Cookbooks: The Cheese Board Collective

I'm so far behind, I haven't even read this month's Cooking Light, yet.

Okay, wait. I don't mean read, I mean skim. Looking for recipes, you know. It's been a long time since I've been able to sit down and actually read the darn thing.

One reason I've been writing entries about my new Celtic cookbook (besides the fact that I LOVE it!) is that I haven't had time to look at my other new cookbooks. But I did get others.

Like: The Cheese Board Collective Works. Just like that.

I was begging for this book and I'm delighted I have it. If you live in the East Bay and you've never had the Cheese Board's pizza - well, just drop what you're doing and get over there, RIGHT NOW.

They are in Berkeley on Shattuck. In the Gourmet Ghetto.

In the East Bay, there are two kinds of pizza:

Italian (or Chicago), best personified by Zachary's, with the flakey crust, incredible tomato sauce and rich, salty toppings. Great sausage. Actual stuffed pizza that you will not find better, anywhere.

Then there's what I call New Age Pizza. This is the Cheese Board style: delicate, flavorful crust, fresh herbs, cheese made from raw milk, sheep's milk, goat's milk. Experimental toppings like corn, eggplant, or cabbage. Fresh, organic ingredients.

Yum. You have no idea.

So now I have their cookbook, with recipes not just for pizza, but for bread and buns and scones. There's a chapter on cheese, which is less about recipes and more about description. Great information.

There goes the diet.

As I try the recipes, I'll blog about them. This is real cooking and comfort food. I can't wait.