The Whole Fromage: Adventures in the Delectable World of French Cheese

"Like a Brie ripened to its heart, the lover of cheeses is also the product of a long and delicate aging." – James de CoquetI'm a mouse when it comes to cheese; it is my complete undoing! If you already realized that there are a variety of cheeses to choose from, then you're on the right track. But just how many varieties are there? Can you believe that in France there are over six hundred types?! And that's just a guesstimation. Equally impressive is all that goes into making cheese, and the subtle nuances that make each variation unique.Kathe Lison goes on a cheese journey throughout France to learn about as many types of fromage as she can, their histories, and the process of making them. This book was so much fun! I learned so much, including the following, which I just felt I needed to share. It made me laugh and really, really think deeply:"An odd fact about cheese is that it abounds in casein, a protein that breaks down in the digestive system to produce an opioid called casomorphin...According to Neal Barnard, an American doctor/author/researcher (and veganism advocate), 'the most powerful [casomorphin] has about one-tenth the narcotic power of pure morphine. It's not enough to make you drive erratically, but it is enough to give a certain addictive quality to these foods.'"Yikes! Might you too have a problem? I wonder if there are support groups out there?The good thing is that in the last ten years or so, artisanal cheese making has started making waves in the United States. I highly recommend this book if you're a foodie, francophile, or love travel writing. I also highly recommend an American documentary entitled The Cheese Nun. Seriously, the whole nun and cheese theme combined was total bliss. Check out my review http://dreamydress48.blogspot.com/201... .

New life goal: become a cheese knight.That is a real thing in France, if you are so blessed by one of many local brotherhoods/sisterhoods of local cheese. The facts of cheese knighthood are among many very real delights described in this book by Kathe Lison, a Wisconsin native who arose from humble beginnings of Kraft boxed macaroni and cheese to explore the cultural and historical nuances of French fromage. If you're a history geek (ME!) who loves cheese (ME!) with a yearning to travel, even if vicariously through literature (ME! ME!) this book will hit all of your sweet spots (and savory spots besides).I found out about this book by listening to a podcast of the author in conversation with travel guru Rick Steves upon the subject of French cheese. The book delves much deeper into the subject, and does so in an easy-to-relate-to breezy tone. Chapters focus on cheeses such as Salers, chevre in southwestern France, Camembert and the mythology around it, Reblochon, Comte, Roquefort and its caves, sheep cheese of the Pyrenees, and of course, Langre and its cheese knights. There is a great deal about traditional methods of cheesemaking, the ever-changing industrialization of it, and the peculiarities of AOC labels and terroir.This is my first book of 2020 and I hope it sets my destiny for the year--one filled with delicious artisanal cheese.

It reads like a novel. I really enjoyed all of the great stories. I only have a minor criticism. She doesn't really differentiate all of the different cheese styles into broad categories. Even though this information can be found in any number of 100 texts, a table or chart would be useful for the layman and would help contextualize the subject. Otherwise it is a joy to read.

EXCELLENT venture into les fromages français! The author has a keen curiosity and a freshness for describing her characters and the cheese. She delivers her information in an intriguing manner that really makes one long to travel in her footsteps, which is exactly what I plan to do this summer. Just wish she could come along!

I desperately wanted to love this book, sharing the writer's love of France and cheese. She even gave a shout out to my favorite Parisienne cheese shop. That said, I nearly didn't make it through the first half of the book. The writer peppered the book with parenthetical asides as if she were challenging Sebastian Junger's crown as King of the Overwriters. Then suddenly, these irritations stopped and the book proceeded at a good pace. I learned quite a bit about cheese. I did not realize the gaps in my knowledge so I am ready for my next trip.

it is fun to read about something about which the author is so excited. However, her love of the old ways seems like she wants to visit something like Sturbridge Village, not a working farm that needs to evolve.

A fantastic journey through French cheese and a must read prior to any foodie's next trip to France. very well written.

Great book. very helpful overview of France cheese

Very interesting book and delivered in excellent condition promptly