If your New Year’s resolution involves de-cluttering, consider replacing some of your cumbersome recipe tomes with a collection of Short Stack Editions cookbooks. Blending the merits of both magazine and cookbook, this 33-volume strong anthology is a love letter to kitchen staples, each written by an author of varied culinary talent. I love that the small-format publications are straightforward, utilitarian, and timeless—cheese lovers, start your collection with these four dairy-centric titles.
Buttermilk (Vol. 4).
Professional baker Angie Mosier draws inspiration from her grandmother’s kitchen, exploring how buttermilk bridges her Southern roots with worldly cuisine. Her eagerness to unlock the possibilities of the substances’s “refreshing, rich texture, and bright lactic tang” had us salivating into the first few recipes.
Must try: Buttermilk Pie with Cornmeal Crust; Spicy Ethiopian Cheese Curds; Oyster Cornbread Dressing.
Butter (Vol. 30).
Released recently, this edition was worth the wait. In an expert meditation on a vital ingredient, Dorie Greenspan recalls her Parisian butter awakening through adventurous American eyes, while honoring butter’s indispensable ability to “add flavor, texture, structure and often a touch of luxury” with a mix of recipes and pro tips.
Must try: Meunière-Style Flounder; Robuchon-ish Potatoes; Lemon Curd
Yogurt (Vol. 32).
Molly Yeh offers humored storytelling, inventiveness, and a collection of diverse recipes that reinforce yogurt as the “duct tape of dairy products.” Her inspiration draws from Middle Eastern cuisine to update the nostalgia-laden recipes of our parents.
Must try: Yogurt Ranch Salad Pizza; Ras al Hanout Chicken Skewers; Blueberry Labneh Scones
Chèvre (Vol. 33).
Chef-fromager Tia Keenan and her gorgeously styled recipes had me itching to cook with the bright, citrusy star of the cheese world. The ever-mutable, creamy, acidic goat cheese lends versatility to any dish, and Keenan preaches the beauty and ingenuity of this classic French cheese with an artisan American attitude.
Must try: Chèvre Fondue with Roasted Baby Brussels Sprouts & Caraway; Hot Borscht with Chèvre Dill & Lemon Dumplings; Chèvre Nog
Kate Kirkwood
Kate Kirkwood is a Denver native, Certified Cheese Professional, and cheesemonger who loves travel, art, and raw milk cheese. When she isn't busy experimenting with cocktail pairings, teaching intimate classes, dissecting episodes of Mad Men, and managing Cheese+Provisions, she's writing for the avante-garde culture zine Flora Fauna where she is also the Social Media Director.
