Cheese is her passion, but it’s not Laura Werlin’s only inspiration. The town of Aspen plays a role in her success, too. “I’ve been coming here for 16 years,” says the San Francisco-based Werlin. “I’ve written all of my books in Aspen. It’s quite a muse.”
Werlin, a featured speaker at last weekend’s Food & Wine Classic, is a bestselling author and one of the country’s most sought-after cheese experts; this year, her seminars were among the event’s most popular. It was clear that cheese, and Werlin, are on the rise.
“I do think that the interest in cheese is related to the interest in good, wholesome foods,” Werlin explains. “Foods that are local. Foods where you can meet the producer. Foods that taste good. This is where it’s going.”
Werlin points to three things to explain the rise of cheese culture: The influence of chefs (she credits Berkeley, Calif., chef Alice Waters with first popularizing artisan cheeses such as Laura Chenel goat cheese at Waters’ seminal Chez Panisse restaurant), the rise of farmers markets (“there is so much more direct exposure to cheese producers now”), and a late-century surge in international travel.
“People started coming back from France craving a cheese course,” says Werlin. “At first, they looked to Europe for imports. But people began to realize that great cheese is in fact being made here.”
Most cheeses made in America during the 20th century aped European styles, and were marketed in accordance.
“American cheeses were named for European cheeses. A cheese from Wisconsin would be called Gruyere. But now American cheesemakers are naming them after the road they live on, or the river that runs along out back. For the consumer it can be confusing, because you have to memorize the names of the cheeses you like. But the benefit for the cheesemaker is that the consumer’s only expectation is on that particular cheese, not the cheese that is was named for.”
And as the cheesemakers have diversified, American tastes have become more discerning and demanding. “Neither cheese nor bread is something that the average person makes for themselves. There is an incredible romance around cheese,” Werlin says. “A cheese that’s made well is something that’s complex, rich, it’s not fleeting. Whereas a storebought cheese might do the trick for a whole lot of things, it doesn’t have the same soulfulness, and the same appeal as artisan cheese. People are latching onto that.”
Perhaps not everyone.
“One thing about us as a culture is that when it comes to cheese, we’ve always gravitated toward mild cheeses that taste the same every time. That explains the popularity of Velveeta,” says Werlin, who surprisingly doesn’t eschew the single-wrap American-style cheeses. “To this day, if I eat a slice of American cheese between two slices of bread, I’m a happy camper.”
Mom’s Sausage-Stuffed Tomatoes with Provolone
From “Laura Werlin’s Cheese Essentials,” by Laura Werlin (Stewart Tabori & Chang). Serves 8.
Ingredients
8 firm, ripe tomatoes (about 6 ounces each)
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup water
1 cup uncooked orzo
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, crumbled
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
4 ounces regular (not sharp) provolone cheese, coarsely grated
1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup finely grated aged provolone (or use Parmigiano-Reggiano or asiago)
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut 1/4 inch off the tops of the tomatoes. Gently scoop out the pulp, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick wall. Be careful not to break the walls or bottom skin. Let drain upside down on a paper towel.
Bring the chicken broth and water to a boil in a medium- size saucepan. Add the orzo slowly, and return to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and let cook 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has absorbed the liquid, is firm, and is not sticking together.
In a large saute pan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook slowly until soft but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 2 minutes until soft, not browned. Add to the orzo.
Put the sausage in the saute pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and breaking up large pieces until lightly browned. If it seems fatty, drain on paper towels. Let cool slightly. In a medium bowl, combine the sausage and orzo mixture with the oregano, regular provolone and pine nuts. Stir just until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.
To assemble: Lightly salt the inside of the tomatoes. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the orzo mixture into each tomato, pressing firmly to fill as much as possible. Place in a casserole dish or pie plate just large enough to hold tomatoes in one layer. Top with the aged provolone.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the tomatoes feel slightly soft to the touch but still hold their shape and the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with parsley.
