The Complete Book of Cheese

In Short

This vibrant 1955 handbook is an enthusiastic guide to the global heritage, lore, and culinary uses of cheese. Moving from European market squares to American dairies, the text blends personal memoirs, cultural anecdotes, and hundreds of practical recipes. It celebrates traditional methods against the rise of bland industrial processing, exploring everything from melted chafing-dish classics to rare regional specialties. Enduring as both an entertaining period piece and a warm invitation to gastronomy, it transforms a humble staple into an endless landscape of discovery for curious cooks and epicures alike.

The Story

The narrative begins as an affectionate memoir of travel, immersing the reader in the sensory bustle of European open-air markets. The journey opens among the cannon-ball Edams of Holland and the massive wheel-shaped Emmentalers of Lucerne, where expert connoisseurs judge maturity by knuckle-rapping the crusts and refreshing their palates with gingerbread. From these early recollections, the narrative broadens into a sweeping survey of continental traditions, praising the salty white sharpness of Greek Feta transported in milk kegs, the pungent green-veined richness of Italian Gorgonzola, and the historic longevity of Swiss mountain cartwheels aged for generations in family cellars.

As the broad tour moves across borders, it turns its eye toward the Western Hemisphere, tracking how European immigrants adapted ancient techniques to American soil. The text contrasts traditional European originals with North American variations, such as the discovery of sandstone caves along the Mississippi that gave rise to Minnesota Blue, or the mid-nineteenth-century Swiss settlers in Wisconsin who turned to cheesemaking after crop failures. Along the way, it skewers the modern industrial food industry for shrinking iconic creations like Pineapple cheese while coating them in artificial finishes and diluting their natural integrity.

The middle movement shifts from pure observation to the practical arts of the kitchen. It dives into specialized categories of cookery, beginning with an exhaustive examination of the Welsh Rabbit—tracing its literary origins, mischievous folklore, and endless regional variations. From simple skillet melts to complex baked fondues, soufflés, and savory pastries, the focus remains on proper technique: respecting the chemistry of heat, stirring in consistent directions, and pairing dishes with complementary beers, teas, or wines. It extends this domestic wisdom to crisp garden salads, layered cold sandwiches, and potted spreads designed for lively social gatherings.

In its final movement, the work transforms into a vast reference archive, organizing the globe’s caseous output into an alphabetical compendium. This exhaustive catalog bridges classic European varieties with global curiosities, spanning Asian soybean curds, South American gourd-shaped specialties, and Scandinavian whey cheeses. The author concludes by rooting this vast knowledge in a lifetime of personal travel and culinary enthusiasm, leaving the reader with a complete foundation for exploring, tasting, and preserving the rich heritage of the craft.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins The author recounts early trips through Dutch and Swiss markets, learning the subtle acoustics of knuckle-tapping Edam and inspecting the glistening eyes of wheel-sized Emmentalers. These initial encounters establish cheese as a cultural art form worthy of serious study and sensory appreciation.

Crossing continental borders The narrative surveys famous European styles, detailing how Feta travels in brine-filled kegs from Greece and how mountain cellars preserve century-old cartwheels as symbols of family prestige. It highlights the distinction between genuine regional classics and cheap international imitations.

Adapting to American soil Attention shifts to the United States, documenting how immigrant communities founded thriving dairy regions in Wisconsin and utilized Minnesota sandstone caves for aging Blue cheese. Simultaneously, it criticizes modern factory processors for shrinking traditional shapes and altering authentic flavors.

Mastering the chafing dish The focus turns entirely to the kitchen, launching a deep exploration of melted cheese dishes, from classic Welsh Rabbits to complex Swiss and French fondues. Historical anecdotes and literary references illustrate how simple toasted curds captured the imagination of poets and home cooks alike.

