Tami Parr

This article from 2006 by author Tami Parr of The Pacific Northwest Cheese Project answers many questions about the care and storage of cheese. Let’s start with a basic precept: cheese is high maintenance. From production to storage to consumption, cheese demands the full attention of the cheesemaker, the … [Read more...] about Cheese – Care and Storage

A certain euro-centrism reigns in cheese appreciation circles. When I think of good cheese (really good cheese), what immediately comes to mind is an imaginary French or Italian sheep’s milk gem crafted from the milk of herds grazing in the Alps. On some level, there’s a logic to this; European cheese-making is a … [Read more...] about What Does Cheese Mean?

by Tami Parr Now that spring has officially arrived you’ll be seeing more and more local cheeses in stores as Oregon’s artisan cheesemakers go into full production for the year. You might even say cheese season has arrived! And with the start of the Portland Farmer’s Market (as well as others around the area) local … [Read more...] about Five Oregon Artisan Cheeses You Shouldn’t Miss

You might notice that you aren't seeing as much local artisan cheese in stores the past few months. Winter months divulge cheese-making secrets: it’s a seasonal activity. Goat and cow milk production naturally follows seasonal cycles, waning in the fall and winter and escalating in the spring and summer after … [Read more...] about Cheese and the Seasons

A large component of our (lack of) perception about cheese is that we simply do not have a centuries-old tradition of cheesemaking and cheese consumption By Tami Parr In my last discussion about cheese here at Portland Food and Drink, several commenters mentioned price as a big part of their decision to buy (or not … [Read more...] about On the Price of Cheese