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

I make cheese, run a website and forum at CheeseForum org, and got this book to broaden my knowledge of different cheeses. "The Murray's Cheese Handbook" is a long thin ½ in/1 cm thick format good for putting in a pocket. It was written by the current owner of the famous Murray's Cheese Store in New York City, USA. It has the normal intro and FAQ and pairing with wine sections but the bulk of the book is a listing and summary of 300+ of the author's favorite US and international cheeses, roughly ½ a page per cheese, no pictures. Nice quality paper, binding and cover that would stand up to many trips in pocket while visiting cheese stores. But, if you want more details and pictures there are better albeit bigger encyclopedia type books out there.

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!

Finally, a sexy book for sexy cheese. This book gives fantastic insight to the world of fromage, without being too dense. Rob makes it cool to be in to cheese. I loved the top ten sexiest cheese list. That's just great. The whole book was filled with good insights on so many cheeses, most of which can't be found at the local grocery. I'm getting hungry for cheese just thinking about the book again. Makes me want to go visit Murray's and buy some more, even though I have plenty in the fridge already. Great book, cheese for every man woman and child. Rob Kaufelt is setting the trend, making cheese cool again. a.jimenez

New Yorkers know Murray's as the church of cheese and love to tithe there. What the oldest cheese shop in NYC is famous for is not merely its 400 superb cheeses (and a host of other real foods, from pastured eggs to cream-line milk) but the incomparable counter service. Once they call your number, the expertise of the cheesemonger is yours: cow, sheep, goat milk; raw or pasteurized; what the cows ate; the peak season for a particular cheese; what to eat and drink with it. Now proprietor Rob Kaufelt has put all that in a smartly written handbook. The expertise of all the Murray's cheesemongers - and the incomparable palate of Kaufelt himself - is all at your fingertips. In addition to descriptions of 300 top cheeses, there is accurate and genuinely useful information about raw milk cheese and cheese and health. Full disclosure: Rob Kaufelt was kind enough to refer to my book, Real Food, on the merits of dairy and raw dairy. It's rare that a cheesemonger doesn't toe the medical party line. Most would say, 'Sure, eat my cheese - but if you're watching your cholesterol, only in moderation.' But Rob believes dairy is good for you. That makes this an unusual - and in my view - accurate, timely, original, and newsworthy book. Bravo.

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.