Cheese

Work is piling up (they closed the issue late yet I'm still behind in getting everything ready for production and next week deadlines for a contract publishing project are coming due) so just a quick entry...

First off, Evelin decided she didn't want another inconclusive test or, worse, a negative from the First Response test, so we're just going to wait for the beta tomorrow...

Second, yesterday's Los Angeles Times food section included a roundup from the judging of the 2003 American Cheese Society annual conference. It sounds so yummy. Last year, the society meet in D.C. and while we didn't try to go to any of the sessions or tastings, they did get a special stand at the Duport Circle Farmers Market the weekend of the convention -- tons of artisan cheeses, including some really unique styles, all available super cheap. We picked up a mild crumbly sheep’s milk cheese, an excellent creamy blue cheese, a fairly piquant jack and a few others that I can't remember right now.

The farmers market we usually go to on Sundays in Takoma Park has an artisan cheesemaker who is now a regular, Keswick Creamery, and they have some excellent fetas and a nice jack cheese called Wallaby.

A year or two ago, I wanted to try to make cheese, but I never took the plunge to buy the equipment, plus I'm a little worried about the level of cleanliness needed to make sure the cheese isn't contaminated. Maybe if I get the winemaking under my belt first I'll feel up to the cheesemaking. Or if I ever get around to taking a cheesemaking class ...