With states like New York, Vermont and California upping their cheese-producing game in recent years, does Wisconsin still hold the cheese title? Definitely, according to local food and travel writer Kristine Hansen. She has extensively toured Wisconsin creameries and interviewed numerous cheesemakers for her new book, Wisconsin Cheese Cookbook: Creamy, Cheesy, Sweet and Savory Recipes From the State’s Best Creameries.
The stories of 28 cheesemakers—as well as a few chefs and restaurateurs that promote Wisconsin cheese in their offerings—are accompanied by page after page of tantalizing recipes featuring the creamery’s products. The book also serves as convenient guide for all things cheese-related. Hansen breaks down the characteristics of cheese made with cow, goat and sheep milk, cheese pairings, cheese award winners, annual cheese events and cheese retailers.
Hansen, who had also penned articles about Wisconsin cheese, considered several factors when choosing which creameries to include in the book: cheesemakers with compelling stories; creameries that had been around for a while; creameries that had won awards over the years; and creameries with some kind of ethnic heritage and currently owned by third- or fourth-generation cheesemakers who still use the techniques of their predecessors from the old countries.
“I was also really intrigued by couples that had left other careers to become cheesemakers,” Hansen says. “Those like Highfield Farm Creamery, near Lake Geneva. The owners [Terry and Denise Woods] had worked in IT and in other careers and had lived in California for a while, but it was their dream to make cheese and have a farmstead.”
‘True Family Businesses’
The cheesemakers’ stories and recipes are broken down into four regions of the state: Southwest (which includes the Driftless region), Southeast, Northeast and Northwest. Getting a behind-the-scenes look showed Hansen how hands-on the cheesemakers are with the day-to-day operations. “It was common for me to arrive for the interview and see them mowing the lawn in front or handling some part of the business that doesn’t have to do with cheese,” she says. “I was really impressed by how hands-on these cheesemakers are with their entire operations. They’re true family businesses.”
Most recipes are approachable for home cooks of all skill levels. When Hansen compiled the recipes, she wanted to go beyond the expected. “We already know we can make macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese and pizza, so I really like how the recipes cover everything from breakfast to midnight munchies. It’s very inclusive, with recipes like quiche and goat cheese brownies. I also looked for recipes that weren’t just used in marketing materials for the creameries and for recipes that had a family connection.”
Hansen didn’t hesitate long when asked if she has a favorite cheese—Carr Valley Cheese’s Cocoa Cardona—that she also gives nod to in the book’s introduction. “I just really liked how that cocoa rub added flavor and a little sweetness,” she enthuses. “I still like that cheese. Sometimes we just go back to what we loved initially, and there’s a reason for that.”
Hansen will be at Hunt Club Steakhouse (555 Hunt Club Court, Lake Geneva, Wis.) on Thursday, May 2, from 5 to 7 p.m. The cost is $20 per person and includes a six-foot cheeseboard spread and a mac and cheese recipe from the book. Hansen will sign books and talk… cheese! She will also appear at the Grafton Public Library (1620 11th Ave.) on Thursday, May 16, at 6 p.m. in celebration of the library’s 30th anniversary.
For more information, visit kristineahansen.com.
