Podcasts about American Cheese Society

Join hosts Cara, Jessica, and Joe as they take you through the American Cheese Society conference, held in the vibrant city of Buffalo. In this episode, they dive into the latest trends and insights from the world of cheese. From artisanal craftsmanship to industry advancements, our hosts share their favorite moments, interviews with cheese experts, and behind-the-scenes stories from the conference. Whether you're a cheese enthusiast or a professional in the industry, this episode is packed with rich content that you won't want to miss. Tune in for an in-depth recap of the ACS 2024 and discover what's shaping the future of cheese!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cutting the Curd by becoming a member!Cutting the Curd is Powered by Simplecast.

Our great Wisconsin Cheese road trip continues! We caught up with iconic Wisconsin chefs Tory Miller of L'Etoile and Graze in Madison and Luke Zahm of Driftless Cafe in Viroqua about how they harness the power of Wisconsin Cheese to make distinctly local cuisine. We also talked with Ken Monteleone of the beloved Madison cheese shop Fromagination about selling craft cheese on the Capitol Square for over 17 years. And, we put our cheese-tasting skills to the test with American Cheese Society–certified cheese professional Shannon Berry. Finally, it's three things, Wisconsin cheese edition. This very special episode is supported by Wisconsin CheeseSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ontario-based Erin Harris and Kelsie Parsons know cheese. When Erin's not traversing Canada to meet with chefs and retailers, and Kelsie's not sourcing goods for a national food retailer, they're coordinating the next meeting of the Canadian Cheese Collective. Erin and Kelsie join Jessica for a conversation about Canadian cheesemakers and retailers, and what they're looking forward to when ACS is just across the border in July.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cutting the Curd by becoming a member!Cutting the Curd is Powered by Simplecast.

In this episode, Anaïs's shares her journey from a French upbringing surrounded by cheese to discovering her true passion in a small town in eastern Pennsylvania. Alongside her husband Chris, they embarked on business ownership, intertwining their love story with their love of cheese. Despite the challenges, they prioritize community building and employee investment over expansion, offering benefits like four-day work weeks and American Cheese Society certifications. Anaïs's resilience shines through, even after losing her sense of taste and smell due to Covid. Together, they foster a culture of kindness and support while enjoying classes, tastings, and crafting cheese and charcuterie boards, driven by their passion for the craft. photo credit to Loren DeMarco --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/withbowlandspoon/message

As we head into the new year, we wanted to celebrate the vibrant cheese scene in the Madison area, and not many have done it better than Landmark Creamery of Paoli. They make some of the best cheeses in the world. You don't have to take our word for it - that's according to judges at the American Cheese Society, the Good Food Awards, and the World Championship Cheese Contest. They make various tasty handmade sheep-milk cheeses. And they are even making artisan butter down the street at Seven Acre Dairy in Paoli. So in August, we talked to Landmark Creamery co-owner Anna Thomas Bates to tell us how what makes the cheese so special.  Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We're also on Instagram!  Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cheese farmer made be a made up term but when you make artisan cheddar cheese from the dairy cows you milk, it seems fitting! This episode we visit David Hemme, a Missouri dairy farmer who began making cheese seven years ago! The Hemmes are committed to "better from the beginning" and the result is incredibly tasty products with an eye on the future.  We cover all the topics from cheese curds -- did you know small batch cheesemakers as they make a 42-pound block of cheese are left with about 27 pounds of leftover curds? -- to regenerative farming techniques being used on the farm.  Topics in the interview: The process of making cheddar cheese and the production of cheese curds. The search for artisan pizza places and finding cheeses that may be best suited for the preferences of the Hispanic community. David's discovery of higher-quality cheeses and recommendations for some of the best farmstead cheeses.  The American Cheese Society event and the vast variety of artisan cheeses available. Key Links: The Hemme Brothers website hemmebrothers.com Hemme Brothers on Instagram Hemme Brother on Facebook

Landmark Creamery of Paoli makes some of the best cheeses in the world. You don't have to take our word for it - that's according to judges at the American Cheese Society, the Good Food Awards, and the World Championship Cheese Contest. They make a variety of tasty handmade sheep-milk cheeses. And now, they're making artisan butter down the street at Seven Acre Dairy in Paoli.  Landmark Creamery Co-owner Anna Thomas Bates tells us why. Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers. Also on the show: Rest in Power, Ada Deer Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We're also on Instagram!  Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Planning for a vacation or special occasion? Want a break from making dinner? Or maybe you're trying to cook a great meal at home? Eating and drinking makes up the rhythm of our days no matter where we are, and there are plenty of written descriptions across industries to help us eat and drink better and happier. In this episode, we interview ATA member and food and wine translator Adam Sachs about the ins and outs of culinary translation. You'll hear about his lengthy career as a food and beverage professional starting from his early days working in wine country all the way to managing global supply chain integrity for some major players and how he's now applying that knowledge as a language professional. Listen to the full episode today for some chuckles about restaurant menu translation errors!   Show Notes: Society of Wine Educators: https://societyofwineeducators.org/ Wine and Spirits Educational Trust: https://www.wsetglobal.com/  Court of Master Sommeliers: https://www.mastersommeliers.org/ Cicerone Certification Program: https://www.cicerone.org/ American Cheese Society: https://www.cheesesociety.org/  Cider Association: https://ciderassociation.org/ AulaSIC: https://www.aulasic.org/ Lost in Translation? Why Conscientious Menu Language Matters: https://modernrestaurantmanagement.com/lost-in-translation-why-conscientious-menu-language-matters/   Join ATA: https://www.atanet.org/member-center/join-ata/ The ATA Podcast Archive: https://www.atanet.org/news/the-ata-podcast/ ATA Events Calendar: https://www.atanet.org/ata-events/ ATA Socials: https://linkin.bio/americantranslatorsassn  ATA's 64th Annual Conference in Miami: https://www.atanet.org/ata64/   Please send comments, questions, or requests about this podcast to podcast@atanet.org. Thank you for listening!   Audio Production: Derek Platts | Technical Support: Trenton Morgan

