Six decades in the business, more than 50 cheeses invented, hundreds of awards—so many he long ago lost count—four cheese factories owned and operated, seven retail stores and a substantial mail-order business …
There’s little doubt Sid Cook ranks high among America’s most accomplished cheesemakers. His numbers bear this out.
Perhaps most impressive is the cornucopia of nearly 100 cheeses—an eclectic range in cow, goat, sheep and mixed milk—offered by Cook’s company, Carr Valley Cheese. A fourth-generation cheesemaker, he began helping out at his family’s factory at the age of 12, eventually developing and expanding the business under the Carr Valley brand, which he acquired in 1986.
“I’m from a tribe of cheesemakers,” says Cook. “There used to be a small factory every six miles out in the country—over 3,000 throughout [Wisconsin]. Now we’re down to around 140, and I’m the last of my tribe.”
Of Wisconsin’s roughly 100 certified master cheesemakers, Cook, 71, stands out for his creativity and versatility. A little over half of Carr Valley’s cheeses are American originals he dreamed up. The rest are Wisconsin takes on various European types, particularly Cheddar.
With around 140 employees and an annual output of 5 million pounds, Carr Valley is relatively large in the specialty sector but small in comparison with Wisconsin’s big commercial firms. Cook and his team of 14 full-time cheesemakers source all their milk from small local dairies and co-ops. They employ the latest technology to uphold farmstead and artisan traditions and maintain high standards.
Carr Valley’s roster includes conspicuous curiosities such as chocolate cheese fudge as well as blueberry and cranberry-chipotle Cheddars—not to mention a variety of bread cheeses, inspired by Finnish juustoleipä, as well as spreads suitable for watch parties. While these might horrify some fine-cheese connoisseurs, one has to admit they’re well-crafted and darned tasty.
As could be expected from a straight-talking Midwesterner, Cook’s products are sturdy and unpretentious, approachable and welcoming. Cook has never hesitated to experiment with added flavorings or smoking; likewise, he exercises appropriate restraint. Even when they zap you with bold flavors, his cheeses consistently deliver pleasant, creamy finishes and impeccable sweet-savory balance. The key, particularly with the mixed-milk cheeses, is to zero in on the proper ratios and orchestrate that balance.
“We’re all about flavor and texture,” says Cook. “Our cheeses might not be the most beautiful-looking, but they taste good and have the right mouthfeel. There’s a certain melody with all the different flavors. Then you’ve got to balance them, so you always get back to tasting the cheese.”
Of his relentless drive to invent, Cook says, “Life gets pretty boring if you do the same thing every day. To me, making a new cheese—given all the options for milks, cultures and affinage out there—is really very exciting.”
Cook’s most recent invention, released earlier this year, is Cabana White, a fresh cow’s milk cheese with some sweet notes that’s designed to be appealing either uncooked or cooked—not something that can be said of traditional Halloumi-style grilling cheeses.
David Gibbons is co-author of Mastering Cheese.
Some Carr Valley Highlights
All cheeses available at carrvalleycheese.com
Airco
(Mixed; $8.49 for 5 ounces)
Taste all three milks—nutty notes from the sheep, lactic tang from the cow and a touch of goaty funk—and applaud the cheesemakers’ mastery.
Apple Smoked Goat Cheddar
($7.49 for 5 ounces)
Complex, with mild goat-cream notes, satisfying chalky and earthy hints, some meatiness and dried fruit.
Ba Ba Blue
(Sheep; $7.49 for 5 ounces)
Comparable to a fine Gorgonzola Dolce, with plenty of salt and bite yet more than enough offsetting sweet cream, underlying nuttiness and fruity tang.
Bandaged Billy
(Goat; $9.49 for 5 ounces)
Mild and mellow on the attack, its goatiness sneaks up on you before it’s quickly mellowed by a solid backbone of meaty and sweet-savory notes.
Billy Blue
(Goat; $8.99 for 5 ounces)
Its earthy, goaty funk counters the tang and bite of its blue mold to strike a delectable truce.
Cave Aged Mellage
(Mixed; $8.49 for 5 ounces)
Funky like a Pecorino Romano, featuring cellar must and yeasty notes, but typically evolving to a mellow finish.
Cocoa Cardona
(Goat; $8.99 for 5 ounces)
This perennial favorite is an exemplar of judicious added-flavor application.
Creama Kasa
(Cow; $6.49 for 5 ounces)
Features lactic tang, creamy, fruity and sweet flavors. The smoked version adds savory notes and ups the flavor volume.
Glacier Point Blue
(Cow; $5.99 for 5 ounces)
This line of seven understated American original blue cheeses is highlighted by the lightly smoked spruce version.
Smoked Marisa
(Sheep; $7.99 for 5 ounces)
To rival the finest Spanish Idiazabal, this is savory and earthy but nonetheless sweetish and bright.
