In ahem, retirement, I became a cheesemaker, the kind favoring French fromage on which I grew up. It took a while, but once I got the brie and camembert nailed, Fore Street Restaurant’s Sam Hayward welcomed it and I made them tres petit — individually sized in special molds — perfect for a premier restaurant’s menus. A hit.

With his encouragement, I ventured further into more difficult cheeses to bring to perfection: Reblochon anyone? Perhaps a slice of Morbier or Taleggio? Saint Paulin? This personal evolution toward achieving cheesemaking perfection would not have happened without Sam’s encouragement to me and other specialized producers in Maine. This, apart from fine dining, is the gift of Fore Street to us all.

The staff in restaurants tiny and large labor long hours, discuss endlessly the best shoes to ward off back and shoulder pain and, as a recent article (“Meet the workers who make Portland’s treasured Fore Street restaurant tick,” July 13) points out, manages to bring honor to a sector usually described glamorously at the front door, rather than the food prep and rear delivery stations. Merci beaucoup.

Barbara Skapa
Echo Ridge Organic Cheese
Mount Vernon