Welcome to a special summer bonus episode of The Food Professor podcast recorded live in our on-site podcasting studio at the SIAL Food Innovation show in Toronto.  Over three great days in May, Sylvain and I met dozens of food innovators and thought leaders; these are their stories.  We're sure you will enjoy hearing these incredible interviews as much as we enjoy hosting the conversations. Stay tuned for season four of The Food Professor podcast, Canada's top food industry and Canadian-produced independent management podcasts, when we return live on the mic Thursday, September 21stOn this episode meet Gurth Pretty, Cheese Professional, owner, Lakeview Cheese Galore in Mississauga.If you like what you heard, please follow us on Apple, Spotify, or your favourite podcast platform so that you can catch up with all our great interviews, including celebrity chef, restauranteur and entrepreneur Chuck Hughes from Montreal.Have a safe summer, everyone.About GurthGurth M. Pretty is a passionate Canadian cheese professional.He is a member of the Toronto Cheese Education Guild Class of 2006, the first class of cheese professionals.Gurth's knowledge of cheese was developed during his research for his first book, The Definitive Guide to Canadian Artisanal and Fine Cheese (Whitecap Books 2006), soon followed by The Definitive Canadian Wine and Cheese Cookbook (Whitecap Books 2007), co-authored with writer and wine judge Tony Aspler.Canadian cheese received more international attention when he was asked to contribute to The World Book of Cheese (DK Books 2009). The book includes his entries on 24 Canadian cheeses.He has participated as a judge in the following competitions* Canadian Cheese Grand Prix 2009, 2011 and 2013* American Cheese Society competitions in 2011, 2018 and 2019.* Judge at the 2016 and 2018 Canadian Cheese Awards and* the 2016 and 2020 World Championship Cheese Contest in Madison, Wisconsin.His involvement in the Canadian cheese industry has included the following positions* Treasurer of the Toronto Cheese Guild* Board member of the Ontario Cheese Society, and* President of the Canadian Cheese Society.In 2018, Gurth was recognized for his efforts by being invited to become a member of La Guilde Internationale des Fromagers, an international association of professional cheesemakers, ripeners, dairy processors and cheese makers. It has over 6,000 members in 33 countries.From 2011 to 2019, Gurth was the corporate cheese expert and senior specialist – deli cheese, for the Marketplace division of Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada's largest food retailer. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph's Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre's Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. About MichaelMichael is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada and the Bank of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, Today's Shopping Choice and Pandora Jewellery.   Michael has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions with C-level executives and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. ReThink Retail has added Michael to their prestigious Top Global Retail Influencers list for 2023 for the third year in a row. Michael is also the president of Maven Media, producing a network of leading trade podcasts, including Remarkable Retail , with best-selling author Steve Dennis, now ranked one of the top retail podcasts in the world. Based in San Francisco, Global eCommerce Leaders podcast explores global cross-border issues and opportunities for eCommerce brands and retailers. Last but not least, Michael is the producer and host of the "Last Request Barbeque" channel on YouTube, where he cooks meals to die for - and collaborates with top brands as a food and product influencer across North America 

Sarah Hoffman is blazing a new trail in agri-business with her grass-fed, sheep dairy farm. With a strong team of women to support her endeavors, she's gone from a sheep farmer to cheese maker to restaurateur. Throughout the years, Green Dirt Farm has garnered accolades as one of Food and Wine's best artisan cheese makers and has won several awards from the American Cheese Society.While staying true to the handcraft tradition of cheese making, Sarah talks about how they've evolved their process to make the most out of the low volume of raw materials that sheep provide.  “We are constantly looking for ways that continue to celebrate and use the old methods, but also improve on those and create more efficiencies in the process.” – Sarah Hoffman, Green Dirt Farm In this episode, Sarah Hoffman discusses:The challenges of offering a unique product that's not well known to consumersCreating efficiencies and techniques that celebrate an old-school craft while still accommodating scaleUtilizing a team to increase opportunities to expand their product  Thought starters: How can I apply this thinking to my business?Are you making your product available in a cost-effective manner?Are there other ways of getting your product into the hands of people that could be more cost-effective? Can you find distributors to hold your product? Can you get other people to talk about it and get it into the hands of customers? Can you partner with a shop? Can it end up on a menu? What are some other creative ideas you have?What are you doing to educate your customers?Do they need it? Do they need to know more about your product or the process, or the benefits? Is it understandable out of the gate? Do they know what your product is or how it works? What questions can you answer for your customers? Are they confused in a spot that you didn't quite realize? How can you help them along? How can you help them complete that purchase journey?Where are the responsibilities on your team?Where is the structure? How are you creating operational efficiencies across those? Do you have owners, champions, and people leading? Do you have the support you need to get everyday tasks done? Key themesOperational efficiencyScalabilityConsumer educationBrick and mortar expansionNiche productFor extended show notes, resources, and ways to connect, learn more at: mavenminds.com/season-1-trailblazers –Podcast Editor and Strategist: @episodeready

