There are some books that attract Foodies for their engaging prose and subject matter - "Kitchen Confidential" and "The Omnivore's Dilemma" are just two of the numerous examples that have emerged in increasingly greater numbers over the past decade.  But there are others whose value lies more in the depth of the information they provide - reference books that become go-to volumes for Foodies who want to learn more about things like how to make salumi (Michael Ruhlman's "Charcuterie: the Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing") or a broad range of esoteric details (David Kamp's "The Food Snob's Dictionary").

For me, the most valuable resource book I have come across since I started writing about cheese is Jeffrey Roberts' "The Atlas of American Artisan Cheese."  Unlike other volumes that provide introductions to cheese-making or the differences that distinguish the various categories of cheeses, The Atlas serves a very specific function: it provides a catalog of almost 350 artisanal cheesemakers throughout the United States broken down by region.

Jeffrey Roberts took on the daunting task of cataloging these cheesemakers as a way to celebrate and acknowledge their commitment to preserving (and in some cases resurrecting) traditional foodways and methods of production.  Through interviews and surveys, he verified that each cheesemaker he profiled in the Atlas was a licensed dairy producer who worked primarily by hand to craft the cheeses that they make and sell.

Thankfully, Roberts did not simply dump all of this data in his readers' laps.  Instead, he dedicates a page (and in some cases, a little bit more) to a narrative that gives some background information about each producer.  He shares stories about how cheesemakers came into the trade (it's interesting to note just how many emerged from dairies that sought to profit from the surplus milk their herds were producing), who runs the operation, and how they perceive the impact of what they do.  Despite the brevity of these descriptions, they definitely help to put a human face on each farm, elevating this book beyond the ranks of simple reference volumes.

For those who use the book for its reference purpose, Roberts also provides a more cut-and-dried recitation of the cheesemaker's details.  These include the year it was established; the owners and cheesemakers; the address, telephone, email and website (where possible); and the types and varieties of cheeses produced.  Each page also alerts readers to whether or not visitors are permitted and where the establishment's cheeses can be found, though this information is rarely detailed beyond an indication of "limited regional distribution" or "local farmers' markets."  Icons across the top of each entry identify the types of milk used (cow, sheep, goat and water buffalo) as well as whether raw milk is used, if the milk is organic, and if the milk used in cheesemaking comes exclusively from the farmstead where the cheese is produced.  These indicators can be helpful if you're seeking a goat cheese made in Maryland, like the ones from Firefly Farms, for example.

As the entries are arranged alphabetically by state within seven regions, searching for a specific dairy (or a list of the cheesemakers from a given state) is exceptionally easy.  Less easy, unfortunately, is determining exactly where in the state each cheesemaker is located.  Nowhere in the book does Roberts provide the sort of detailed state maps that could be useful to a cheese-lover planning a road trip or hoping to visit farmsteads in his or her nearby area.

On the whole, however, Roberts, has provided those of us who are eager to know more about the artisanal cheesemakers both near and far with an accessible and informative resource.  I have definitely benefitted from having it as I've acquainted myself with the various artisanal producers who sell their cheeses at the farmers' markets in and around Washington.

The Atlas of American Artisan Cheese
Jeffrey P. Roberts
With forewords by Carlo Petrini (Slow Food International) and Allison Hooper (American Cheese Society)
2007, Chelsea Green Publishing Company