“Stab straight downward, and then wiggle it back and forth a bit.”My palms grew sweaty inside the black rubber gloves and my pulse quickened. I raised the knife and took a deep breath. For the ninth year, Market Hall Foods in Rockridge had acquired one of two giant wheels of the Italian cheese Crucolo that make their way to the United States each year. Nosh covered the 2023 edition of the Crucolo parade, and this year I was invited to be part of the celebration: the ceremonial cutter of the cheese.  

It was a lofty title to live up to, but even the folks at Market Hall didn’t know how much this meant to me. I had been pursuing Crucolo for the better part of two decades, and this moment was bigger than any celebrity chef interview or Michelin-starred meal. This was my spirit cheese.