Tara Holmes from the American Cheese Society and Nicole Garrett from the Cheese Culture Coalition talk to us about volunteer opportunities at their organizations. Carlos talks about the DZTE. Tara worked in higher education before transitioning to nonprofit management. Today, she is the executive director for the American Cheese Society. She has a B.A. in English Education from Gunnison's Western Colorado University, where she also completed coursework in outdoor leadership and ran track. A list of committees at ACS and volunteer interest form is listed here.Anyone who would like to volunteer for ACS in any capacity can call us at 720-328-2788, or email info@cheesesociety.org. Nicole has been a cheesemonger in the retail world for about 10 years at Whole Foods Market in the specialty department. Whitney and I met when we were going for our CCP certification. About 2 years ago she moved to Texas, and we re-connected. She started talking about wanting to start a nonprofit to increase diversity in the cheese industry, and then the rest is history. You can contact the CCC here: https://cheeseculturecoalition.org/volunteer-questionnaire  Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cutting the Curd by becoming a member!Cutting the Curd is Powered by Simplecast.

This is Play It Forward. Real people. Real stories. The struggle to Play It Forward. Episode 329 with John and Kendall Antonelli. John Antonelli is Founder and CEO of acclaimed Austin business Antonelli's Cheese Shop, which he founded in 2010 with his wife Kendall after a honeymoon decision to quit his job in search of a passion with purpose. Through their award-winning retail shop, e-commerce sales, wholesale distribution across Texas, and 400+ yearly events, the Antonelli's Cheese team daily lives its mission: Do Good. Eat Good. For that, they've been honored with a Generous Business Award, Family Business Award, and Local Hero Food Shop distinction. John is both a CPA and CCP (certified cheese professional), Past President of the American Cheese Society, President of Austin Children Museum the Thinkery, and on the advisory board of non-profit accelerator Philanthropitch. John has been recognized as "one of the top ten individuals impacting his industry" by Deli Business Weekly, and he is a member of the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers. John was awarded Best Small Business CEO by the Austin Business Journal in 2018 and an Austin Under 40 distinction for Hospitality in 2020. John most enjoys a shared cheese and charcuterie board while traveling with his two kids Everett and Elia. John is also known for saying “awesome” a lot. Kendall Antonelli owns and operates Antonelli's Cheese Shop, alongside her husband John and awesome team. A previous AustinUnder40 Awardee and Austin Business Journal Profile in Power, Kendall is also a Certified Cheese Professional, which comes in handy when trying to impress the palates of her two kiddos Everett and Elia and find the perfect cheese that makes them do a happy dance. As an entrepreneur and a depression survivor now on a personal mission to spread joy, Kendall often speaks about work/life balance and finding passion with purpose. For that and her work on various boards, she has been named a NAMI Mental Health Community Champion and recognized with the McMahon Children's Advocacy Award. Kendall is past president of Les Dames d'Escoffier Austin, a women's group of industry professionals dedicated to philanthropy, currently serves on the national American Cheese Education Foundation, and an inducted member of the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers. Antonelli's Cheese, named one of the best cheese shops in America by Travel + Leisure Magazine, includes a cut-to-order shop that also offers cheese trays, 400+ in person and virtual events and tastings per year, and a wholesale program distributing cheese throughout Texas. In 2020, Antonelli's Cheese earned two distinctions for their early move to virtual tastings, bringing 15K+ folks together over a shared experience of cheese. They've also been honored with a Generous Business Award, Family Business Award, and Local Hero Food Shop distinction. Through life and business, the Antonelli family and team endeavor to live their mission: Do Good. Eat Good.

This is Play It Forward. Real people. Real stories. The struggle to Play It Forward. Episode 329 with John and Kendall Antonelli. John Antonelli is Founder and CEO of acclaimed Austin business Antonelli's Cheese Shop, which he founded in 2010 with his wife Kendall after a honeymoon decision to quit his job in search of a passion with purpose. Through their award-winning retail shop, e-commerce sales, wholesale distribution across Texas, and 400+ yearly events, the Antonelli's Cheese team daily lives its mission: Do Good. Eat Good. For that, they've been honored with a Generous Business Award, Family Business Award, and Local Hero Food Shop distinction. John is both a CPA and CCP (certified cheese professional), Past President of the American Cheese Society, President of Austin Children Museum the Thinkery, and on the advisory board of non-profit accelerator Philanthropitch. John has been recognized as "one of the top ten individuals impacting his industry" by Deli Business Weekly, and he is a member of the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers. John was awarded Best Small Business CEO by the Austin Business Journal in 2018 and an Austin Under 40 distinction for Hospitality in 2020. John most enjoys a shared cheese and charcuterie board while traveling with his two kids Everett and Elia. John is also known for saying “awesome” a lot. Kendall Antonelli owns and operates Antonelli's Cheese Shop, alongside her husband John and awesome team. A previous AustinUnder40 Awardee and Austin Business Journal Profile in Power, Kendall is also a Certified Cheese Professional, which comes in handy when trying to impress the palates of her two kiddos Everett and Elia and find the perfect cheese that makes them do a happy dance. As an entrepreneur and a depression survivor now on a personal mission to spread joy, Kendall often speaks about work/life balance and finding passion with purpose. For that and her work on various boards, she has been named a NAMI Mental Health Community Champion and recognized with the McMahon Children's Advocacy Award. Kendall is past president of Les Dames d'Escoffier Austin, a women's group of industry professionals dedicated to philanthropy, currently serves on the national American Cheese Education Foundation, and an inducted member of the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers. Antonelli's Cheese, named one of the best cheese shops in America by Travel + Leisure Magazine, includes a cut-to-order shop that also offers cheese trays, 400+ in person and virtual events and tastings per year, and a wholesale program distributing cheese throughout Texas. In 2020, Antonelli's Cheese earned two distinctions for their early move to virtual tastings, bringing 15K+ folks together over a shared experience of cheese. They've also been honored with a Generous Business Award, Family Business Award, and Local Hero Food Shop distinction. Through life and business, the Antonelli family and team endeavor to live their mission: Do Good. Eat Good.

