Tastemakers: Laura Werlin‘s Cheese Essentials/Michael Jackson The Beer Hunter

Sept. 12, 2007

From: ads2@mail.wdweb.com
Subject: taste
Date: September 7, 2007 1:03:21 PM EDT
To: lynn@northernexpress.com

Laura Werlin’s
Cheese Essentials
If you have not extended your cheese palate beyond cheddar, Brie and the other basics that appear on typical cocktail hour cheese platters, then Laura Werlin’s Cheese Essentials book is for you. Werlin is among the leading authorities when it comes to cheese, and she will be releasing her new book at Traverse City’s Epicurean Classic this weekend; she’ll also offer two classes on “cheese essentials.” There is an artesian cheese movement happening in the United States—in fact, we have the nation’s top cheese maker right here in Northern Michigan as the Leelanau Cheese Company just won “Best Cheese In North America” out of 1,200 cheeses at the 2007 American Cheese Society’s annual competition—and Werlin has been at the center of it. Her past books on cheese have been best sellers, and this one should be as well. The heart of this book is making cheese approachable to everyone from the chef to the kitchen gourmand to the consumer. Werlin wants to eliminate the “intimidation factor that cheese shoppers often feel when they are faced with the dizzying array of cheeses now available.” The book has 50 recipes from appetizers to desserts, and Werlin outlines the fundamentals of cheese selections for cooking or serving. She will highlight these fundamentals in both of her classes this weekend and will be joined by wine expert Bob Paulinski on Saturday for “The Cheese Course: A Match Made in Cheese & Wine Heaven.” For additional details on this and the numerous other classes, receptions and dinners at this year’s Epicurean Classic, check out their website at www.epicureanclassic.com.


Michael Jackson
“The Beer Hunter”

Bottoms Up returns to its “beer run” this week with some very sad news. Michael Jackson passed away on August 30. No, not that Michael Jackson; the beer critic and journalist Michael Jackson who lived in England and was probably the most important beer drinker of our day. He was nicknamed “The Beer Hunter” for his 1990 six-part popular documentary series of the same name. Jackson’s impact on the beer industry began in the ‘70s when he championed variety in beer styles in his writings that led to him also being nicknamed the “Bard of Beer.” His 1977 book “The World Guide to Beer” is attributed to inspiring the pursuit of imported beers, and served as the inspiration for the craftbrew industry (micros and brewpubs) in the United States. Jackson was also an expert on spirits—in particular whiskey—and wrote several books primarily about beer that sold several million copies. During the late ‘80s to the mid ‘90s, I was a craftbrew consultant and advocate for the industry in Michigan, and Jackson was very supportive; I relished the times that I spent with him at conferences and beer dinners. Jackson also loved wine and never felt it was a wine versus beer world. In his book “Michael Jackson’s Beer Companion,” he wrote “A day may pass when I do not drink wine, but never a week… beer is by far the more extensively consumed, but less adequately honored. In a small way, I want to help put right that injustice.” Jackson told NPR “If you can appreciate wine you can appreciate beer…wine used to be the drink of the elite, and has moved down market to the middle class, and beer has moved up market, and they have met in the middle.” If one person is to be attributed with beer’s rise in class over the past 30 years it is Michael Jackson. His writings will be missed, his last column will appear in the next issue of “All About Beer,” and in his typical insightful way, Jackson writes and speculates about death wondering if the best beers will be “upstairs or downstairs.” The column is really about Jackson explaining to his readers his battles with Parkinson’s Disease, a subject that he planned to base his next book on. He won’t have that chance, but loyal followers of his writings and wisdom on beer will have a chance to honor Jackson during a worldwide toast on September 30, as pubs and breweries will host events (funds will go to the Parkinson Foundation) with a toast scheduled at 9 pm eastern time. The Northern Michigan Michael Jackson event will take place at Shorts Brewery (details next week). Cheers Michael, somehow I think you made it to that brewpub “upstairs” where that elusive “best pint” you wrote about exists. To learn more about Jackson check out www.beerhunter.com.