Crafting salads and spreads Recipes widen to encompass refreshing raw pairings, potted party pastes like Schnitzelbank, and intricate multi-layered sandwiches. The instructions emphasize proper temperatures, fresh herbs, and custom dressings to elevate everyday meals into memorable feasts.

Mapping the global archive The final section settles into an encyclopedic directory listing cheeses from every corner of the earth, detailing their origins, milk sources, and curing methods. The book closes by offering this comprehensive catalog as an enduring resource for the adventurous home cook.

The People

While written as a guide rather than a character-driven novel, the narrative is animated by a distinct central perspective and populated by historical, folkloric, and regional figures who embody the spirit of the craft.

• The Author-Connoisseur serves as the primary voice and guide. Driven by a lifelong passion for authentic regional food, he seeks to record, preserve, and share genuine culinary methods. He stands firmly against industrial processing, artificial preservatives, and bland factory substitutes, ending up as a persuasive advocate for domestic craftsmanship and adventurous eating.
• St. Peter and St. David appear in a traditional folkloric legend illustrating the irresistible temptation of melted cheese. Tasked with bringing reluctant Welshmen into Heaven, St. Peter succeeds only when St. David advises him to build a fire by the pearly gates and toast cheese, luring the choir sprinting inside through its heavenly aroma.
• Dr. William Maginn represents the historic literary epicure. As an eccentric nineteenth-century London journalist, he defends the late-night consumption of rich, porter-soaked Cheshire rabbit against health alarmists, demonstrating how good food and robust fellowship sustained the creative life of his era.
• Rosie embodies the living transmission of heritage across oceans. Bringing her family’s authentic Tyrolean recipes from the Swiss Alps to an artists' colony in New Jersey, she introduces morning-after breakfast salads that captivate local writers and painters, proving that regional food traditions thrive when carried by devoted hands.

In Its Own Voice

In Holland the business of judging a crumb of cheese has been taken with great seriousness for centuries.

The author sets a tone of lighthearted respect while exploring a Dutch market square, noting how local buyers use hollow steel tools to test the quality of Edams.

"Try toasted cheese. Build a fire just inside the gates and get a few angels to toast cheese in front of it."

In a retelling of a traditional story, St. David offers St. Peter clever advice on how to draw a stubborn crowd of Welshmen through the gates of Heaven.

"The most candidly named cheese in existence."

The author dryly summarizes the character of Puant Macere in the text's alphabetical catalog, highlighting its unvarnished reputation and pungent nature.

What It's Really About

Beneath its collection of recipes and travel memories, the book argues that food is a living expression of local geography, culture, and human history. It presents the traditional crafting of milk as an art form shaped by specific soils, climates, and centuries of trial and error. Central to the work is a sharp critique of modern mass production, which trades character, complex aromas, and historic variety for uniform appearance and shelf stability. By documenting everything from Alpine goat curds to Asian soybean blocks, the text asserts that preserving culinary diversity is essential to maintaining regional identity. It ultimately encourages readers to reject bland convenience, embrace bold and unfamiliar flavors, and reclaim the joyful, social ritual of the table.

Why Read It Today

This book will delight home cooks, culinary historians, and readers who appreciate vintage prose filled with personality and historical flair. Reading it feels like sitting down with a well-traveled host who seamlessly mixes practical kitchen wisdom with entertaining folklore and sharp observations. The author’s voice is warm, witty, and entirely unpretentious, making complex culinary techniques feel approachable and exciting.

Modern readers should be prepared for its mid-century structure and period framing. The text reflects the food landscape of the 1950s, complete with historical references to classic spirits, traditional tavern fare, and early processed foods that may feel nostalgic or distant today. Additionally, the exhaustive alphabetical directory at the end reads more like a reference catalog than a continuous narrative. Yet, despite these era-specific quirks, what lingers is the book's infectious enthusiasm. It transforms a simple kitchen staple into a gateway for global exploration, inspiring anyone who reads it to seek out genuine artisan craftsmanship and cook with greater curiosity.