This is Play It Forward. Real people. Real stories. The struggle to Play It Forward. Episode 329 with John and Kendall Antonelli. John Antonelli is Founder and CEO of acclaimed Austin business Antonelli's Cheese Shop, which he founded in 2010 with his wife Kendall after a honeymoon decision to quit his job in search of a passion with purpose. Through their award-winning retail shop, e-commerce sales, wholesale distribution across Texas, and 400+ yearly events, the Antonelli's Cheese team daily lives its mission: Do Good. Eat Good. For that, they've been honored with a Generous Business Award, Family Business Award, and Local Hero Food Shop distinction. John is both a CPA and CCP (certified cheese professional), Past President of the American Cheese Society, President of Austin Children Museum the Thinkery, and on the advisory board of non-profit accelerator Philanthropitch. John has been recognized as "one of the top ten individuals impacting his industry" by Deli Business Weekly, and he is a member of the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers. John was awarded Best Small Business CEO by the Austin Business Journal in 2018 and an Austin Under 40 distinction for Hospitality in 2020. John most enjoys a shared cheese and charcuterie board while traveling with his two kids Everett and Elia. John is also known for saying “awesome” a lot. Kendall Antonelli owns and operates Antonelli's Cheese Shop, alongside her husband John and awesome team. A previous AustinUnder40 Awardee and Austin Business Journal Profile in Power, Kendall is also a Certified Cheese Professional, which comes in handy when trying to impress the palates of her two kiddos Everett and Elia and find the perfect cheese that makes them do a happy dance. As an entrepreneur and a depression survivor now on a personal mission to spread joy, Kendall often speaks about work/life balance and finding passion with purpose. For that and her work on various boards, she has been named a NAMI Mental Health Community Champion and recognized with the McMahon Children's Advocacy Award. Kendall is past president of Les Dames d'Escoffier Austin, a women's group of industry professionals dedicated to philanthropy, currently serves on the national American Cheese Education Foundation, and an inducted member of the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers. Antonelli's Cheese, named one of the best cheese shops in America by Travel + Leisure Magazine, includes a cut-to-order shop that also offers cheese trays, 400+ in person and virtual events and tastings per year, and a wholesale program distributing cheese throughout Texas. In 2020, Antonelli's Cheese earned two distinctions for their early move to virtual tastings, bringing 15K+ folks together over a shared experience of cheese. They've also been honored with a Generous Business Award, Family Business Award, and Local Hero Food Shop distinction. Through life and business, the Antonelli family and team endeavor to live their mission: Do Good. Eat Good.

This is Play It Forward. Real people. Real stories. The struggle to Play It Forward. Episode 329 with John and Kendall Antonelli. John Antonelli is Founder and CEO of acclaimed Austin business Antonelli's Cheese Shop, which he founded in 2010 with his wife Kendall after a honeymoon decision to quit his job in search of a passion with purpose. Through their award-winning retail shop, e-commerce sales, wholesale distribution across Texas, and 400+ yearly events, the Antonelli's Cheese team daily lives its mission: Do Good. Eat Good. For that, they've been honored with a Generous Business Award, Family Business Award, and Local Hero Food Shop distinction. John is both a CPA and CCP (certified cheese professional), Past President of the American Cheese Society, President of Austin Children Museum the Thinkery, and on the advisory board of non-profit accelerator Philanthropitch. John has been recognized as "one of the top ten individuals impacting his industry" by Deli Business Weekly, and he is a member of the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers. John was awarded Best Small Business CEO by the Austin Business Journal in 2018 and an Austin Under 40 distinction for Hospitality in 2020. John most enjoys a shared cheese and charcuterie board while traveling with his two kids Everett and Elia. John is also known for saying “awesome” a lot. Kendall Antonelli owns and operates Antonelli's Cheese Shop, alongside her husband John and awesome team. A previous AustinUnder40 Awardee and Austin Business Journal Profile in Power, Kendall is also a Certified Cheese Professional, which comes in handy when trying to impress the palates of her two kiddos Everett and Elia and find the perfect cheese that makes them do a happy dance. As an entrepreneur and a depression survivor now on a personal mission to spread joy, Kendall often speaks about work/life balance and finding passion with purpose. For that and her work on various boards, she has been named a NAMI Mental Health Community Champion and recognized with the McMahon Children's Advocacy Award. Kendall is past president of Les Dames d'Escoffier Austin, a women's group of industry professionals dedicated to philanthropy, currently serves on the national American Cheese Education Foundation, and an inducted member of the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers. Antonelli's Cheese, named one of the best cheese shops in America by Travel + Leisure Magazine, includes a cut-to-order shop that also offers cheese trays, 400+ in person and virtual events and tastings per year, and a wholesale program distributing cheese throughout Texas. In 2020, Antonelli's Cheese earned two distinctions for their early move to virtual tastings, bringing 15K+ folks together over a shared experience of cheese. They've also been honored with a Generous Business Award, Family Business Award, and Local Hero Food Shop distinction. Through life and business, the Antonelli family and team endeavor to live their mission: Do Good. Eat Good.

