Interview: "The Big Cheese" Jason Sobocinski Talks How He Got His Start, Favorite Recipes, And More!

Was being a cheesemonger something you always saw yourself doing? Not at all. I wanted to be a builder like my grandfather and father. They built a lot of houses in the Connecticut area, and I thought I'd be a carpenter like them. I still like to do woodwork and did a lot of the work in my cheese shop, but it wasn't where I ended up obviously. I got into cheese basically because it's the only thing I realized I was exceptionally good at. I had always loved cooking for my friends and family and at first thought that I loved it too much to make it a job, because I thought it would feel like work, but I started with a catering company and just really fell in love with cooking and learning more about food. When I started working at the Formaggio Kitchen in particular, I realized I loved the dialogue and experiences people were having with the different cheeses. People would come in and be nervous or hesitant, and I would make them try at least five cheeses that intimidated them and try to break down some of those walls. [Photo via]