Book Review: CIG to Cheese Making
Preparing recipes made with cheese is one thing. Making your own cheese is something entirely different. That's what you'll have an opportunity to learn how to do when you read The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cheese Making by James R. Leverentz.
If you're interested in learning more about the art and science of making cheese, this book is a must-read for you. Whether you actually plan to undertake making cheese yourself or if you just want to understand exactly what goes into making this popular dairy product, you'll likely find this book to be truly fascinating.
What You'll Learn in The CIG to Cheese Making
A great deal of information about what goes into making cheese is included in this book. The book focuses on what people who want to make cheese at home need to know rather than going into details about how to make massive quantities of cheese for a factory manufacturing situation.
You'll learn everything you need to know to create many types of cheese at home, including:
- Details about the science of cheese making
- An explanation of the process by which cheese is made
- What you'll need to make cheese (tools, equipment, supplies, etc.)
- Information about the ingredients necessary to create cheese yourself
- Common problems and mistakes to avoid when attempting to make cheese at home
- Types of cheese that can be made in a home setting, as well as those that cannot
- Definitions of key cheese making terminology
Cheese Making Instructions
Of course, no book about cheese making would be complete without recipes that you can use to try your new skills. In The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cheese Making, you'll find almost 50 recipes, some that provide instructions for actual cheese making and others that focus on creating delicious dishes made with your own homemade cheese.
Examples of the recipes for making soft cheese that you'll find in this book include:
- Hoop or Farmer's Cheese
- One Hour Mozzarella
- Large Curd Cottage Cheese
- Queso Fresco
Examples of hard cheese recipes included in the book are:
- Colby Cheese
- Farmhouse Cheddar
- Monterey Jack
- Traditional Cheddar Cheese
Examples of the book's washed curd and brine cheese recipes include:
- Baby Gouda
- Baby Swiss
- Havarti
- Provolone
About the Author
James R. Leverentz is the president and founder of Leeners, an Ohio-based company that markets kits and supplies for making a wide variety of food and beverage products including cheese, beer, wine, vinegar, bubble gum, and many other items. The author also teaches cheese making classes and is an expert on fermented foods.
Note: Special thanks go to the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to review this book.