We take a closer look at the current state of celebrity sightings in Las Vegas: where to go and who you might find there. And we get top-shelf help from two people who do it for a living: Melinda Sheckells of "Off the Strip" and John Katsilometes, the Man About Town for the Las Vegas Review Journal. And this week's co-host is Diana Brier, owner of Valley Wine & Cheese in Henderson. Wonder about her cheese bone fides? How about this? Diana is one of only 45 people in the country to hold a Certified Cheese Sensory Evaluator Certificate from the American Cheese Society. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are not many things that everyone (other than Big Bang's Leonard) can get behind, but a visit to the Creamery is one of them.  For us, that was Face Rock Creamery in Bandon, Oregon.  Beautiful green pastures, cranberry bogs along the roadside, the fog drifting through the trees, the smell of the salt air off the ocean…And dairy products.Brad Sinko, Head Cheese Maker at Face Rock, put his OSU Microbiology degree (and previous brewing experience) to great use to mix flavors and ideas, and came up with new mixes to stir the cheese lovers in all of us.  He knows his stuff, and has put a truly individual stamp on the products he makes.  And the American Cheese Society agrees, because he has won more than a few national first-place awards already.We came for the Face-2-Face sheep-and-cow cheddar, but stayed for the cheese curds.  And the Porter wedge.  And the blue, and cloth-wrapped, and...every other cheese and delicious charcuterie item you might think of.  They're really good at cheddars, but don't stop there, so it was really difficult, okay?  Just the cheddars included Peppercorn, Horseradish, Vampire Slayer garlic, Cranberry Walnut, Applewood Smoked…We can go on and on, but needless to say we ate like cheeseboard aficionados for two days after our visit.  And then it was all gone (sob).We'll be back again for the locally-produced cranberry ice cream.  We'll have to do another interview and podcast then, and will report back.  The things we do for our listeners…Links:https://facerockcreamery.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-sinko-53b73965https://facerockcreamery.com/collections/cheddarhttps://www.facebook.com/langloiscreamery/Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/agriCulturePodcast)

Conversamos con Carlos Yescas, un apasionado del queso Mexicano. Fundador de Lactography, Juez de The Guild of Fine Food de Inglaterra, de la Guilde Internationale des Fromagers de Francia, miembro asesor de la American Cheese Society y director de la Old Ways Cheese Coalition. Un gran invitado, para un nuevo y divertido episodio.

Ari Weinzweig is the Founding Partner of Zingerman's Community of Businesses (ZCoB), a family of small food-related companies and entrepreneurial ventures that includes Zingerman's Delicatessen, Zingerman's Creamery, and Zingerman's Bakehouse, ZingTrain, and more. No two businesses in the Zingerman's Community of Businesses are alike but they all share the same Vision and Guiding Principles and deliver “The Zingerman's Experience” with passion and commitment. After four years of experience washing dishes, cooking, and managing in restaurant kitchens and chutzpah from his hometown of Chicago, Ari and his partner, Paul Saginaw, founded their first business, Zingerman's Delicatessen, in 1982. Ari holds a Russian History degree from the University of Michigan. He is a sought-after Keynote speaker, having delivered keynotes for Inc. 500, Microsoft Expo Spring Conference, Great Game of Business Gathering of Games, Positive Business Conference at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, American Society for Quality (ASQ), and the American Cheese Society. In this episode… Ari Weinzweig has achieved success and longevity in business and has found that the secret behind the success of Zingerman's Community of Businesses is a clearly defined vision–a mission to bring it to reality in a healthy organizational ecosystem. How did he and his partner, Paul Saginaw, identify the vision that they wanted as the driving force for their company and how did they implement it despite the phenomenal growth that they are enjoying? Tune in to this episode of the Alexi Cashen Podcast as Alexi Cashen interviews Ari Weinzweig of Zingerman's Community of Businesses about how he started his business and how he successfully maintained their vision while growing their company. Ari also shares how the vision of Zingerman's propelled it to where it is today, how to go about creating a detailed vision for your business, and why dealing with mistakes and accepting their role in your life can be helpful to your journey towards success.

