For those looking to expand their cheesemaking, the Maine Cheese Guild has announced two upcoming workshops: Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking in April, and Fundamental Affinage in March. Both are open to non-members (registration includes membership), reserve your space soon!
Mastering Artisan Cheese Making
Maine Cheese Guild
Site: TBD
2-day workshop: Saturday–Sunday, April 26–27, 2014
Building on her most recent book, Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking, Gianaclis Caldwell will thoroughly explain the art and science that allow milk to be transformed into epicurean masterpieces. Caldwell offers a deep look at the history, science, culture, and art of making artisan cheese as a small-scale creamery, including detailed information on equipment and setting up your operation. She will demonstrate her process-based recipes dictating not only the hard numbers, but also the concepts behind each style of cheese and everything you want to know about affinage (aging), using oils, brushes, waxes, infusions, and other creative aging and flavoring techniques.
In addition to actively managing their 70 head herd of dairy goats, Gianaclis Caldwell is the cheesemaker and owner (along with her husband, Vern Caldwell and their daughters Phoebe and Amelia) of Pholia Farm, a licensed dairy located on 24 of the 200 plus acres she grew up on in southern Oregon. Pholia is well known for its artisan, aged raw milk cheeses; classes on small-dairy, goat husbandry, and cheesemaking at all levels; and off-grid, sustainable life-style focus.
FEE: $175 for Guild Members, $200 for non-members (includes a Guild membership). Registration will be set when deposits are received. Deposits will be refunded for cancellations up to a week before the class begins, after which they are not refundable. If there are more registrations than space available, later registrations will be notified and a waiting list will be started — deposits will be returned for those on the waiting list who cannot be accommodated.
Fundamental Affinage
Maine Cheese Guild
Site: Silvery Moon Creamery, Westbrook
2-day workshop: Friday–Saturday, March 28–29, 2014
In this two-day work shop, Michael Kalish of Third Wheel Cheese Consulting, will guide you through European styles of affinage. Michael’s workshop finds its balance of theory and practice in a colorful blend of film, photography, interactive lecture, anecdotal experience, and hands-on demonstrations.
Michael Kalish co-founded Third Wheel Cheese Consulting in 2012. From 2008 to 2011, Michael worked on artisan cheese farms across France and Northern Italy and in the alps of Gruyère and Valle d’Aosta. Formally trained at the istituto lattiero caseario e delle tecnologie agro-alimentari in Italy’s famed Piedmont Region, Michael apprenticed for Luigi Guffanti, managed Hervé Mons’ Tunnel de la Collonge in the Rhône Alps, and ran operations for Artisanal Premium Cheese in NYC. Michael is on the Education Committee for the American Cheese Society Conference this year and will be leading panels on affinage and food safety in Sacramento. Michael has led workshops for the California, Oregon, and Wisconsin Artisan Cheese Guilds and has taught Affinage portions of Master Classes in NYC.
FEE: $175 for Guild Members, $200 for non-members (includes a Guild membership). Registration will be set when deposits are received. Deposits will be refunded for cancellations up to a week before the class begins, after which they are not refundable. If there are more registrations than space available, later registrations will be notified and a waiting list will be started — deposits will be returned for those on the waiting list who cannot be accommodated.
To reserve a space, send a $50 deposit (with a note indicate the class you wish to attend) to: Maine Cheese Guild, c/o Mark Whitney – Treasurer, Pineland Farms Creamery, 32 Creamery Lane, New Gloucester, ME 04260.
For more information: www.mainecheeseguild.org
Find additional cheesemaking workshops under our listings for Cooking Classes.