Wisconsin artisanal cheesemaker Sid Cook got the idea for one of his signature creations, a cocoa-dusted ripened goat cheese called Cocoa Cardona, from a favorite makeshift meal.
"When you work in a plant 14, 16 hours a day, you get pretty hungry," said Mr. Cook, owner of Carr Valley Cheese Company, speaking this fall at a company outlet store in Sauk City, Wis. "You gotta have a quick lunch, and you use what's available. So for lunch a lot of times I would just make a sandwich with slices of Swiss cheese and a Hershey bar in the middle."
Cocoa Cardona, also laced with black pepper, is one of several prize-winning cheeses created by Mr. Cook, a 59-year-old Wisconsin native and fourth generation cheesemaker. A celebrity in the American cheese world, Mr. Cook is known for his inventiveness. Unlike other artisanal cheesemakers, who tend to excel at a handful of varieties, he has overseen the launching of dozens of new cheeses.
Mr. Cook plans out new cheeses in his head. "I think about what cultures are going to taste like," he said, "and where flavors are going to go." He added: "I do exactly what a chef does, but with milk."
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Wall Street Journal