What should you consider when pairing wine and cheese? Why is sparkling wine the perfect pairing for many cheeses? Are there red-flag flavours that signal a bad wine and cheese match? How can you develop your wine and cheese pairing palate? What can you do to make the most of your cheese and wine course when entertaining? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with James Beard award-winning author, Laura Werlin, one of the planet’s most authoritative writers on cheese and cheese and wine pairings.   Highlights What is the most surprising-but-delicious cheese and wine pairing you need to try? Why do sparkling wine and goat brie work well together? How can you identify a soft-ripened cheese? What should look for when pairing wine and cheese? What are the three types of cheese and wine pairings you can identify? Are there red-flag flavours that signal a bad wine and cheese match? Which wine and cheese pairings should you avoid? Why should you make sure to have sparkling wine on hand for pairing? What can you learn about cheese from Laura's books? How can learning about the different families of cheese simply your life? What should you pair with Limburger cheese? Why are you better off pairing cheese with unoaked vs oaked Chardonnay? What surprising coating will you find on Valencay cheese? How can you develop your wine and cheese pairing palate? What role does texture play in wine and cheese pairing? What rind-related cheese etiquette rule should you always follow? How can you take advantage of the best part of soft-ripened cheese? What's the difference between wine scores and cheese ratings? How is truffle cheese made? How can you pair sweet wines with cheese? What can you do to make the most of your cheese and wine course when entertaining? Why did Laura decide to become a writer, with a focus on cheese?   About Laura Werlin Laura Werlin is one of the country’s foremost authorities on cheese. She is a James Beard award-winning author of six books on the subject, is a sought-after speaker and spokesperson for consumer and trade organizations, and is a frequent television and radio guest.   An expert in cheese and wine pairing and in particular American artisan cheese, Werlin received the prestigious James Beard award for her book The All American Cheese and Wine Book. Her book, Laura Werlin’s Cheese Essentials, received a James Beard Award nomination. Her most recent book, Mac & Cheese, Please! focuses on one of America’s favourite comfort foods, while two of her other books, Grilled Cheese, Please!, and Great Grilled Cheese focus on the other. Her groundbreaking first book, The New American Cheese, published in 2000, set the stage for what is the American artisan cheese movement today.   Laura has been featured on numerous television and radio segments across the country including Fox & Friends, CNN, QVC, the Martha Stewart Show, the CBS Early Show as well as numerous local television and radio shows. In addition, she has been the subject of instructive yet fun cheese-related videos on the popular website chow.com. She also writes for national magazines including Food & Wine, Sunset, Everyday with Rachael Ray, Culture, Saveur and Cooking Light.   Werlin is known for her approachable yet authoritative teaching style and is frequently asked to conduct cheese and wine pairing, cheese education, and cooking classes across the country. She is also a regular instructor at The Cheese School of San Francisco. In addition, she serves as the President of the American Cheese Education Foundation and is a member of the American Cheese Society and Slow Food USA.   When she isn’t eating or teaching about cheese, she can be found jogging on the streets of San Francisco, where she lives, or hiking in the mountains, which she loves.       To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the https://www.nataliemaclean.com/92.

It may sound cheesy, but 2 Sharp Chefs can never get enough cheese - so Lorraine Moss & Louiie Victa invited a professional cheese monger to geek out on their favorite dairy product. Diana Brier is 1 of 45 American Cheese Society’s Certified Cheese Sensory Evaluators in the world. The Las Vegas affineur is known as the “Wonder Woman of Cheese” for her cheesemaking skills and her expertise in all things curds and whey! Learn about what it takes to be a cheese expert, the intricacies involved in being an affineur (one who ages cheese), and why making Brie can be a romantic experience.And check out the 2 Sharp Chefs & A Microphone YouTube channel for a special edition of “Show & Tell” where Diana creates a delectable cheese board with expertly curated “funky cheese pairings”.This is a can’t miss episode for anyone who can’t live without cheese. Say Cheese! And listen now!Find out more at https://2-sharp-chefs--a-microphone.pinecast.coThis podcast is powered by Pinecast.

“Be really aware that you don’t know what you don’t know.” – Mike Koch, President and Co-Founder, FireFly Farms “You have to realize you can’t do everything.” – Pablo Solanet, Creative Director and Co-Founder, FireFly Farms Mike Koch and Pablo Solanet are co-founders of FireFly Farms, known for their award-winning goat cheeses. They operate a friendly retail store and cheese production facility in Accident, MD near Deep Creek Lake. Before making Garrett County their full-time home, they were living and working in Washington, D.C. Mike was a senior leader for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac while Pablo was a pastry chef at New Heights restaurant. Mike and Pablo originally purchased their Garrett County farm and home as a vacation and weekend getaway. When their neighbor had nanny goats available after completing a 4-H project, they jumped into goat farming. One weekend they experimented with making cheese, and a new business was born! Listen to the podcast, watch the full-length video or highlight videos for key takeaways:   Mike and Pablo bought their farm in 1997 as a country home and Washington, D.C. getaway. Both co-founders were early foodies. They started making goat cheese because a neighbor had nanny goats for a 4-H project that were giving milk. Pablo grew up in Argentina and spent summers working at his grandparents’ ranch. He moved to the U.S. at age 19. Pablo was the pioneer! He left his restaurant position and moved to Garrett County full-time to take care of the goats. There were moments of culture shock and tough winters. Mike’s grandfather had an 88-acre farm in Iowa with cows, pigs, goats, corn and other crops where Mike spent his summers. He grew up making cheese with his grandmother. His great-great-grandfather was a cheese maker in Switzerland. Mike continued to work in D.C. for ten years after FireFly was started. He then held economic development posts in Garrett County and D.C. FireFly won Blue and Silver awards in 2002 at their first American Cheese Society competition. These cheeses were created by Pablo using milk from goats that he raised on their farm. Mike and Pablo no longer raise goats. They purchase milk from nine local, family farms. They self-financed their first twenty years in business, drawing on savings and Mike’s stock options. They recently completed a Series A fundraising round to finance expansion. The first FireFly staff were brought on-board to produce cheese and to help with sales and marketing. FireFly cheeses were sold only through grocery stores their first ten years in business. They opened the Accident, MD store in 2011 because they needed additional manufacturing space. Whole Foods allowed FireFly to start small by distributing to just a few stores in 2002 and 2003. Pablo used to deliver the cheese to Whole Foods himself. FireFly cheese are now available at Whole Foods, Wegmans, Balducci's and MOM’s Organic Market. FireFly Farms will be expanding in 2020 through a second manufacturing location in Maryland and a second retail location in Baltimore, MD. They recently hired six staff to support the expansion. The market for artisan cheese is growing and processed cheese is decreasing in the U.S. In Maryland the cheese making community is tight-knit and support each other's growth. When starting a business, find your community and help others. All boats rise together. Mike and Pablo are very involved with the American Cheese Society. There’s never a boring day at FireFly Farms! Lake Pointe Inn is a wonderful hotel and inn at Deep Creek Lake, near FireFly Farms in Accident, MD. +++++ Learn more about FireFly Farms on their website. Follow FireFly Farms: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook +++++ This podcast originated as a video that you can find on the Founders and Startups YouTube Channel along with two highlight videos: Becoming a Full-Time Business Owner Raising Money to Expand FireFly Farms +++++ How would it feel to elevate your business while creating a more fulfilling life? If you’d like to discuss possibilities, send me a note at Lisa (at) EverBetterU.com.  Learn more about working with me, Lisa Conners Vogt, at EverBetterU.com. Here's what a recent client said: "Lisa offers a holistic approach to coaching business owners. Her unique approach allowed me to articulate goals involving my employees, investors, family, community, customers and myself. She draws out the entire spectrum of the entrepreneur's objectives and brings them into a manageable and livable perspective." +++++ Special Thanks To:  Josh at Podcastguymedia.com for his patient editing and guidance. Darko at darkokriznik.com for his stellar video editing and graphic design. 

