Michelson - The cheese room

The

Cheese Room

Patricia Michelson runs her business, La Fromagerie, from two locations in London: Highbury and Marylebone. Stylish and unconventional, it is recognized as being one of the best cheese shops in England. The Cheese Room, her first book, won the Best Single Food Subject Award (UK) in the 2002 Gourmand World Food Book Awards. It was also shortlisted for the Andre Simon Book Award, the Guild of Foodwriters Jeremy Round Award for Best First Book and the Glenfiddich Food Book Award. She lives and works with her husband Danny and tries to spend as much time as possible with her two beautiful daughters.

The

Cheese Room

PATRICIA MICHELSON

PENGUIN BOOKS

PENGUIN BOOKS

Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL , England

Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4P 2Y3

(a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)

Penguin Ireland, 25 St Stephens Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd)

Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell,

Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd)

Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd, 11 Community Centre,

Panchsheel Park, New Delhi 110 017, India

Penguin Group (NZ), cnr Airborne and Rosedale Roads, Albany,

Auckland 1310, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd)

Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, 24 Sturdee Avenue,

Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL , England

www.penguin.com

First published by Michael Joseph 2001

Published in Penguin Books 2005

Copyright Patricia Michelson, 2001

All rights reserved

The moral right of the author has been asserted

Except in the United States of America, this book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publishers prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser

ISBN: 978-0-14-195482-0

Dedicated with love to H.L.K.

FOREWORD

This book was conceived and written in the white heat of a small thriving business, coping with the success of an idea that germinated several years ago. My wife Patricia never ceases to amaze me, our friends and family with her talent, knowledge and wisdom, not just about cheese but all things gastronomic. How she found the time and dedication to write while being a wife, mother, and the driving force behind La Fromagerie remains a mystery, and a source of inspiration to us all.

Daniel Michelson

March 2001

Every day I open the door to the Cheese Room and roll up the protective blinds to reveal my treasures, sitting on their aged wooden shelves on straw mats. And every day I learn a little more about cheese and how I can make them taste of their particular terroir rather than masking their flavours. At the end of the day as I stroll home across Highbury Fields I may see a pizza delivery scooter roar past me at full throttle, trying to reach its destination by the allotted time. I cant help thinking that when I get home Ill simply slice two thin pieces of sourdough bread, toast them lightly, brush over a fruity white wine, lay slivers of Gruyre on top of one slice and crumble a goats cheese over the other. Then Ill grill them until they are golden and melting. Just eight minutes from start to finish. Fast food my way.

I could talk about cheese until the cows come home describe the nuances and aromas, textures, styles and varying shades of yellow. I could list countless cheeses, with family histories, terrain formations and weather conditions, and enough data to make you glaze over and reach for the gin bottle. For those of you who are interested I have listed on my favoured reference books on cheese and others I have found illuminating and enjoyable. More to the point, I want this book to give you the urge to explore different cheeses and tastes from which you might previously have shied away because their aroma might have seemed too strong and gamey, or their names were so convoluted you were afraid to try to pronounce them or just plain scared to try anything new.

And its not just tasting new cheeses, its knowing how to use them in cooking or with other ingredients. I loathe the idea of mixing cheese into a mass of gunge just because I know it will melt or soften: the finished result will lose all the inherent texture and flavour of the cheese. Of course, there are certain cheeses, for example, the Gruyre style and crumbly Cheddars, which perform well when grilled or baked, and soft creamy cheeses that can be used in cake-baking, but generally I prefer to keep cheese intact to serve alongside other ingredients. I am not a chef, or a trained cook; so my recipe ideas are based first and foremost on making the most of cheese, with complementary seasonal produce. Whenever Im visiting cheesemakers I love searching out local products, especially those that go well with cheese in one form or another. I love wine it doesnt have to be massively expensive and if a vineyard is near to where a cheese comes from, the two invariably match.

I love maturing and nurturing cheese, bringing out the best qualities , and some markets too, for you to search out.

I want to convey my enthusiasm and delight in discovering good cheese. I want you not only to beat a path to my shop, which would be lovely as Ill always be pleased to see you, but also to support your local cheesemonger or food shop and, if you live in a rural area, find artisan cheesemakers using milk from their own herd: knock at their door, and as likely as not they will be delighted to sell you their cheese, or tell you where to buy it. Farmers markets are popping up everywhere, especially in cities and major towns, and should be assiduously patronized by all who value the importance of fresh, locally grown and reared produce. It doesnt have to be rigidly organic but should be grown or reared with care, patience and respect. If you find any good ones please let me know!

Lets also rediscover the joy and satisfaction of food shopping instead of relying solely on supermarkets. Think about menu planning each day instead of once a week when you do the main shopping. Look at simple foods like cheese and realize their potential in all sorts of recipes as well as being a complete meal with a chunk of bread, some olives, pickles and a glass of wine. What could be easier or more delicious?

My philosophy in cooking is to use really good ingredients and not twist them about, losing texture, aroma and flavour. We are learning more and more about produce being grown without too many chemicals, or indeed any manufactured aids, as well as enjoying the seasonality of food rather than expecting to see strawberries and asparagus all the year round. The same principles apply to cheese look forward to new flavours as the seasons change.

Here are some personal thoughts on food and shopping. You dont have to take them as gospel, just as a guideline.

Wherever you can buy fruit, vegetables, salads, herbs as fresh as possible and look for produce that hasnt been oversprayed or over-cultivated. Ask your greengrocer, butcher, baker, fishmonger about their foods.