THE BEST WAY TO VISIT The Mouse Hole Cheese Shop in Albuquerque is to come hungry and open-minded. Cheesemonger David Myers loves nothing more than to guide guests, taste buds first, through the dozens of cheeses in his case.
“Working in cheese is kind of like sharing a secret,” Myers says. “Did you know that cheese can taste like cotton candy or asparagus or roast beef? That’s the magic of fermentation. It’s like Willy Wonka in real life.”
He offers a sample of Red Butte Hatch Chile cheddar from Beehive Cheese in Utah, which is studded with chiles and rubbed with coriander and red chile powder, and an exotic Sardinian goat cheese served with a tangy Basque cherry. He recommends that you warm the cheese in your hand for a moment, all the better to enjoy the rich palette of flavors in every sliver.
“You’ll taste the cheese, you get the stories and history behind it, and then you get to take it home,” says co-owner Mekala Kennedy of the Mouse Hole experience.
from left
The Mouse Hole’s David Myers can take you on a cheese adventure; The Mouse Hole’s owners, Nathan Sauceda-Halliday and Mekala Kennedy.
Kennedy and her husband, Nathan Sauceda-Halliday, both spent their careers in restaurants. But after moving back to Sauceda-Halliday’s hometown of Albuquerque about a decade ago, they missed the cut-to-order cheese shop they frequented when they first met in California. So, in 2022, they decided to fill that niche just 520 mouse steps away from their first culinary venture, La Finca Bowls, on Broadway Boulevard.
Despite having an expertly curated national and international cheese selection, the couple was enthusiastic about representing local producers as well. But they soon learned that local artisanal cheeses are harder to come by.
“There are really interesting small producers in the state that are, unfortunately, mostly not certified to bring their cheeses to market,” Sauceda-Halliday says. The pair were anxious to do something about this, but with two shops to run, they knew they couldn’t do it on their own. So when the couple met Lissa Knudsen, a lifelong dairy lover and experienced organizer, they were thrilled to support her work in founding the New Mexico Cheese Guild.
The Mouse Hole can customize your cheese board.
Knudsen says that although the Land of Enchantment is already the fourth-largest cheese producer in the U.S., the vast majority of that cheese comes from large-scale dairies and goes to mass-market products. Due to the costs and regulatory hurdles of certifying dairy facilities, artisanal dairies and cheesemakers have struggled in the state—but that’s something the guild is aiming to change. “Our mission is to support and grow future cheesemakers in New Mexico,” Knudsen explains.
Since its launch in early 2023, the nonprofit has hosted community cheese tastings, won a grant to purchase a refrigerated cheese truck, and advanced Albuquerque’s raw milk ordinance, which allows for the sale of unpasteurized milk in grocery stores and markets in the city (though dairies still need a New Mexico Department of Agriculture permit). “People are looking for education, resources, and honestly, a community to support them so they don’t give up,” Knudsen says. “That’s what we’re doing.”
The guild is also taking a communal approach to helping revitalize New Mexico’s rich cheesemaking traditions. For example, some of New Mexico’s oldest known cheeses originated with Diné people. One such cheese was traditionally made with goat’s milk and possibly flavored with sweet fern, giving it a delicate, resinous flavor. Although these cheeses are not commercially available today, Native artisans still know the recipes. Guild members hope heritage varieties like these will reemerge as the local cheese community grows.
from left
Lissa Knudsen is the big cheese at the New Mexico Cheese Guild. Get cozy at the Mouse Hole.
Beyond spreading an appreciation for the dairy arts, the guild also aims to empower local dairies and cheesemakers to bring their products to market, which requires meeting USDA food safety requirements.
In an effort to become more self-sufficient, Amanda Brown, owner of Brown’s Micro-Creamery in Corrales, began raising dairy goats a decade ago. When the daily milk haul started to outpace her family’s appetite, she fell in love with the art of cheesemaking.
“I’m not very good at following recipes,” Brown says, “and for cheese, the recipe matters.” Not just the ingredients, but factors like timing, storage, humidity, and temperature are also critical to crafting safe and delicious cheeses. Brown specializes in chèvre, a soft, fresh cheese that she makes with raw milk from her goats. She’s had the chance to learn from world-class artisans, including natural cheesemaker David Asher, who recently hosted a local workshop supported by the guild.
Amanda Brown’s goats keep her micro-creamery flowing.