Jeff Buck sits down with rogue cheesemonger Julia Gross to talk about Cravero Parmigiano Reggiano cheese - a raw cow's milk cheese from Italy. Together the two of them replicate an ancient pairing by combining this "king of cheese" with a bottle of Prosecco. Slightly buzzed and in a rush to get Julia to the airport, they discuss feminists in Bra, The worst/best cheese joke ever, how to fight the tariffs that threaten our cheeses, and a secret group of midnight mongers who parody songs. As always, the podcast ends with some #CheesyMoments. Julia talks about falling in love and finding a relationship because of cheese and at the end of this episode she debuts here "WE LOVE THE CHEESE" song. A direct parody to NWA's "F*** The Police".Follow @saycheesepodEmail: saycheesepod@gmail.comor leave us a positive rating/review!!CALIFORNIA REPRESENTATIVE CONTACT INFOhttps://www.house.gov/representativesNEW YORK REPRESENTATIVE CONTACT INFOhttps://www.house.gov/representatives#state-newyorkLOUISIANA REPRESENTATIVE CONTACT INFOhttps://www.house.gov/representatives#state-Louisiana

Food and baseball are so intertwined that the iconic baseball song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" brings up food before it ever mentions balls and strikes. The Richmond Flying Squirrels draw thousands of baseball fans to the Diamond on Arthur Ashe Boulevard each game and it's Josh Barban's job to make sure every fan goes home well fed. "Not only do we feed 6,200 fans a game, we go from business clientele, like in the suites, to the ballpark fan. So we cover a lot of different aspects of the food industry," Barban said. "We have something for everybody. We want to cover all walks of life." Barban, who also has a background in sales and marketing, told Eat It, Virginia hosts Scott and Robey how he's used those skills to attract more people to the ballpark, not just for baseball -- but also to eat. "Food has always been kind of the hallmark of the baseball experience," he said, "I remember smelling the fried onions on the flat top grill when you first get to the ballpark. The smell of a burger cooking. It just feeds your interest." Listen to catch Barban's thoughts on: Must-try Diamond dishes "Foul" stadium food ideas How Richmond's craft brew scene has changed drinking at the Diamond Would a new stadium would improve the food at Flying Squirrels' games In our Eat It, Virginia! podcast sommelier segment, Booth Hardy from Barrel Thief explains why he's pairing Veritas Vineyard & Winery's Mousseux with the American Cheese Society's award-winning Professor's Brie cheese from Old Chatham Sheepherding Company in Old Chatham, New York. Other topics discussed include: The Hot List of Richmond restaurants people are talking about this month. A preview of Richmond's premiere food event Fire, Flour & Fork. People, places, and products mentioned in this podcast: Ardent Baja Bean Barrel Thief Cary Street Cafe Center of the Universe Cooper's Hawk Dinner on the Infield Fire, Flour & Fork Milton's Local Sanderling Resort Scuffletown Garden Soul Taco Veritas Vineyards & Winery Wegmans

The American Cheese Society set forth a challenge for their annual competition: create a new category of cheese unique to America. Three cheesemakers answered the call, including one from Vermont.

Jonathan McDowell tells us what it takes to earn a CCP designation and what it really means.

This year the American Cheese Society competition received 1,954 entries! On today's show the competition's Best in Show winners–Jasper Hill Farm and Cows Creamery–will join Diane to talk about their winning cheeses and how they got to where they are today. Cutting the Curd is powered by Simplecast

Amid the inspiring energy at this year's American Cheese Society conference, Elena chats with Gordon Edgar of Rainbow Grocery about the store's long-standing worker-owned business model and how it all works IRL. Cutting the Curd is powered by Simplecast

Kathleen Shannon Finn, past president of the American Cheese Society, Garde et Jure and Maitre Fromager in the Guilde des Fromagers Confrérie de Saint-Uguzon joins Diane to talk about the cookbook she's launching in celebration of the 35th anniversary of the American Cheese Society Conference this month. Cutting the Curd is powered by Simplecast.

