By Leigh O’Connor.
The art of cheesemaking has been around for thousands of years – the history of cheese is rich with beautiful stories of provenance, tradition, technique, skill, flavour and much more.
For Chef, Colin Wood, you could call it a hobby or, more accurately, a fledgling addiction. His cheesemaking journey started as a way of trying to deal with the stress, intensity and demands of working in professional kitchens; learning and teaching himself something new allowed him to slow down, be creative and think about food differently.
In his debut cookbook, 'There’s Always Room for Cheese', Colin takes us back to the basics to create our favourite type of cheese – from the equipment you’ll need right through to concocting the perfect cheeseboard to impress your guests. There is also a range of deliciously creative cheesy recipes, both sweet and savoury – fromage blanc and strawberry doughnut anyone?
Each chapter is divided into different types of cheese from white mould to semi-hard, there is even a chapter on what to do with your waste!
One of Sydney’s emerging hospitality stars, Colin makes his own cheese every Monday at Mat Lindsay’s Surry Hills wine bar Poly, calling himself the restaurant’s ‘casual cheese guy’ and is keen to open his own cheese-centric place in the future.
"This book comes from my experiences of making cheese, both at home and in professional environments,” he explains. "Woven among the information and recipes are stories and anecdotes about how I make, age, eat, share, care for and love cheese.”
The combination of fish and cheese is quite a topic – some say ‘never’, others say ‘occasionally’ in classic dishes such as moules au Roquefort, lobster mornay, anchovies with mozzarella or even smoked salmon and cream cheese.
"The cheese and seafood should complement each other and when done well, cheese and seafood works, especially when it comes to creamy curds and dried salty fish,” Colin says.
His recipe for burrata curd with peas, broad beans and bottarga is the perfect example of this controversial combination. Bottarga is dried mullet, if you can’t get this fish try cured tuna loin, or fresh cured trout roe is also delicious in this dish.
Baked beans were a staple when Colin was growing up – a source of carbohydrates before a big gymnastics competition to keep the energy levels up. Later, when living in the USA, he had his eyes opened to quality dried beans.
"Some of the most memorable meals cooked by the team at Flora Bar in New York would have to be the black, pinto, gigante bean and egg dishes that were served in the mornings.”
When sourcing beans for Colin’s pinto beans in Parmesan broth recipe, look for them in organic grocers, smaller batches and self-serve bins; you can also use beans cooked like this as a good base for a broth or stew.
Sardinia is an Italian island known for its famous grass-fed sheep’s milk and cheese – in particular, pecorino. The pairing of this cheese with a rich broth, steamed clams and bread to mop up is another favourite cheese and seafood combination; try this recipe for clams with green cheese and ham and decide for yourself.
"Australia doesn’t have the range and size of clams that are quite readily available in the colder waters of North America and Europe,” Colin says. "Surf clams, vongole and pipis can all be used for this dish in Australia.”
This book offers the perfect opportunity for budding and experienced cheesemakers to have fun with their food at home and explore the world of cheese with the help of an expert.
It’s easy to make cheese at home – all you need to know is how!
'There’s Always Room for Cheese' – Hardie Grant Books, RRP $40.
