And since then, I’ve fallen into the rabbit-hole universe of cheese-making.

It started with a trip to Minors, to get some gear for the community garden my friends and I are working in. Already on the North-West side of town, we stopped at Larry’s Market – and met the man himself. He offered us countless varieties: Marieke Foenegreek Gouda, blue, mobay, dill havarti, and others – from all over Europe and Wisconsin.

And then I saw it – the morbier (not to be confused with mobay, though they look similar). Sitting in the case, the black-ash dividing the morning from the evening milk, I couldn’t resist trying it again; and how could Larry refuse to comply?

The strong, almost acrid flavor was still there. But unlike the first time I tried it, the richness and depth of flavor in the milk were the most notable features. I still don’t regard it as a favorite cheese, but it certainly verifies my suspicions that the cheese case at the Downer Sendik’s is:

1. A) poorly and irregularly stocked

-or-

2. B) not sufficiently refrigerated

Whatever the (cheese) case, I probably won’t shy from morbier again, unless it’s at Sendik’s.

While at Larry’s, I mentioned a friend whose parents owns Saxon Creamery, in Cleveland, WI. Larry and his son talked up Mr. and Mrs. Heimerl, and said that Jerry would be in the following day. Five minutes later, he walks out of the back of the shop, so we tried their famous Big Ed variety. Amazing. Creamy and almost sweet, but with a sharpness that only a good aging can add.

I was hooked. I started reading cheese-making books, frequenting websites, watching both small and large batch cheese-making videos. I already regularly made my own yogurt – goat milk paneer didn’t seem harder. And in fact, it was easier to strain because the curd is larger.

While at an acquaintance’s birthday gathering, I discovered her husband makes his own cheeses, and works at the Wisconsin Cheese Mart. We discussed designs for cheese presses, and building earthen caves for aging our creations. All surrounding activity seemed to hum like timelapse video footage. Not surprisingly, the birthday-woman was not want of interest.

I stopped by the shop after a co-worker told me about the Sartori Merlot Cheese – which I regret expressing skepticism towards. But I bought some, and it was tasty, as were the goudas, the petit frère, and most notably, the Pleasant Ridge Reserve, which I’m told is made with unpasteurized milk from cows that graze on different cover crops each year.

Two weeks ago I stayed in central Wisconsin for several days, near Wausau. While shopping in town at Farm & Home , I happened upon a New England Cheesemaking kit for just shy of $20, and cheese and other dairy cultures. I also hope to visit The CheeseMaker, in Cedarburg. In the next several months down the yellow brick (cheddar, perhaps?) cheese road, I hope to make:

• mozzarella
• chevre
• a cheese press
• a cheese cave
• some sort of hard cheese…maybe cheddar
• gruyère (someday)

I’ve got a few raw milk sources, getting more gear, and support and enthusiasm from friends and family. I’ll post the results, perhaps!