However, certification requirements—which can cost $30,000 to $100,000—have kept Brown’s cheeses out of shops like the Mouse Hole. The guild, where Brown currently serves as treasurer, is helping cheesemakers like her leverage their skills and collaborations to create more affordable paths toward certification.
Nancy Coonridge, a dairywoman who’s been raising goats and making cheese in the Pie Town area for decades, has experienced the challenges of dairying in the state firsthand. Still, she is optimistic about the guild’s potential to help new producers.
“The beauty of the guild is that maybe we could have a place where people could process milk and cheese without having to buy all the equipment,” Coonridge says. The guild’s new refrigerated cheese truck is a good example, given that this essential tool for safe cheese distribution can cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Despite these challenges, New Mexico’s unique climate and geography lend themselves to good cheeses. Grazing practices, certain airborne bacteria, and the dry, high-altitude environment contribute to the cultivation of cheeses with one-of-a-kind flavors. These factors are part of the reason Coonridge settled here and why guild members are so excited about the state’s cheesemaking potential.
“Within one year, our cheese cultures will evolve unique traits that aren’t found anywhere else on Earth,” cheesemonger Myers says. “That’s that taste of place—the cultural identity that will grow only here in New Mexico.”
Sarah Mock is an Albuquerque-based writer and podcaster focused on food and agriculture.
The Mouse Hole’s owners, Mekala Kennedy and Nathan Sauceda-Halliday, suggest pairing this melty party treat with cremini mushrooms marinated in olive oil, vinegar, and herbs or slices of Montoya Orchard apples pickled in a brine with white wine and nutmeg.
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- ⅓ pound Gruyère, grated
- ⅓ pound Emmentaler, grated
- ¼ pound raclette, grated
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ⅓ cup white wine
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- Fresh grated nutmeg, to taste
Serves 4-6
1. Rub a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan with the peeled garlic clove. Discard the clove.
2. Combine all cheeses in a mixing bowl. Toss with the cornstarch, coating the cheese evenly.
3. Heat the white wine and lemon juice over medium-low heat, until bubbles just begin to form on the bottom of the pot.
4. Add the cheese in 3 parts, stirring constantly, until fully melted (about 5 minutes).
5. Remove from heat and stir in black pepper and nutmeg. Serve immediately.
New Mexico Cheese Guild founder Lissa Knudsen’s take on a classic grilled cheese sandwich features kimchi from MiYoung’s Farm in Albuquerque, which can be found at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market and in Albuquerque at Tiny Grocer, the Downtown Growers’ Market, and the Rail Yards Market.
- 1 tablespoon softened salted butter, divided
- 4 slices Canyon Bakehouse gluten-free bread
- 8 ounces Comté, grated
- ¼ cup (heaping) MiYoung’s Farm kimchi, drained
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced
Serves 2
1. Heat a heavy-bottomed pan or griddle over medium heat.
2. Butter one side of each slice of bread and place them on a plate or cutting board butter-side down. Pile a quarter of grated cheese onto 2 slices of bread. For each sandwich, place half of the drained kimchi on top of cheese. Top kimchi with the rest of the cheese. Sprinkle green onion on top of cheese and top with the other slice of buttered bread, butter side up.
3. Place the sandwiches in the hot pan and cover with a domed lid or heat-proof bowl. Grill on one side for approximately 3 minutes. When the bread is golden brown, flip the sandwiches and grill the other side for another 3 minutes covered. Serve sandwiches with garlicky tomato soup, dunking encouraged (see recipe below).
Pair this soup recipe from Lissa Knudsen with the Comté and Kimchi Melts. Fresh goat milk is preferable or use any local milk, such as De Smet’s raw or pasteurized cow milks.
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 1 small garlic head, halved crosswise
- 1 bunch basil
- ½ bunch oregano
- ½ bunch thyme
- 1 red chile
- 2 pints local heirloom tomatoes, such as purple or green zebras, chopped
- Salt and pepper
- ½ cup local milk
- ½ cup chicken stock, plus more as needed
Serves 4
1. Heat oven to 480°. Drizzle some oil into a deep baking dish. Add onion, garlic (cut side down), basil, oregano, thyme, chile, and tomatoes. Drizzle more olive oil on top, plus a big sprinkle of salt and pepper. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the tomatoes are slightly charred.
2. Let cool for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and discard the thyme. Add the tomato mixture to a blender, along with the milk and chicken stock. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper, if needed.
