Culture: The Word on Cheese--Issue #2

Recently, I raved about a new cheese magazine that had just hit the newstands: Culture: The Word on Cheese. Their second issue is now out so I wanted to provide my thoughts on it, and tell you whether the magazine still deserves kudos.

My first look at the Spring 2009 issue was promising. It was priced at only $9.95, which is less expensive than the $12.95 cover price of their premiere issue. As an additional bonus, the second issue even has 16 more pages so the reduced price did not come with a reduction of value. So what can be found within the magazine?

This new issue has plenty of interesting content. You can learn how to make your own Ricotta Cheese. Check out Colorado Chef Ryan Hardy, who is also a part-time farmer, and find some of his recipes, including a delicious sounding Goat Cheese and Bacon Tart. There is a discussion of tea and cheese pairings as well as Cabernet Franc and cheese. The Centerfold this issue is a highlight of Gorwydd Caerphilly, a Welsh cheese. There is a detailed article all about Pecorino. The Mexican Cheese article interested me especially as I recently had some Cotija cheese at Toro on my corn! With all I learned about Cotija, I want to return to Toro to ask them about their source for their cheese.

The local area even gets some coverage. First, there is a detailed article, Boston's Bounty, written by Clare Leschin-Hoar (who I recently met at a Boston food event) which lists local restaurants, bars, and stores with good cheese selections. This is an excellent, albeit incomplete, resource for local cheese lovers. For example, it fails to mention Las Ventas, which has a very good selection of Spanish cheeses. Second, there is a pictorial of Rawson Brook Dairy in Western Massachusetts. Unfortunately, this is only a pictorial and lacks any information about the dairy.

There are plenty of other articles to check out too. Once again, I was very impressed with this magazine and continue to heartily recommend it to all cheese lovers. The quality has not diminished an iota since the premiere issue. I found plenty of interest within the magazine and learned a number of new things. As it is now longer, and cheaper, it makes it even a better buy. The Boston article makes this issue even more valuable to my local readers.