about the shark
About Donat
Everything you need to know about cheese in one location. Whether you’re looking for information, best recipes, or how to make cheese at home, I am here to help you.
Thanks for stopping by and welcome to my site!
I have been in the dairy business all my life and I have been a commercial cheese maker for 32 years. I grew up in Switzerland, where I graduated from Agriculture College and the College for Milk Technology. In 1993 I moved to Canada, where I founded my own company called Happy Days Dairies. I am a hands on guy, and even with the successful growth of the company over the years, I still make our cheese and I am still passionate about it.
If you are interested in the history of cheese, or if you are looking for the best fondue recipes, or how to make cheese at home, I am here to help you.
I made my first batch of cheese when I was 13, in my mother’s kitchen, with fresh milk straight from the cow. It went well and the cheese looked good; I wanted to age it, which is challenging without the correct conditions. I put the cheese on a plate and covered it with a bowl to keep the moisture in and then I forgot about it…can you blame a 13 year old? We eventually remembered the cheese when everybody started wondering “what’s that smell?” When we lifted the bowl there was the most beautiful stinky cheese. My dad, with faith and love for his son, ate it. Looking back, I think he may have actually enjoyed it.
Making cheese at home can be a lot of fun and I will show you little tricks on how to make it a successful experience. There are a number of cheeses that are easy to make at home.
I will devote some time to a few traditional Swiss Cheese meals: Fondue, Raclette and Potatoes with Cheese. These meals have a rich history behind them and their popularity has traveled the world. These meals have one thing in common: They are very social meals and require people to eat slowly. Especially Raclette and Potatoes with Cheese, they can go on for a long time and can make for a great evening.
Fondue is fun when people set some rules at the beginning, such as what to do when someone loses the bread in the melted cheese. I won my first kiss from my wife this way. Our rule that evening was ‘whoever lost the bread in the cheese had to kiss the person to the left’. Since the girl I was interested in was sitting to the left of me, and I made sure I lost my bread…
When I was in my 20’s I traveled with my backpack through France. All I did was visit small cheese plants. It was the 80’s when none of the current Food Safe Acts were in place. Small farmers were making the most incredible cheeses in very simple facilities. I have seen beautiful, natural cheese caves where the most amazing cheeses were aging. Those days are gone, at least in the western world, but it gave me a great deal of insight about the traditions and the art of making cheese. Ultimately, making cheese is an art. It’s a personal creation that is unique to the creator, just like painting.
I hope you will find this site interesting, entertaining, and educational. Please don’t hesitate to email me if you have any questions, feedback, or suggestions.
Enjoy the cheese!!
Donat
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