Any way you cut it, cheese has global appeal. Cheese is one of the most varied and flavorful foods in the world. Its unique appeal lies in its range of textures, aromas, flavors, means of production, and milk sources. With this guide, readers will discover everything they need to know about European and American cheeses, including the growth of artisan cheeses, how to shop for cheese, combining cheese with food and drink, cooking cheese, and making cheese. • Over the past two decades, the quality, availability and popularity of artisan cheeses has grown • Cheese consumption has increased from 11.3 to 31.2 pounds per person over the last 30 years • 1 to 3 of the supermarkets offer full-service cheese counters with up to 300 varieties

Save money and preserve your harvest with more than 80 delicious recipes! The Complete Idiot's Guide to Dehydrating Foods is a comprehensive introduction to the process of food dehydrating. Today, people are using home dehydrators for drying and preserving all types of foods, and at a fraction of the cost were they to buy commercially-dried foods. The authors take you through the dehydrating process, step by step, and show you how create a huge variety of dried foods, while maximizing your yield and savings. Here's what you'll find inside: 80 simple and delicious recipes for fruits, vegetables, herbs and blends, meats and jerkies, dairy, crackers, grains and granola, fruit leathers, vegetable and fruit powders, dried soups and snacks, as well as desserts and healthier pet treats that your pet will absolutely love Practical guidance on buying the right dehydrator, setting up your dehydrating kitchen, purchasing essential tools and supplies, food safety and storage, and how to troubleshoot common issues Clear instructions for techniques to help make your dehydrated foods come out perfectly every time including slicing, peeling, prep work, pretreating, and rehydrating, plus tips for room drying and sun drying your foods Fun ideas for making special gifts with your dehydrated foods, plus tips for making gifts with dried flowers, creating potpourri, and more

Become a cheese gourmet. The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Cheese Making is for both the hobbyist who will enjoy this traditional skill and organic food enthusiasts interested in wholesome, additive-free foods, offering readers the step-by-step process for making all variety of cheeses. • Covers the processes of creating Mascarpone, Ricotta, Neufchatel, Queso Fresco, Farmhouse Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby, Traditional Cheddar, Feta, Gouda, Havarti, and many more cheeses • The author created and sells a cheese-making kit voted best in the country by The Wall Street Journal • The eat-local movement, along with recent food-safety scares, has piqued an interest in producing one's own cheese

Winner of the 2017 James Beard Award for Reference & Scholarship The discovery of cheese is a narrative at least 8,000 years old, dating back to the Neolithic era. Yet, after all of these thousands of years we are still finding new ways to combine the same four basic ingredients - milk, bacteria, salt, and enzymes - into new and exciting products with vastly different shapes, sizes, and colors, and equally complex and varied tastes, textures, and, yes, aromas. In fact, after a long period of industrialized, processed, and standardized cheese, cheesemakers, cheesemongers, affineurs, and most of all consumers are rediscovering the endless variety of cheeses across cultures. The Oxford Companion to Cheese is the first major reference work dedicated to cheese, containing 855 A-Z entries on cheese history, culture, science, and production. From cottage cheese to Camembert, from Gorgonzola to Gruyère, there are entries on all of the major cheese varieties globally, but also many cheeses that are not well known outside of their region of production. The concentrated whey cheeses popular in Norway, brunost, are covered here, as are the traditional Turkish and Iranian cheeses that are ripened in casings prepared from sheep's or goat's skin. There are entries on animal species whose milk is commonly (cow, goat, sheep) and not so commonly (think yak, camel, and reindeer) used in cheesemaking, as well as entries on a few highly important breeds within each species, such as the Nubian goat or the Holstein cow. Regional entries on places with a strong history of cheese production, biographies of influential cheesemakers, innovative and influential cheese shops, and historical entries on topics like manorial cheesemaking and cheese in children's literature round out the Companion's eclectic cultural coverage. The Companion also reflects a fascination with the microbiology and chemistry of cheese, featuring entries on bacteria, molds, yeasts, cultures, and coagulants used in cheesemaking and cheese maturing. The blooms, veins, sticky surfaces, gooey interiors, crystals, wrinkles, strings, and yes, for some, the odors of cheese are all due to microbial action and growth. And today we have unprecedented insight into the microbial complexity of cheese, thanks to advances in molecular biology, whole-genome sequencing technologies, and microbiome research. The Companion is equally interested in the applied elements of cheesemaking, with entries on production methodologies and the technology and equipment used in cheesemaking. An astonishing 325 authors contributed entries to the Companion, residing in 35 countries. These experts included cheesemakers, cheesemongers, dairy scientists, anthropologists, food historians, journalists, archaeologists, and on, from backgrounds as diverse as the topics they write about. Every entry is signed by the author, and includes both cross references to related topics and further reading suggestions. The endmatter includes a list of cheese-related museums and a thorough index. Two 16-page color inserts and well over a hundred black and white images help bring the entries to life. This landmark encyclopedia is the most wide-ranging, comprehensive, and reliable reference work on cheese available, suitable for both novices and industry insiders alike.

