apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Nora Singley is our resident cheesemonger; she's the one who tells you all about why certain cheeses are blue and why there are tiny crunchy bits in some cheese.

Here are her favorite posts from The Kitchn's past year.

We could spend practically the same amount of time talking about the things to serve with cheese as we could about the actual cheese. This year, why not draw inspiration from your favorite cheese shop's grocery shelves and make some cheese accompaniments yourself? It's not hard to duplicate some of the best items to eat alongside a hunk of cheese, and the best part is that they're all homemade and very giftable...

Cheese nerds, come hither. Have you ever really thought about why blue cheese is the color that gives it its name? And what's the key element necessary to activate that blueness?

Expected? Perhaps. Worth doing anyway? Definitely.

This Thursday, it's only appropriate to highlight some of our country's best cheesemakers on an All-American Thanksgiving cheese plate. And the best thing about a cheese platter is that there's absolutely no cooking involved (unless you're making your own, that is), so you'll be able to focus on everything else.

All that needs to go into a cheese platter is a bit of thought and perhaps a theme. Lucky for you, we've picked one for you.

Here, a roundup of some of our favorite American cheeses we've covered in the past, many of them due in part to Patrick, our departed former cheesemonger!

Milk is white, so why is some cheese orange? What is the culprit responsible for this color change in cheese and why would some cheesemakers choose to rob their cheese of its natural tint in the first place? (It's not as devious as it sounds.)

It's hard to believe we've never spoken — not even once — of this cheese, with an appearance almost as arresting as its flavor. It carries a hefty stink and an equally substantial creaminess, an ideal pick for the fall and winter. But what's that name all about, and why does it have a brown band around its middle?

Have you been seeing cheese prices climbing upwards of $30 or even $40 per pound? If cheese is on your list of staples, we know what you're thinking: Stop the insanity!

There's so much potential for economic change to take place in today's election, but until our economy shakes off the brutality of the past few months (or years, depending on how you're looking at things), we'll continue to monitor our budgets.

In the meantime, what are some of the best cheeses for less?

For those of you who battle with what to serve alongside your cheese, it's about time you meet one of the best options around. In fact, we can't think of a cheese it wouldn't enhance.

This weekend, in search of a snack, our resident Cheesemonger slid open her refrigerator's dairy compartment, only to find (and taste) a flagrant reminder of what NOT to do with cheese. And the worst part? She had to face the fact that even she can be guilty of the offense.

This month at the Kitchn, as we focus on the harvest, we have the opportunity to examine where we spend our dollars and who we choose to support. And now, more than ever, it's even more critical to get behind our local, small production farmers, not only because in most cases their products are better, but also because it's the small farms bearing the massive brunt of our dwindling economy.

Cheese-wise, we are pleased to highlight an impeccably made product where we'd gladly dole our dollars. Plus, it's small batch and handmade, made only with all natural ingredients from antibiotic- and hormone-free milk. And if you're in the Northeast, consider it local. Now consider this...

For New Yorkers in search of the newest hot spot paying homage to a single-ingredient, we've happened upon the Eastern seaboard's one-of-a-kind epicurian destination-- in bar form, to be exact-- celebrating one of milk's most simple incarnations. It opened last Monday and if you love a good mozzarella (and don't feel like making it at home), hurry up-- or down, as the case may be-- to midtown Manhattan.

Here's some information for the individuals among us cheese lovers who may be interested in an odd, little-known fact about some cheeses. Craggy, rough rinds aren't only a sign of years of aging, they can also signify the presence of something else, not necessarily appreciated by the weak at heart. Let's just put it this way: You're not the only being who's attracted to cheese...

The other week we asked our readers to pose any and all questions on cheese to our cheesemonger. (Lines are still open if you have a query of your own.) Herein lies the answer to reader jeffzelli's question:

"It's a bit embarrassing, but I have to ask: what is the etiquette for eating a cheese flight? My friend and I had a cheese and wine flight at Bin 36 in Chicago a couple of weeks ago. We had side plates and a normal tableware setting, but no toothpicks or special utensils for the small chunks of cheese on the serving board. I decided to use fingers for the harder cheeses and a knife for gooey ones. Is that okay? And is it okay to put the harder pieces of cheese on a small piece of toast on the second taste?

We've heard it all, so don't be shy. We're taking any burning questions you may have for our resident cheesemonger and will start answering them in the following weeks, every Tuesday. Just leave your query in the comments section below. Here's a roundup of some of the most frequently asked questions we've heard and answered already: