ChefSteps is a team of chefs, writers, and food lovers who develop recipes, techniques, and guides to help people cook better at home.

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There are a few things every Seattleite loves. The so-long summer days, for one. The glistening waterfront, framed by spectacular snowcapped mountains, for another. Then there’s <a href="http://www.kexp.org/">KEXP</a>, a unicorn of a twenty-first-century radio station that actually plays good music. And <a href="https://beechershandmadecheese.com/products/flagship/">Beecher’s Flagship</a>, the sharp cheddar cheese made just up the brick road from us in Pike Place Market. Owned by entrepreneur and all-around nice guy <a href="https://www.beechershandmadecheese.com/our-story">Kurt Beecher Dammeier</a>, Beecher’s also sells fresh, squeaky cheese curds, byproducts of its beloved Flagship. And frankly, we’re a little obsessed with those things. They sort of pop in your mouth when you bite them, then dissolve into creamy goodness. And <a href="https://www.beechershandmadecheese.com">Beecher’s</a> has mastered the squeak—that distinct sensation on your teeth that distinguishes a first-rate curd.We’ve been <a href="/activities/squeaky-cheese-curds">making curds for years</a>, and so we wondered: Could we make some ourselves that rivaled Beecher’s for squeak? So we got to work and invited Dammeier to come by the kitchen, taste our curds, and give us advice on how to improve them. The delicious—and seriously squeaky!—results are below. We suggest you round up the kids this weekend and make a batch. Eat them plain and fresh from the vat, or pop them atop <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/old-school-poutine">your poutine</a>. Or do like Dammeier and mix curds right in with your meatloaf. If you really want to Seattleify the experience, you can stream KEXP as you cook. We can’t help you with the whole breathtaking-views-of-Puget-Sound thing, but you’re welcome to visit any time.PSST: Get your hands on Kurt’s beautiful book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1942952171/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1942952171&linkCode=as2&tag=chefsteps02-20&linkId=d3e9afa37c447966011804323398af01">Pure Food: A Chef’s Handbook for Eating Clean</a>.