US Airways - March 2013 - 25

Wine & Dine

explore

Taste, Savor,
Enjoy

Cheese
Wizardry
Skilled, passionate
troops in the American food revolution
are turning out
artisan cheeses
like never before.
By Scott Jones
America has a longstanding love affair with
cheese. It’s a classic comfort food,
even when playing a supporting
role. Where would macaroni or
pizza be without their cheesy
companions? Dullsville. Just
think about how much better a
burger tastes with melted Monterey Jack, or the transformative
power that freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano has in turning a
bowl of humdrum pasta into
something extraordinary.
Yet, somewhere along the way
we lost our connection to the real
thing. Handcrafted cheeses have
always been available for food
lovers in the know or those early
adopters of the local-food movement. But, as with many of our
food choices, convenience
trumps flavor and we choose
processed “cheese food” in the
form of plastic-wrapped slices and
cardboard-entombed blocks. And
let’s not forget about cheese dispensed from a spray can.
Thankfully, the pendulum is
swinging the other way. As the
American food revolution con-

★

photos by Dhanraj EmanuEl

tinues its march into communities, from farmers’ markets to
cheese shops to grocery stores,
access to high-quality domestic
and international cheeses has
never been greater. Full of flavor
and possessing a deep sense of
place (or what the French call
terroir), these artisan cheeses are
the antithesis of those produced
in an industrial setting.
“True artisan cheese is made
almost entirely, if not entirely, by
hand,” says Laura Werlin, a
cheese aficionado and author
who insists that whether the
production is small-batch or
large-scale, the critical compo-

nent is the hands-on craftsmanship. “There has to be someone
guiding the process not only
from a technical standpoint, but
from a visceral point as well,”
she contends.
Marcia Barinaga, of Barinaga
Ranch, agrees. “The economics
are such that I wear lots of hats,
but I find everything about caring
for the animals, having a dairy,
and pressing the curds incredibly
rewarding,” she says. Barinaga, a
PhD and former science journalist, views her family’s commitment to overseeing every step of
the process as key to the success
of their acclaimed Spanish-style

Clockwise from
top: carolina
moon by chapel
hill creamery,
Baserri by
Barinaga ranch,
Pleasant ridge
reserve by
Uplands cheese
company,
Winnimere by
Jasper hill Farm,
Thomasville
Tomme by Sweet
Grass Dairy, and
Bent river
camembert by
alemar cheese
company

usairwaysmag.com

march 2013

http://www.usairwaysmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of US Airways - March 2013

US Airways - March 2013
Table of Contents
CEO Letter
From the Editor
Did You Know?
Making It Happen
Hot Spots: Best Musical Pilgrimages
Hub Crawl: Denver Airport
Wine & Dine: Chef's Tables
Wine & Dine: Artisan Cheeses
Great Escapes: Cypress Inn
Adventure: Washington, DC by Bike
Great Escapes: The Gathering in Ireland
Adventure: Puerto Rico Golf
Charlotte EDC
Great Escapes: Barcelo Hotels and Resorts
Gear Up: The Smart Kitchen
Travel Feature: The Rome Less Traveled
US Airways Feature: Order Up!
Great Tastes: Phoenix Dining
From Philly, With Love
Route of Discovery: San Luis Obispo, California
Atlantic 10 Conference
Great Dates
Puzzles
Readers Resource Index
Your US Airways Guide
Video Entertainment
Audio Entertainment
U.S. and Caribbean Service Map
International Service Map
Airport Terminal Maps
US Airways Fleet/Customs & Immigration
Passenger Info/Contact US Airways
US Airways MarketPlace®
Window or Aisle?

US Airways - March 2013