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 her to write a quick bio:
My family comes from a small farming community in southern Wisconsin. Growing up, I visited Wisconsin just about every summer and while there, spent a lot of time on my aunt and uncle’s dairy farm. Here I learned about the hard work that goes into creating the food that goes onto the dinner table, the relief of getting the milk check in the mail, and the joy of a good harvest.
In Wisconsin cheese is a way of life, much the same way salmon represents something essential about the Northwest….so perhaps some of my passion about cheese comes genetically. Mostly I’m fascinated by cheese as a living, breathing food and a complex intersection of animal, land and craft. This terroir, if you will, is what I’m exploring when I think about, taste, and write about cheese. In my blog Pacific Northwest Cheese Project, I focus exclusively on Northwest cheese and cheese-makers – here I hope to explore a wider range of cheese and cheese issues as well.
The earliest memory I have involving cheese occurred when I was about 5. A kid was riding his bicycle around our neighborhood with a silver packet in his hand – it was the packet of “cheese” from a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Look, he said, this cheese comes free inside the box of macaroni – as he gleefully poured bright orange handfuls of dried powder in the hands of anyone interested.
Welcome to the site Tami. You are joining a great group of writers, a great group of readers, and now you’ll get invited to the first annual, Food Dude dinner with all our other writers, to be held in November.
Welcome, Tami (my favorite name throughout childhood, though unless someone really wants me to, I will spare transcribing here the lyrics from old Tammy TV show).
As someone who did not eat much cheese until age 30, I have two favorites, one pedestrian, the other that I can’t make anyone else if I pay them: Jarlsberg and Gjetost. I look forward to any words you have on either.
Welcome, Tami…while I love cheese, and try to eat my weight in cheese every year (somehow it’s a moving target?), I don’t know enough about it. Hopefully you can help increase our knowledge.
Looking forward to some cheezy delights, like why really stinky cheeses rule.
That Cardabelle Brebis from Monteillet, for example, is one rank puppy (and it looks like a disk of shrunken brain), but man it tastes good.
nancy: “gjetost” is truly awful. Kind of like sweet and sour cheese. But you must have some kindred spirits out there.
–mcz
I have very few kindred spirits; I’ve had about 20 people try it; all of them say the same thing: “It looks and smells like peanut butter.” Then they put down the sliver I’ve given them and frown. I did, however, have one girl like it, but she was six, and was perhaps being polite.
Really glad Tami will be getting more exposure. I’ve been pushing that site for a long time. When the Oregonian did that article on me, I tried to get them to give the site some press. I really think it’s the best food blog in the area, including mine and yours FD. Anyone who hasn’t gone through it and read up is missing out. There’s a lot of depth there that more shotgun approaches just can’t touch. In fact, dare I say there’s actual journalism going on at that site.
Hey, thanks everyone for the great welcome! I’ll do my best to uphold my end of this food conversation…. I will also say that I know absolutely nothing about Gjetost – can’t even spell it – but clearly this topic is going to require more investigation.
It’s apparently the national cheese of Norway. Jarlsberg is also Norwegian. And I married a Norwegian… but anyway, the brand I eat is Ski Queen, easy to find in any store where there are dahlias for sale near the register and bottled milk costs $6. And here’s a link:
http://www.norwegiancheeses.co.uk/ski_queen.htm
Nancy- You’re not alone, my significant other is a big fan of Gjetost.