with lovely illustrations, and maybe if I'd found it first, I'd use it more often. Ricki Carroll's book (and web-site) is also quite helpful (though her recipes call for twice the amount of starter culture called for in 200 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes - hopefully not because her company sells starter culture).I'd like a book to include more information on aging cheeses. I've been successful, and there is plenty of information on the internet, but it is such an important aspect of cheese making, and I feel all three of the books I've mentioned could give it more attention.[I also have "Cheese and Fermented Milk Foods, Volumes One and Two" by Frank V. Kosikowski and Vikram V. Mistry. It was originally designed for a 30 lecture course at Cornell University for "industry and students of technical schools". It makes for interesting reading while you are stirring cheese as it cooks, or just sitting about waiting at points during the process (provided you aren't caring for children or weeding the garden, etc.). But it isn't a very strong do-it-yourself how-to book. If you have an in-law who is looking for a nice gift to give you, it would be worth dropping a hint about it. I'm glad I have it on my bookshelf, but it wouldn't be my first choice of cheesemaking books.]