Review: Home Cheese Making

Home Cheese Making
by Ricki Carroll

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Home Cheese Making / 1-58017-464-7

I bought this book planning to start making my own cheeses. The book is a fascinating read and is very easy to read and understand. The pictures are clear and precise, and I actually feel that I understand what is going on in the pictures (not often the case with do-it-yourself books!). The recipes (of which there are many) are fun to read and are interspersed with little testimonials of people who have found the joy of cheese making - and, in many cases, have made a business out of their new joy.

Though this is through no fault of the book, I do find that I am a little intimidated. The book is very clear and up-front about the equipment and materials which need to be purchased before making a certain types of cheese. I appreciate the book's candor - I would not appreciate it if I got started and only then found out I needed to buy a lot more equipment than I had thought. The book is also exceedingly clear about the conditions the cheese must be made in and aged in, and the amount of time and investment which goes into good cheese. All this has made me a bit worried and I don't believe I'm currently ready to start cheese making - at least not in my tiny kitchen! However, I still enjoy pulling this book out on rainy days and reading and dreaming about the future. That, in of itself, makes it a good purchase for me.

I will also add that this is a great resource on cheese, period, and not just on cheese making. Thanks to this book, I understand the names and ingredients of the cheeses at the local organic market (chevre, anyone?) and I'm not so afraid to try them. I may not make cheese at home for awhile, but at least this book has given me a greater appreciation of cheeses in general, and I appreciate that.

~ Ana Mardoll

View all my reviews