Yesterday the Gopher Culinary Club hosted an afternoon with Food Science and Nutrition professor Tonya Schoenfuss. After we sampled a variety of cheeses produced at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Schoenfuss spoke about the history of cheese and how it is made. It was fascinating to learn about how social and geographical influences lead to the development of different types of cheese. After the lecture, we visited the University’s Dairy Salelsroom where I picked up some garlic and herb queso fresco, and then got to take a look at the production facilities pictured here.

After the lecture, I of course came back to the library to see what books we have on cheesemaking. One book that Dr. Schoenfuss recommended is Cheesemaking Made Easy: 60 Delicious Varieties by Ricki & Robert Carroll. If you’re thinking of getting started with cheese making, this book has great instructions and photos. We have a copy in the Kirschner Collection as well as in our regular circulating collection. There are also quite a few more books in the SF 271 section including Cheese Making at Home: The Complete Illustrated Guide (which contains surprisingly few illustrations if you ask me); Make Your Own Cheese, Butter, and Yogurt at Home; and The World of Cheese to name a few.