What are your earliest memories of cheese?
Sitting on my mother's kitchen counter, at 2 years old I was drawn to the cheese. She wouldn't let me touch it because I had a cold and she was afraid I would hurt the cheese.

How did your appreciation for cheese evolve?
That initial denial planted the seed, or maybe it was already there. Either way, growing up in Brazil I wasn't allowed to eat certain cheeses. They were not considered safe and sanitary practices were not what they are today in Brazil. Still, I was exposed to fine dining throughout my life. When working for the Sheraton Corporation I was asked to design their wine list. I began tasting luxurious cheeses with the wine and I realized cheese is cooler than wine. I have made cheese, but did not want to be a cheese maker; I am more of a cheese scholar. There is so much behind cheese; the history, science, economics, aesthetics, in the early 90's cheese became my mission. I was the first fromage expert in the US. We began introducing people to different cheeses with a small trolley, this was successful and gradually led to the bistro and then to Artisanal Cheese. I am now completing my third book on this near perfect food.

Which countries or regions have the best cheese?
US, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, England, Holland, Italy, Canada, Ireland--The West of Europe, especially surrounding the Mediterranean. Excitement in US cheeses has grown in the last 10 years, American cuisine continues to mature.

How much cheese do you eat daily?
Average 3 to 6 ounces daily. Recently I went a few days without any cheese; this was unintentional and brought on depression. Cheese makes people happy; I talk about the scientific reasons for this in my next book.

What do you like to eat with cheese?
Fresh whole grain bread, high pectin fruit, honey, nuts, olives, wine and beer. I am basically a purist though; nothing should get in the way of the taste of the cheese.

What is your favorite kind of cheese?
I have favorite styles of cheese; sheep's milk, alpine, mountain and unpasteurized. I prefer hard cheeses to soft ones.

What do you cook with cheese?
Omelets or frittatas with a few vegetables

Which wine and cheese pairings do you enjoy most?
New combinations with lesser known varietals. Last night we had a tasting of Italian pairings. Vespaiolo, a white from Northern Breganze was the most successful with a broad range of cheeses; Nero D'Avola was also pleasant with a lot of different cheeses. It's important to understand that pairings do not have to be from the same region, wines and cheeses from opposite ends of the world can work beautifully together.

If readers learn just one thing from your books what should that be?
Cheese is a near perfect food.

Any other wisdom to impart?
Cheese is preserved milk and as such it is our first food.
I want to demystify cheese by talking and writing about it. I want to take care of and support cheese, for a long time it has had a bad wrap and part of my mission is to set the record straight on behalf of cheese.