We have recently expanded our mission at New England Cheesemaking Supply Co: To inspire young people to learn the art of cheese making. It is, after all, an important “back to basics” skill and it makes an excellent science project.
Ricki (the Cheese Queen) paid a visit recently to a local high school to give a brief presentation about making cheese. The Director of Special Projects for Greenfield Public Schools (Greenfield, MA), Mary Link, invited her to participate in a lunchtime lecture series at Greenfield High School. The time was limited to 20 minutes, so Ricki could only scratch the surface of her subject.
Ricki feels that the joy of cheese making stems from that magic moment when a pot of milk becomes a pot of curds. So, she was determined to give a demo to the students. Therefore, she talked briefly, then proceeded to make queso blanco. From the way the students crowded around the pot, it appears they felt the “magic.”
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| The Food Science lab |
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| Ricki |
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| Mary Link |
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| Before she started, one of the teachers asked Ricki to sign her book. |
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| Some of the students ate their lunch while they watched. |
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| What a great way to spend your lunch break! |
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| Ricki began with a brief intro about how she and her husband started selling cheese making supplies in 1978. |
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| It was quick because she knew the demo would take up most of the time. |
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| Ricki asked for a volunteer to help pour the milk. |
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| As soon as the demo began, the students gathered around the pot. |
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| You have to rest your hand somewhere! |
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| In just a few moments time, Ricki was draining curds. |
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| The bell rang and the students left for their next class. |
