Hello from Belgium!

[max1]

Hi everyone –
I've already posted once here but I thought that proper introductions were in order.  I'm quite new to cheese making, although I have had a few attempts now at making the stuff.  I love hobbying in general, although I must say, I have a developed quite the addiction to cheese making.  I've always loved the idea of taking something you can easily buy or find at the store and making it yourself.  Especially since that's the way most of these foods were originally made, at home.  I love the idea of being able to eat something you've made yourself.  Combine that with the fact that I live in Europe where the amount and variety of cheese available to me is quite extraordinary, and I've quickly developed a curiosity for the process of cheese making and how different cheese came into being.

I've been living in Belgium for about 10 years now, having lived in the US before that.  My mothers side of the family is Belgian.  I'm currently studying bio-engineering at university, so I'm very eager to learn as much as I can about the science behind dairying!  But, like I said I'm still very new.  I'm currently reading through Paul Kindstedt's book and this forum of course which is such a wealth of knowledge!

Like I've said in a previous post, another reason I'm getting into cheese making is because my Dad is a home brewer (mostly Belgian ales).  I would love to develop a recipe to make a Belgian abbey-style cheese to go with his beer.  The monks in Belgium have been making cheeses to go with their beers for centuries and these cheese go by the same name as the beer and usually the abbey itself.  The cheeses are for the most part washed curd and rind washed as I've come to discover just from reading this forum.  But all of that is for another post 

Glad to be part of the community!!

Nicolas (Nico).

[Cheese Head]

Welcome Nico, I believe you are our first member in Belgium!

Great intro post, the only place I've been in Belgium is a weekend trip from NL to Bruge/Brugge, gorgeous country! Coincidentally last weekend here in Houston I was at a French friend's 50th birthday party, her husband is Belgium and the band was Zydeco from Louisiana and the food was TexMex and BBQ . . . global world.

Have fun with your new hobby (and possible future profession?).

[Gürkan Yeniçeri]

Welcome to the forum Nico, we are looking forward to your contribution and pictures  of cheeses if  possible.

To create a unique cheese to go with your dad's beers, get some fresh beer from your dad, unpasteurised that is, and wash your cheeses with it. 

[max1]

Thanks Boofer.  Aaah Bruges. They call it the Venice of the north because of all its small canals.

Thanks Gürkan.  No worries, I'll probably be posting every little detail of my makes haha