Cheese by Fiona Beckett

Fiona Beckett is the award winning writer and author with a passion for cheese and in this new publication, she explains how to get the best out of it. She looks at what makes cheese so different and explores its many styles. With some wonderful photography, excellent advice and suggestions, you will soon be bitten by her bug.

It is good to find a book that gets down to the basics and answers some questions that we haven't even thought to ask.

Why does cheese taste different?
It depends on the animal, the breed and what it grazes on. The age of the animal is all important too. As with vines, the terroir matters: the balance of minerals in the soil, the weather and the time of year. Some cheeses, like Vacherin Mont d'Or are only available between September and March.

What about unpasteurised cheese?
Pasteurisation can dumb down flavour and in expert hands, unpasteurised cheese is generally safe.

Storage
The main enemies are heat (which hastens deterioration) and air (which dries it out). The best conditions are a cool and slightly humid larder. Most of us plumb for the fridge but do not put it in the coldest part. Waxed paper or foil is better than clingfilm, which can make it sweat.

Can you freeze cheese?
Purists would say no but if you have a lot left over and you do not want it to go to waste, do. Bear in mind that hard cheese freezes better than soft, but it will dry out.

To serve
Make sure you remove it from the fridge an hour before eating. Use a different knife for each cheese and don't cut the tip off a wedge. The centre is the best bit so share it.

The cheeseboard, striking the right balance
This is an area where it is worth giving some thought. Fiona advises on a good selection of cheeses and suggests choosing a sheep or goat's cheese, a variation in textures, flavour and colour, making sure you choose at least one blue cheese. Washed rind cheeses look colourful too and of course, you can go for some different shapes and sizes as well.

Along with some recipes for her favourite crackers and bread, raisin and rosemary bread, and suggestions for wines, Fiona gives you the complete picture. Go seek, find and enjoy.

Fiona has recently launched an excellent website, www.foodandwinematching.co.uk.

Publication details:
64 pp. Photography by David Munns. £8.99
Published by Ryland Peters & Small.
ISBN 1841724270
2003

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