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The PhCheese

Cheese so Smart it Has to Have a Degree

Tag: formaggio

What You Need to Know About White, Fuzzy Rinds

March 8, 2018March 12, 2018 CheeseAdminCheese Education

The other day, a mother and her pre-teen daughter were in the shop buying cheese. In our soft-ripened cow’s milk section (which is not labeled as such), the mom picked up a small wedge and[…]

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Ossau-Iraty is Oh So Yummy

March 2, 2018 CheeseAdminCheese of the Week

Once upon a time I wrote about Mahón, and my deep and undying devotion for that cheese. I share those feelings equally with another cheese: a sheep’s milk Tomme from France’s Basque country that goes[…]

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Celilo is Here!

February 21, 2018 CheeseAdminCheese of the Week

This weekend, an older couple came into the shop looking for Death & Taxes. While I knew exactly what cheese they wanted, I had to report that we did not carry it; in fact, I[…]

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How to be Sweet on Citrus with Cheese

February 14, 2018 CheeseAdminRecipes and Pairings

Ah, the dead of winter. That means different things to different people, to be sure. In general, we associate this time with darkness, cold, and snow. For much the northern US, Europe, and Asia, that[…]

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House of Curds

February 10, 2018February 14, 2018 CheeseAdminNews from Cheeseland

Sorry I’ve been MIA, my dear cheesy friends. We’ve spent the last 6 weeks trying to buy a house in the super-duper competitive Seattle metro area, and it has been one of the most stressful[…]

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Health Questions About Cheese for the New Year and All Year

January 17, 2018 CheeseAdminCheese Education

It’s only taken me half of January to get back online, but the holiday hangover is not at fault. Sadly, I was knocked flat by whatever plague it is that I caught at work just[…]

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Why Do Cheese Shops Always Sell Fig Bread and Date Cake?

December 23, 2017 CheeseAdminCheese Education

“This is cheese?” That’s the question—always practically shouted, always with incredulity—we get 99-percent of the time when a customer notices our fig bread and date cake for the first time. Last week, an older gentleman[…]

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The Logistics of Giving the Gift of Cheese

December 19, 2017 CheeseAdminCheese Education

I was going to put together a holiday gift guide for last-minute shoppers, but I waited as long to finish writing it as I did to do my own holiday shopping—which meant it would be[…]

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The 12 Days of Cheesemas

December 12, 2017December 12, 2017 CheeseAdminCheesy Puns

[Originally published on December 18, 2016; revised.] In honor of the holiday season that surrounds us, I give you the gift of poetry and music. Tonight is the first night of Hannukah, and tomorrow is[…]

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Three Reasons Why Some Cheeses Just Melt Better

December 7, 2017 CheeseAdminCheese Education

It is a fact that not all cheeses melt equally. Sometimes we have to discover this the hard way, by preparing a meal that we anticipate will be ooey-gooey and utterly delightful—only to discover hard[…]

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Celebrate Cheesemas with a Charming Deal

December 4, 2017 CheeseAdminNews from Cheeseland

‘Tis the season to buy gifts for our friends and family. Whether we’re celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, the Winter Solstice, Festivus, or just general seasonal awesomeness, sharing seems to be the name of the game[…]

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Thanksgiving Leftovers: Will They Raclette?

November 27, 2017 CheeseAdminRecipes and Pairings

We are now four days removed from the American Thanksgiving holiday. (Yes, Canadians are also Americans, but their Thanksgiving was on October 8.) If, like me, you still have a lot of leftovers in your[…]

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What are You Putting on Your Thanksgiving Cheese Plate?

November 21, 2017 CheeseAdminParty Pairings

One of the biggest questions swirling around the internet’s cheese circles this week is, “What are you putting on your Thanksgiving cheese plate?” There are so many possible answers to that question, especially depending on[…]

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Finding the ‘Taste of Place’ in Cascadia Creamery’s Cheese

November 20, 2017 CheeseAdminAdventures in Cheese

This is a story about some of Washington state’s finest cheeses and the fairytale-perfect land where they are made. If you drive south on Interstate 5 from Seattle until you cross the Columbia River into[…]

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Behold, the Black Pearl!

November 8, 2017 CheeseAdminCheese of the Week

When Culture Magazine asked for photos of the best cheeses we have eaten this year (#BestCheese17 photo contest), my mind immediately went to Tieton Farm & Creamery’s Black Pearl. I have eaten a lot of[…]

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Who is the PhCheese?

A cheesemonger with a doctorate in German literature, Courtney C. Johnson is The PhCheese — a real, live cheese doctor.

Sure, it sounds pretty cheesy, but that’s just the way the Feta crumbles.

If you’re hungry for cheese knowledge, culture, pairings, recipes, and puns, then this site is just what the doctor ordered.

*Courtney C. Johnson, PhD, ACS CCP, is a cheesemonger and certified curd nerd living in the Seattle area.

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