The Art, Craft & Chemistry of Artisan Cheese Making: How to Make All-Natural Cheese at Home: Includes Unique Recipes from Beginner to Advanced Paperback – April 16, 2020

As everyone moves towards DIY in this pandemic, especially in the kitchen, making meals from scratch and ordering out less, I found this book instructive and superbly detailed. It provided a lot of excellent information for someone like me who had never even contemplated making cheese before. And yet cheese is such an essential ingredient in a lot of my favorite foods: pasta, lasagna, pizza etc.If you're wondering, it's quite inexpensive to make your own cheese. Considering how expensive imported cheeses are, I think we should all have a copy of this on our kindle. If you need anymore motivation to make your own cheese, let's not forget the health benefits. It is a great source of nutrients likes calcium, protein, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin A and vitamin B12. We really don't want to be lacking in any of those at a time like this.I learned a lot from reading Nancy's book. She detailed the history of cheese and cheese making, and broke down the different stages of and ingredients used in the process with very concise and clear descriptions. Everything you'll need to make your own cheese is written between the covers of this book. I liked the overall tone of her writing, I felt like Nancy and I built a connection in our common quest to master the art of cheesemaking. I will definitely pick up any other related books she releases.The layout of the book was perfect. I liked that it wasn't overcrowded with graphics. As nice as they are to look at, they can sometimes hinder the reading experience. I love how this book was structured. There was a certain consistency in the pacing that I don't usually find in books like these. Every section flowed perfectly into the other. The author didn't cut any corners to get to the recipe. The book motioned through the process from beginning to end, from basic to advanced.I liked that there were recipes for both beginners and experts. There's something for everyone regardless of where you fall on the cheesemaking spectrum. And even if you're not planning on making cheese, I'd still recommend this book because no knowledge is ever lost. But seriously though, consider it! It gives you something to do with the whole family!

This book is very well-organized and an effective tool for people who are just beginning their cheesemaking journey (though, I must mention that while this book is targeted at beginners, there are also recipes for more experienced cheesemakers!).Before getting into any specifics, the book starts with an introduction and many pages that establish the fundamentals (cheesemaking terminology, equipment needed, ingredients needed, etc). This makes the book very readable and makes the process of cheesemaking less intimidating for someone who is just starting. The book has both recipes for beginners and experts. The cheese recipes are easy to follow: ingredients are listed, directions are simple/clear/easy to follow and understand. There are not only explanations on how to prepare the cheese, but also how to strain and store it. The book also has an FAQ, which is a format that adds to the book's readability.If you are looking for a book that will aid you on your quest to become an at-home cheesemaker, this book just might be the right one for you! It's thorough, extensive, yet simple, easy to follow, easy language, and meant for beginners. It also has recipes for those that are more advanced in the art. I definitely recommend it for someone who is interested in the craft.

Enjoyed reading it, my only issue is the generic description of the culture. Mostly states 1 packet, different manufacturers do not have uniform sizes, a measurement like 1/8 teaspoon etc would be helpful

I was so excited to get the book. I turned to the Gouda cheesemaking recipe and I was stunned. It uses 1T of calcium chloride for 2 gallons of milk which is ridiculous. 1/2t of CaCl2 dissolved in a 1/4C of water is the right amount. Find a different cheese book because this one you really cannot trust

She mentions feta as a beginner friendly cheese that she is going to give you a recipe in the next chapter, but she never does. I primarily bought this book to make feta cheese.

This title caught my attention. I've had an increasing personal interest in making more daily products and food from home, or at least purchasing items from a reliable source to ensure the purity and quality I expect. Before I opened this book, I had already reccomended my boyfriend to page through it some time, since he himself has begin the exploration of home-made kombucha and experiments involving microbiology in his appartment kitchen. He also is a cheese conusur, like me.Now, this book is laid out in an easy-to-read format (I'm a graphic designer, and I can tell you, it's by the books perfect), and begins with a brief history of cheese and the art form is has always been. This leads into the explanation of specific parts of a cheese specimen (kind of like an anatomy study, but for food). Each chapter outlines important decisions in the cheese making process, such as the wax and rennet options available (I had never heard the term "rennet" previous to today). As in-depth as this book is it never feels overwhelming. I believe this is partially due to the fact that the book is split into two sections, right down the middle: the "lecture" and the recipes. I truly feel inspired to following through and begin work in my kitchen!

I returned this book. It’s probably fine for many cheese makers but I needed something different.

This book plus a couple Cheese Starters as suggested in this book, make a Wonderful Gift for Teens & Retirees!