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Original Essays | April 29, 2013
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More copies of this ISBNCheesemonger: A Life on the Wedgeby Gordon Edgar
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:Witty and irreverent, informative and provocative, Cheesemonger: A Life on the Wedge is the highly readable story of Gordon Edgar's unlikely career as a cheesemonger at San Francisco's worker-owned Rainbow Grocery Cooperative.
A former punk-rock political activist, Edgar bluffed his way into his cheese job knowing almost nothing, but quickly discovered a whole world of amazing artisan cheeses. There he developed a deep understanding and respect for the styles, producers, animals, and techniques that go into making great cheese. With a refreshingly unpretentious sensibility, Edgar intertwines his own life story with his ongoing love affair with cheese, and offers readers an unflinching, highly entertaining on-the-ground look at America's growing cheese movement. From problem customers to animal rights, business ethics to taste epiphanies, this book offers something for everyone, including cheese profiles and recommendations for selecting the very best — not just the most expensive — cheeses from the United States and around the world and a look at the struggles dairy farmers face in their attempts to stay on and make their living from the land. Edgar — a smart, progressive cheese man with an activist's edge — enlightens and delights with his view of the world from behind the cheese counter and his appreciation for the skill and tradition that go into a good wedge of Morbier. Cheesemonger is the first book of its kind — a cheese memoir with attitude and information that will appeal to everyone from serious foodies to urban food activists. Review:"Beginning with the Antique Gruyere that awoke his sleeping palate to the wonders and possibilities of cheese, professional cheesemonger Edgar recounts the path that landed him behind the cheese counter of a San Francisco co-op. Armed with a healthy disdain for pretentiousness and a liberal attitude rooted in punk rock and activism, Edgar provides engaging, illuminating essays on the intricacies of cheese and its production — from milk to the use of hormones to methods of farming — as well as profiles of well-known varieties; he even makes room for oft-maligned American Cheese (Edgar himself was raised on Velveeta and Kraft Singles), as well as entertaining digressions on crazy customers. Unfortunately, Edgar's asides can irritate as often as they inform, repeating his thoughts on issues like the logistics of food cooperatives and challenges facing the nation's milk producers. Edgar's passion for the subject, including its politics and social implications, is unassailable, and should give readers a new perspective on their favorite wedge of fromage. The book works best as a bulletin from the front lines, rather than a guide to distinguishing Cashel from Maytag Blue; it should prove most interesting to locavores, fellow cheesemongers, and those interested in the U.S. food industry." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
Review:"Gordon Edgar, punkster turned cheesemonger, has a knack for telling stories and crams his passion, wry humor, and knowledge into every page. It's such a treat to read that as I neared the end, I started to ration the pages to make it last longer." Didi Emmons, author of Vegetarian Planet
Review:"All I can say is this, if Randall Grahm, of Bonny Doon, would have discovered cheese before wine, he would have written this book. Cheesemonger is witty, insightful, and utterly packed with passion and fine humor. This book now goes on the 'required reading' list for my entire staff!" Charlie Trotter, Restaurant Charlie Trotter's
Review:"Smart, compassionate, and fun to read, Cheesemonger took my by surprise! Who would expect the memoir of a cheese man to be so fascinating, playful, and refreshing? It's great to hear a voice on food from the punk route, and Gordon Edgar brings a fresh and important perspective that we could all use for hand-made foods, those that aren't, and the people who buy them." Deborah Madison, author of Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America's Farmers' Markets and What We Eat When We Eat Alone
Book News Annotation:Edgar, San Francisco punk-turned-cheese-man, offers this informative memoir filled with sharp-witted humor that may forever change your perception of fermented dairy products. Along with telling his own story, Edgar informs readers of many aspects of the cheese movement such as animal rights, sustainable farming practices, the politics of cheese, co-operatives, as well as how to identify a good parmigiano reggiano or gruyére. This book is for anyone who has eaten cheese, bought food from a grocer, or is thinking about eating cheese bought from a grocer. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
About the AuthorGordon Edgar loves cheese and worker-owned co-ops, and has been combining both of these infatuations as a cheesemonger at Rainbow Grocery Cooperative in San Francisco for more than 15 years. Edgar has been a judge at cheese competitions, a board member for the California Artisan Cheese Guild, and, since 2002, has blogged at www.gordonzola.net. Surrounded by his vast and decaying collection of zines and obscure punk 7-inches, he lives in San Francisco with his girlfriend and their imaginary white miniature schnauzer.
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