Question: Did you know there was a magazine all about cheese? Answer: Probably not. Question: What if we told you said magazine was rooted right here in Massachusetts? Answer: You’d probably think that was insanely cool. We felt the same, and so DigBoston Staff Writer Sean L. Maloney asked the social media maestro at the South End-based mag Culture (@culturecheese) everything he ever wanted to know about cheese magazines but had previously forgotten to ask.
When did Culture start publishing?
The first issue premiered in winter of 2008, right smack in the middle of the recession. But we made it. Flourishing, in fact, and we’re still here! Our current issue (Winter 13, Volume 6, Issue 1) is our 5th anniversary issue.
How often do you publish and where can we find it?
We’re a quarterly, seasonal publication, but we also just added two special annual issues this year. Our first annual, “101 Best Cheeses of the Year,” was published in fall 2013. The next annual, “Cheese+,” a whole issue of cheese pairings, will be published in late spring. You can find our magazine at most cheese shops and some Whole Foods locations. In Boston, you can find us at American Provisions (Southie) and the Boston Cheese Cellar (Roslindale). Alternatively, you can order single issues or subscriptions online.
What’s the best part of writing about cheese? What’s the worst?
There’s so much that’s great about what I do. The cheese community is awesome, not to mention I get to eat a lot of free cheese. The worst part is easy–I’m always (believe it or not) hungry. Staring at pictures of gorgeous food all day will get to you, even if you did have a steak sandwich for lunch.
What’s your favorite local cheese? And by local I mean regional because frankly there aren’t a lot of cows in Suffolk County.
In Massachusetts, I’m a total sucker for Westfield Farm’s Bluebonnet. It’s this fudge-y little dome of blue-rinded goat cheese from Hubbardston (outside of Worcester) that’s so addicting. In New England, my heart beats loud for Vermont. A pillow of soft Cremont from Vermont Creamery, a wheel of stinky, oozy Winnimere from Jasper Hill Farm–I’m obsessed.
What are the best places to buy cheese in Boston?
If I have the time and a car, Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge is always my first choice. It’s large, has a great selection of both domestic and imported cheeses, and they’re always sampling something interesting. In town, Bacco’s Wine and Cheese is my go-to. They’re smaller, but the layout is nice and open so you never feel smushed by other people when you’re sampling–something I find really deters newbies from cheese counters. The mongers at Bacco’s have also introduced me to a few awesome cheeses I hadn’t heard of before; they really know their stuff.
What are the best places to eat cheese in Boston?
Hm, maybe our office? Haha. So many restaurants are doing cheese plates nowadays, which is awesome. But when I want to eat cheese somewhere other than my office or my home, there’s one place I consistently go: The Salty Pig. Rather than offering a single, curated cheese plate, you can make your own, ordering as few or as many cheeses as you like from their menu of mainstays and seasonals. You can also choose your own charcuterie and accompaniments to go with your cheese(s).
What is the strangest cheese you’ve come across in your work?
As a huge fan of spoonable cheeses that smell like your middle school gym locker, there isn’t much that phases me these days. That said, last spring we had some, uh, supremely aged cheese mailed to us in an envelope. I think it was yak cheese. It was dried out so much it resembled a small rock, and the instructions to eat it were to “suck on it like hard candy until it softens in your mouth.” So, there’s that.
If you could only eat one cheese for the rest of your life, what would it be, why?
Parmigiano-Reggiano. It’s not my favorite cheese, but you can do so much with it: grate it over salads, soups, and pasta, make stock out of the rind, eat it as a snack with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar … If I couldn’t cook with cheese, I’d be at a loss.
Should I be worried about the Velveeta shortage?
Nope. You can have your Superbowl queso dip and eat it, too–Monterey Jack makes a damn good one. It’s mild and meltable just like Velveeta, and it’s real cheese to boot.
Should I even mention Velveeta to a cheese writer? It seems uncouth.
To tell you the truth, nothing drives me more insane than cheese snobs harping on about the horrors of Velveeta. Relax, people! It’s not the devil incarnate.
And what weapon should I choose if the world collapses into chaos due to the Velveeta shortage?
The Cheese Knife, obviously. It’s only appropriate.
