Simona Carini's Year of Homemade Cheese

She's a role model if there ever was one!

It's all at Briciole.

We know how it is- you want to make cheese but you can't find the time.  However, the truth is, you really can!  It's a brand new year and this can be the turning point for you (as last year was for Simona Carini).

At the beginning of 2011, Simona decided to get serious about her cheese making, and she actually did it!  At her blog, Briciole, she has recapped her year and now we can all see how far she's come.  It's one year later and she's a real cheese maker.

(By the way, if you're learning Italian, Briciole is the place to go.  She supplies the Italian words and their pronunciations for every delicious food she creates.)

un anno di formaggio fatto in casa

a year of homemade cheese

A summary of the year that just ended through the lens of some of my cheese adventures.

(French) Neufchâtel for Novel Food #12

"If you can see the magic in cheese, you can see the magic in everything."

homemade English-style Coulommiers (a.k.a. English farmhouse cheese)

"It is very versatile: try a slice with a muffin for breakfast, or drizzle with olive oiland sprinkle with herbs and a few capers for an easy gourmet appetizer."

robiola

robiola on the cutting board

A nice cheese that can be eaten fresh or aged a few weeks (I used some of it in this dish)

Bel Paese with cacao nibs

Adding a personal touch to an Italian classic cheese

I have featured images of my cheese in several editions of the popular event

Black and White Wednesday - A Culinary Photography Event, created by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook

making cheese (black and white)

homemade French Neufchâtel

fresh homemade ricotta

homemade ricotta draining

with which I often make gnocchi di ricotta

I ♥ making cheese

making cheese requires patience

In May, I attended a weekend workshop with Jim Wallace on making three French cheeses

Wishing all of you the very best for the New Year