Supporting local farmers has really grown on people - and here's the guide to doing it right. There are so many great reasons to shop for and eat locally grown or raised foods, including freshness, taste, energy conservation, and supporting small business owners. That is why tens of thousands have made the switch to local foods. Now families and communities are enthusiastically supporting farmer's markets, artisan dairy farmers, cheese makers, family farms, local vineyards, and local livestock. Food expert and nutritionist Diane A. Welland explains what local eating is and isn't and how anyone can move toward a more sustainable way of eating. It covers: Types of foods considered local; what is in season when; Storing foods; Money saving tips. ? A practical approach for a challenging endeavor. ? Includes a complete overview of local eating across all 50 states.

Fun with fondue! In this scrumptious guide, readers will discover a creative collection of information, cooking tips, and succulent recipes. Also included are substitution suggestions for even more variety. * Written by an experienced food and beverage author, who is also the founding food editor of USA Today * Offers precise recipes for fondues, hot dips, and Asian hot-pot cooking along with suggestions for substitutions * Provides easy, time-saving recipes that require less than 20 minutes of hands-on time and fewer than 10 ingredients * Each recipe includes a box containing suggested foods for dipping and recommended substitutions * Do-ahead steps for all recipes minimize planning and preparation time

The healthy vegan diet-made easy. Vegans face their own special challenges when it comes to nutrition and this book provides answers. There are about one million vegans in the U.S. and about 50,000 new ones every year. A growing number of physicians advocate a completely plant-based diet for many of their patients who suffer from diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. In The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Plant-Based Nutrition, readers will find: ? Where to get nutrients that others get from meat and dairy. ? How to avoid the vegan pitfall of overfed but undernourished. ? How to spot hidden animal ingredients in packaged foods. ? Tips for eating at restaurants. ? Special considerations for children and seniors.

A fully updated and expanded edition of a weight loss program that readers can count on This fully updated and expanded edition clearly explains just how and why a glycemic index diet works by showing readers how to eat the right kind of foods—more complex carbohydrates, fiber, grains, and fruit. • The glycemic index diet is a solution for many people at risk for Type II diabetes or those with insulin-sensitivity or resistance • Includes information on supplements, easy recipes, food lists, and sample meal plans • Includes an appendix with glycemic index counts and loads for all sorts of food • Features a new study on how eating certain foods cold can make a big difference

No more burnt offerings! Whether it’s nachos or crock-pot kielbasa, a party, something quick for the kids’ lunch, a romantic date night, or dinner-for-one, this guy-friendly cookbook features over 230 real-food recipes for everything from vegetables, pasta, and desserts, to leftovers, appetizers, and grilling. Instead of relying on shortcuts, canned food, or unhealthy processed ingredients, it pares down complex cooking instructions, explains basic cooking terms, figures in prep time and cook time, and allots larger portion sizes. • Notes high-salt or high-cholesterol recipes. • Includes more than 230 recipes. • Provides special tips, advice, and recipe construction for beginners, plus bigger portion sizes for hungry men.

The Complete Idiot's Guide(r) to Cheese Makingis for both the hobbyist who will enjoy this traditional skill and organic food enthusiasts interested in wholesome, additive-free foods, offering readers the step-by-step process for making all variety of cheeses. Covers the processes of creating- Mascarpone Ricotta Neufchatel Queso Fresco Farmhouse Cheddar Monterey Jack, Colby Traditional Cheddar Feta Gouda Havarti, and many more cheeses