The Murray's Cheese Handbook: A Guide to More Than 300 of the World's Best Cheeses (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Kaufelt is the current proprietor of the 65-year-old New York City institution known as Murray's Cheese, a Greenwich Village shop of great renown and pungent aromas. (Thorpe oversees its wholesale department.) In this expertly handled and instructive catalogue, the authors include vital information for each of the 300-plus entries; there are mentions of milk type (denoted with icons of a goat, cow, sheep or water buffalo); country of origin; whether the cheese is raw or pasteurized; and the type (semisoft, firm, etc.). The authors wax poetic and multisyllabic on cheeses familiar and obscure, bloomy and blue. To wit, the entry on La Serena cheese begins, "Deep in Extremadura, where Merino sheep forage on slate and granite soil, La Serena is a testament to creative seasonal cheesemaking." And of Shropshire blue: "It's as if staid Stilton had a more flamboyant twin." The authors include a glossary and a series of lists and indexes that cover such territory as what cheeses to serve before a meal, top 10 "Most Intimidating Cheeses" (#9: Stinking Bishop), beer and wine pairings, and "Cheeses to Eat Before You Die." Readers whose town lacks a decent cheese shop might find their mouths watering in frustration, but taken as literature, it would be semihard to find a finer book of prose poetry. (Sept.)
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Review

“I love Murray’s Cheese Handbook. Although Rob makes it fun to learn about cheese, this is a seriously informative book.”
—Thomas Keller, chef, The French Laundry and Per Se

“What a great cheese guide book--from one of America’s greatest cheese shops!” 
—Emeril Lagasse

“What Rob has done at Murray’s is unique; he has brought a level of cheese expertise to America that no one else has ever done before.”
—Alice Waters, executive chef and owner of Chez Panisse

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Broadway (October 3, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767921305
• ISBN-13: 978-0767921305
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 3.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #27,052 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and fun, October 16, 2006

By	Adam D. Haas - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Murray's Guide to Cheese successfully combines all the elements for an outstanding food guide. It is endlessly informative, and everybody from the absolute novice to the most seasoned caseophile will learn something new. Everything from milk types, to storing cheese, to descriptions of the cheeses themselves is discussed succintly and articulately. The author does not assume the reader has an advanced lexicon of esoteric cheese-world terms, nor does he ever "talk down" to the reader. The Top 10 Lists, beverage pairing and cheese plate composing indices alone are worth the price!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars good, to an extent..., March 9, 2007

By	annielaurie "lover of books, music, animals, ... (Saint Paul, MN) - See all my reviews

but unfortunately, most of the cheeses I tried to look up were not among the more than 300 described here. I gave this to my brother as a gift and we took it along to the local Central Market in Dallas. Most of the cheeses we were interested in couldn't be found in the book. Recommended, but with reservations - the descriptions of the cheeses that are actually in the book are truly mouth-watering.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rob Kaufelt is a Cheese Wiz!, October 13, 2006

By	J. Keller (New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you love cheese, this book is an essential road map to exploring the rich and pungent world of artisanal cheeses. The book also provides a simple and clear explanation of how cheese is made and why there are so many variations of something that has just a few basic ingredients. I would not be surprised to see the yellow handbook popping up in restaurants when a cheese course is offered as diners take advantage of the slim volume to make educated selections. If nothing else, this book will serve as a useful way to remember the names of the cheeses you have tried and loved by keeping notes next to the descriptions; my annotated guide has become a veritable diary of cheese.