Cheese Board: Collective Works, Bread, Pastry, Cheese, Pizza

The Cheese Board was there, a hole in the wall with a line out the door, before Chez Panisse was so much as a gleam in my eye. When the restaurant was conceived, I wanted it to be in North Berkeley so the Cheese Board would be nearby, because I knew I would be among friends. -Alice Waters, from the ForewordWhen a tiny cheese shop opened in Berkeley, California, in 1967, there was little hint of what the store-and the neighborhood-would grow into over the next 30 years. The Cheese Board became a collective a few years later and Chez Panisse opened across the street, giving birth to one of the countrys most vibrant food neighborhoods, the epicenter of Californias culinary revolution. Equal parts bakery, cheese store, pizzeria, and gathering place, the Cheese Board is a patchwork of the local community, where a passion for good food runs deep. THE CHEESE BOARD presents over 100 recipes for the stores classic breads, pastries, and pizzas, along with a history of the collective and an extensive cheese primer.

• More than 150 classic recipes from one of the San Francisco Bay Areas most acclaimed culinary destinations.
• Includes a history of the store, a cheese primer, and over 50 duotone photographs that capture the food and personality of the Cheese Board.

When a tiny cheese shop opened for business on a quaint Berkeley street in 1967, there was little hint of what the shop-and the neighborhood-would grow into over the next 30 years. The Cheese Board became a collective a few years later, and Chez Panisse opened across the street, giving birth to one of the country's most vibrant food neighborhoods, the epicenter of California's culinary revolution. Known and loved by locals and travelers alike, the Cheese Board is equal parts bakery, cheese store, pizzeria, and gathering place-a patchwork of the local community, where a passion for good food runs deep. For the first time ever, THE CHEESE BOARD presents the classic recipes that have made the store one of the San Francisco Bay Area's most acclaimed gourmet destinations. Complete with a history of the shop and neighborhood, a cheese primer, and all the classic recipes-including the corn-cherry scones, cheese rolls, and zampanos, all of which have a cult following-THE CHEESE BOARD is as rich and varied as the institution that inspired it.

Library Journal

The Cheese Board began as a small cheese shop, not much more than a hole in the wall, in a quiet Berkeley neighborhood in 1967. Soon thereafter, Alice Waters opened Chez Panisse across the street, and eventually the area became what was referred to as "The Gourmet Ghetto." Today, the cheese shop has larger quarters (but there's still always a line out the door) and has added a morning caf and a pizzeria, a few doors away. Here are the recipes for the breads, pizzas, scones, and other baked goods that have gained a legendary following, along with details on selecting, storing, and serving cheese, including informative suggestions for a variety of cheese plates. The book is as much the story of the shop's evolution as it is a cookbook, and numerous reminiscences and anecdotes from loyal longtime members of the collective are scattered throughout. For area libraries and most other collections. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

THE CHEESE BOARD COLLECTIVE hailed as a paradigm of collective-run business. The Cheese Board shop is frequently cited in national food media "best of" lists and is a major food destination in Berkeley, California.