The All American Cheese and Wine Book
There's a certain built-in fear factor to be found at any decent wine shop or cheese counter. WithThe All American Cheese and Wine BookLaura Werlin makes it all go away. This is the author who, withThe New American Cheese, so ably demonstrated the fact that terrific cheeses of international quality are being made in the US. In this second volume she shows the reader how it is possible, with a little foreknowledge, to confront that retail fear and start making exciting choices of wines that will open up cheeses, and cheeses that will reveal the true nature of wine. You will find yourself moving gracefully from "Oh my God!" to "What a friend we have in cheeses!"This is a very straightforward book, with chapters that include "All About Cheese," and "All About Wine." Here you will find the seven basic cheeses and how they are made, as well as information on winemaking and tasting. In "Bringing Cheese and Wine Together" Werlin gives us her ten basic guidelines as well as lists and charts that reveal clues for perfect matchings of wine and cheese. And then the heart of the book, the pairings of 50 cheese makers and wine makers throughout the US, which displays a real feel for the passion that underlies these two major product categories. These profiles are delightfully matched with recipes Werlin files under Hors d'Oeuvres, Pizzas, Cheese Plates, Cheese Bar, Picnics, and Desserts. This is a beautifully designed book with outstanding photography underscoring all that Laura Werlin has to share.--Schuyler Ingle