Image from the latest issue of Kinfolk
Cheese nourishes, brings communities together, and allows people to farm the way they want, but it is also an art form. Although making cheese is hard labor, it is a craft that brings pleasure to both its creators and its admirers. Sometimes the rinds alone take one's breath away away. Brainy, wrinkly, ashy, smooth, waxed, covered in cocoa nibs or espresso or tiny diverts, they show a loving touch like a cut of fabric on a quilt does. -- Kirsten Jackson, Homage to Cheese, Kinfolk
I've started a new job in the cheese department of a local market. It's world's different than what I was doing, but in some senses, it's just a slight horizontal shift. Each day, I'm surrounded by lovers of fine food, by in-home entertainers, by people with niche and passionate knowledge, doing with might what their hands find to do. For these things, I'm so very grateful. I've already departed the store with belly aches more than a few times from tasting of the rich and pungent offerings of worldwide cheesemongers. I've much to learn on this exciting new journey, and am inspired by the art, the craft of farmers worldwide, and the love and meaning they pour into their processes.
This morning, I'm stewing in inspiration from the sights, smells, and sounds of this season.
What I'm reading: The Yearling, by Marjorie Rawlings; The Art of the Commonplace by Wendell Berry; Kinfolk, Volume 5
What I'm listening to: Shovels & Rope, The Matchcoats, Light for the Lost Boy (Andrew Peterson), Land of the Living (Matthew Perryman Jones)
What I'm cooking: Chili with cheddar biscuits (I added prosciutto to mine); Apple Cider Caramels; Beef Shoulder over Cheddar Ranch Grits
Visual eye candies: Tartan plaid, Field Notes, Chukka boots, Best Made Co.
What's on my Christmas list: This french press, this bag, and in my wildest dreams, this kitchen aid.
Cheese of Choice: Pave de Nord—a French raw cow's milk cheese, bright orange, rich, and smooth.
