The Cheese Chronicles

June 15, 2009
From counter clerk to VP of New York City shop Murray's Cheese, Thorpe has spent years talking with customers, farmers, cheese makers, and chefs. That experience is evident in the engaging conversational style of her new book. Instead of compiling an encyclopedic guide such as her earlier (coauthored) "The Murray's Cheese Handbook", Thorpe focuses on her favorite American cheeses and their producers. Occasionally repetitive and meandering, the relaxed writing demonstrates a passion for cheese that is accessible, not overwhelming. Thorpe is egalitarian, including larger factory and smaller artisan producers among the spotlighted cheese makers in each chapter and offering mild criticism of their lesser products if warranted. She remains relatable throughout, describing flavors and aromas in ways that most readers will grasp, using such terms and adjectives as wet socks (to capture a cheese's particular pungency), lemon, or butterscotch. VERDICT The text is not strictly organized according to history, region, or cheese type; however, its overall scope, humor, and affection will both entertain and educate its audience. Recommended for foodies, especially those with a passion for cheese.Peter Hepburn, Univ. of Illinois at Chicago Lib.

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2009
Having fallen into a job at the famous Murrays Cheese emporium in Manhattan rather by chance, Thorpe happily found a life calling, becoming the countrys first French-certified cheese master. In this volume, Thorpes goal is less to compile lists of cheeses sold in the U.S. than to intrigue readers with portraits of those brave souls who have pioneered artisanal American cheese-making. These innovators have established farms; nurtured attendant herds of cows, goats, and sheep; and built the mechanics to preserve milks goodness under the guise of cheese. Thorpe has crisscrossed the country to meet these men and women, and she gives histories of their dairies, assessing each of their cheeses unique characteristics. She even reveals some cheese-making secrets, such as the common practice of freezing curd in order to even out the seasonality of the animals milk production and keep fresh cheese supplies flowing steadily to a demanding market.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)