The Cheese Course

While I LOVE cheese, it's got a load of calories that make me limit my intake, so I'm not one who will serve cheese with every meal. However, my husband IS a vegetarian (I am not), so I regularly use cheese as a source of protein. We eat a lot of pasta, and Janet Fletcher is one of my favorite cooks. I have several of her cookbooks and use Pasta Harvest as my main meal resource. Many of her pasta recipes call for cheese.Still, I LOVE the idea of cheese as an appetizer, dessert, accompaniment to wine, etc. I read through this book quickly, found several recipes I intend to try, but mostly, I came away with a different view of the meaning and use of cheese as a serving by itself. I like that idea. My children sometimes order cheese boards when we go out to dinner, and I always enjoy nibbling from them. Guess I'll have to save cheese for special occasions, though, since I just can't take the extra calories on a daily basis, although since reading this book, my husband and I did start adding cheese (and some excellent organic crackers we've found from Urban Ovens) as a supplement to our evening glass of wine. It's very satisfying, even if a little sinful.I appreciate the tips for buying and storing fresh cheese, as well as suggested pairings . Lots of tantalizing ideas in this book. Can't wait to try some of them.

Excellent book with great recipe ideas! I loved the one on the cover so much, I ran out to a local kitchen store and bought a wooden bowl. I already had the cheese, honey and grape leaves, so I was ready to impress my friends. :)

Absolutely amazing primer on cheese. She covers everything from planning a cheese platter, to beverage choices to recipes. The book is also broken down by chapter by cheese type, so you learn the difference between say a goat's milk and a sheep's milk cheese. Her recipes are simple and delicious and really bring out the flavor of each cheese.If you are a cheese lover or looking for a gift for a cheese head - this is the perfect purchase.

This is a book carefully produced, the photographs and the introductions to the recipes add to the fun of using the recipes. The book begins with a personal introduction including information on buying and storing cheese, on the selection and presentation of cheeses on a cheese platter, instruments for cutting cheese etc. This introduction is followed by four chapters of recipes using cheese: cow's milk cheeses, goat's milk cheeses, sheep's milk cheeses, and mixed milk cheeses and cheese platters.While the recipes are excellent, they are why I take exception to the title - many of the recipes are for the salad course. Other recipes are for breads or cookies to accompany the cheese course, some are for excellent marinades for soft cheeses, some for marinades fruits to accompany the cheeses - items like goat gouda with roasted hazelnuts and sherried figs with five alternative cheeses listed make this volume well worth owning.This is not a book that will introduce you to a wide variety of cheeses, however, it will provide you with many excellent pairings of cheese and fruit, as well as many salads for which a cheese is a necessary ingredient.

The main thrust of this book is to provide ideas for cheese pairings: with fruits, greens, and breads. The cheeses and ideas are grouped with an Introduction, Cow's Milk Cheeses, Goat's Milk Cheeses, Sheep's Milk Cheeses, and Mixed Cheese Platters. The recipes are good, the photos are good. An easy-to-use book that will make you crave cheese and feel confident about serving it.

This book, beautifully photographed and in the attractive format typical for Chronicle books, is a thoughtful, modern guide that will inspire you to serve cheese. The recipe for the classic party favorite, brie en croute (brie wrapped in pastry) may be missing, but maybe it doesn't even belong in a book that is guided by a love for artisanal cheeses from all over the world that would be smothered by such a preparation. I've tried two recipes from this book so far this summer, the marinated bocconcini (they're miniature balls of mozzarella marinated in oil, oregano, red pepper flakes, capers, parsley, and garlic) and the arugala salad with watermelon and feta, and both were wonderful and easy. If you've looked at your local cheeseshop's selection longingly, wondering how to confidently serve everything from goat cheese (such as the recipe on the cover), to an aged sheep's milk cheese, to trying something new with ricotta, then this is the book for you. It's a good starting point for learning about cheeses, or a good addition to a cook's library that already contains Steven Jenkin's encylopedic Cheese Primer.

This is a nice book to have around. The book is organized by type of cheese and offers suggestions of how to use the cheese. I wish it would have showed how the author would put together a whole cheese plate or a party instead of just individual cheese offerings.