What Does Cheese Mean?

[Note: The recent link reminded me what a good post this is, so I've decided to run it again] A certain euro-centrism reigns in cheese appreciation circles. When I think of good cheese (really good cheese), what immediately comes to mind is an imaginary French or Italian sheep’s milk gem crafted from the milk of herds grazing in the Alps. On some level, there’s a logic... [Read more]

Interview – Steve Jones of Cheese bar

Note: Steve’s Cheese moved, and changed the name to Cheese Bar in 2010. The new address is below. Steve Jones A couple of weeks ago, Steve Jones celebrated the one year anniversary of Steve’s Cheese, his cheese and cured meats shop located in Northwest Portland. The anniversary was a milestone of sorts for this city, which up until a few years ago had only a couple... [Read more]

Michael Talks Cheese

Dear Diary: Today I went to a cheese festival. It was sort of like Disneyland for cheese lovers, and I left feeling a lot like I do after a visit to the Magic Kingdom–exhilarated and slightly sick to my stomach. The annual conference of the American Cheese Society-yes, the one and only, accept no substitutes-hit town on Thursday, and all sorts of cheese makers and fellow... [Read more]

Five Oregon Artisan Cheeses You Shouldn’t Miss

by Tami Parr Artisanal Cheese Now that spring has officially arrived you’ll be seeing more and more local cheeses in stores as Oregon’s artisan cheesemakers go into full production for the year. You might even say cheese season has arrived! And with the start of the Portland Farmer’s Market (as well as others around the area) local cheese is now readily available directly... [Read more]

Cheese – Care and Storage

Let’s start with a basic precept: cheese is high maintenance. From production to storage to consumption, cheese demands the full attention of the cheesemaker, the cheesemonger and the cheese enthusiast. Cheese is not a food specially developed to have a long stable shelf life; you have to approach cheese storage with more patience (and perhaps a sense of adventure) than you... [Read more]

Cheese and the Seasons

You might notice that you aren’t seeing as much local artisan cheese in stores the past few months. Winter months divulge cheese-making secrets: it’s a seasonal activity. Goat and cow milk production naturally follows seasonal cycles, waning in the fall and winter and escalating in the spring and summer after pregnancies and spring births have stimulated milk production.... [Read more]

On the Price of Cheese

Montana Cheese In my last discussion about cheese here at Portland Food and Drink, several commenters mentioned price as a big part of their decision to buy (or not to buy) domestic artisan cheese. This intrigued me, so I’ve been pondering the issue for awhile. The first part of my thinking involved some retail research. I visited a local cheese purveyor a few days ago... [Read more]

Pacific NW Cheese Project’s Tami Parr to Contribute

It is about to get even more so. You may be aware of the terrific cheese blog, The Pacific Northwest Cheese Project run by Tami Parr. I’ve always wanted a cheese writer (not cheesy, I do that all by myself), and prevailed upon Tami to bring some of her expertise to this site. Like the others, she’ll be writing what she feels like, when she feels like it. I asked... [Read more]