Books on Cheese from Kitchen Arts & Letters

Kitchen Arts & Letters is a bookstore devoted to books on food and wine located on the Upper East Side in New York City. It’s not where you’ll find the latest Paleo, Instantpot, celebrity chef du jour cookbook. Owner Nach Waxman and managing partner Matt Sartwell are very particular about the books they carry which has led to a devoted following. Chefs comprise the majority of their customers, along with cookbook collectors and enthusiasts as well as anyone looking for hard-to-find, rare and vintage cookbooks. Here are a few of their picks:

The Book of Cheese by Liz Thorpe

Written in 2017, this is one of the more comprehensive cheese reference books. It includes flavor and aroma wheels, charts and original photography. Thorpe methodically catalogs cheeses with their name, country of origin, milk type and notes on pasteurization, textures, storage and shelf life, and more. She also shares her picks, tasting notes and pairings.

Says Sartwell, “Of the books we have on hand at the moment, I often steer people to The Book of Cheese. This is a serious reference that discusses cheeses by the categories in which a novice might expect to find them. That is, instead of by type of milk or rind the way an experienced cheese lover might approach things, Thorpe uses familiar cheeses such a brie or Swiss as jumping off points for her discussions. All the fine details are there, but her approach can open the subject up for people who have more interest than experience.”

The Book of Cheese by Stuart Peachy

“One fascinating oddball book,” says Sartwell, adding, “It comes from a series of books published in England that are produced for the aid of people who engage in historical re-enactment. They are written with a stickler’s attention to historical precision and a conviction that nothing is too arcane to investigate. It gathers together instructions, often quite offhand, on cheesemaking from sources published 1580-1660, as well as notes on which imported varieties may have been available. I say book when it is really a slender 16-page pamphlet.”

The New Rules of Cheese by Anne Saxelby

Possibly the most highly anticipated cheese book of the year. Described as “A fun and quirky guide to the essential rules for enjoying cheese, including tips on selecting and tasting different varieties, serving and pairing cheeses, as well as a brief history on cheese and a rundown of how cheeses are made.”

Says Sartwell, “A book I am looking forward to, and I have not seen a copy so I can't speak in great detail, is Anne Saxelby's The New Rules of Cheese, which comes out October 20. Anne is an important person in the NY cheese world, a knowledgeable advocate for great cheese and I have big hopes for this book. But alas, as I said, I don't have access to a copy yet.” Note: We recently shared cheese buying tips from Anne Saxelby and will be reviewing the new book as soon as it is available.