Nora Weiser, Executive Director of the American Cheese Society (ACS) and Bill Stephenson, Chair of the ACS Certification Committee chat about the new sensory evaluation TASTE test debuting at the ACS Conference this summer. From big picture industry impact to how on earth the logistics will work, Elena gets a sneak peek of what’s in store for the inaugural exam takers. Cutting the Curd is powered by Simplecast

On this week's episode, Greg Blais sits down with Cathy Strange, Global Cheese Buyer for Whole Foods Market. Cathy worked as a Specialty Team Member in three regions before becoming a Team Leader, then a Regional Coordinator. In 2000, with more than 20 years of food industry experience under her belt, she became the Whole Foods Market Global Cheese Buyer and an expert at detecting international food trends while traveling the world to find cheeses that meet our quality standards. Cathy is also proud to be Chair of the Cheese of Choice Coalition for the American Cheese Society and a member of the Cheese Importers Association. Cutting the Curd is powered by Simplecast

When you hear the name Brie, do you conjure up images of delicious cheeses spread over a board, paired with meats and wine? That’s exactly what Brie is all about. Now a Certified Cheese Professional recognized by the American Cheese Society, Brie had humble beginnings the same as all of us. His upbringing in New York City was a tumultuous one, filled with fond memories as well as some bitter ones with his parents. He decided to get away and move to Barcelona after he finished college, where his love for all things related to food and cheese were realized. In this week’s interview, Andy and Brie share an all-encompassing chat about his passion and devotion to the art of cheese. The two also discuss how family has played a role in shaping Brie’s profession, the various kinds of cheeses he might recommend depending on the situation, and how Brie enjoys some of the greatest pleasures in life. Listen to the full interview right here. Links Brie Salzman [Facebook] M. Fromage Article

How do you make cheese? This was the question Bob and Ricki Carroll asked back in the 70’s before there was such a thing as home cheese making. Intent on becoming more self-reliant, the newlyweds welcomed two dairy goats Mary-Lou, and Dinah to their backyard farm in Ashfield Massachusetts, and began searching far and wide for supplies, ingredients and resources. Working with what little they could find, they began to experiment. Thus began the cheese making journey of a lifetime!Cheesemaking Made Easy, written by Bob in 1981, was later expanded by Ricki, renamed Home Cheese Making, and has become a bible for home and artisanal cheese makers alike, selling hundreds of thousands of copies.Since then, this little company has been featured in numerous newspapers and magazines, Ricki and Bob had an appearance on The Today Show, Ricki helped start the American Cheese Society, and, after attending one of Ricki’s classes, the acclaimed author Barbara Kingsolver wrote about the class in both Food and Wine magazine and in her book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.Find out more at https://www.cheesemaking.com where Ricki is offering a SPECIAL one time, 10% discount on an order of supplies from cheesemaking.com by entering the code: FAMILYFARMER at checkout.

The American Cheese Society competition with more than 2,000 entries recently picked the best in the USA. Jessica from Venissimo and Jonathan from Aniata were there and share their stories from the show and competition.

On the season finale of Cutting the Curd, Diane Stemple is on location in Denver, Colorado for the annual American Cheese Society conference! Tune in to hear her speak with Christina Fleming, a cheesemonger who now works at a cannabis boutique, about the differences and similarities between selling cheese and selling cannabis products. Cutting the Curd is powered by Simplecast

In this episode of Our Portuguese Table, we chat with Barbara Borges-Martin, also known as the Dairy Goddess of Lemoore, California. With roots in Terceira and Pico, Barbara is following in her family’s footsteps. Her grandparents met in Boston before heading to California to start a dairy. Barbara’s cheese-making adventures began when she took a cheese-making course at Cal Poly. The Dairy Goddess now offers 6 types of Fromage Blanc, or French-style fresh cheese (also spreadable). Barbara was inspired by her favorite places and flavors during her career as a travel agent in Southern California in creating specialty flavors, which range from "Azores" (made with Malagueta chili pepper paste) to the "Central Coast" (made with Santa Maria seasoning & dill) to "The Valley" (made with peaches, almonds & honey). The Valley is her Oscar-winning cheese, having won 1st place in the American Cheese Society’s Fresh Cheese category. The ladies talk about the importance of supporting local farmers and agricultural tourism (agritourism). The conversation soon turned to couves (kale or collard greens?) and how we’ve been eating them since before they were ‘cool’. Weigh in on the translation debate, please! Barbara’s favorite dish is her grandmother’s sopa de nabo or turnip soup. Visit the Dairy Goddess! http://www.dairygoddess.com/

If you have ever visited Ann Arbor, Michigan the odds are you have eaten at Zingerman's Deli. This episode is a great interview with Ari Weinzweig, co-founder and founding partner of the company now known as Zingerman's Community of Businesses. Ari moved to Ann Arbor from his hometown of Chicago to attend the University of Michigan. After graduating with a degree in Russian history, he went to work washing dishes in a local restaurant and soon discovered that he loved the food business. Along with his partner Paul Saginaw, Ari started Zingerman’s Delicatessen in 1982 with a $20,000 bank loan, a staff of two, a small selection of great-tasting specialty foods and a relatively short sandwich menu. Today, Zingerman’s is an Ann Arbor institution—the source of great food and great experiences for over 500,000 visitors every year. Each day the Deli serves up thousands of made-to-order sandwiches with ingredients like corned beef and pastrami, homemade chopped liver and chicken salad. The Deli stocks an array of farmhouse cheeses, smoked fish, salamis, estate-bottled olive oils, vintage vinegars, whole bean coffees, loose leaf teas and much more. Ari and Paul have built Zingerman’s into an organization with a 500+ staff and annual sales approaching $40,000,000 a year. Ari is involved in many educational activities. He has served as a board member and president of The American Cheese Society and as a board member of the Retail Division of the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade. He is a frequent guest speaker in business classes at the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University, as well as at various food and business conferences in this country and abroad including the American Institute of Wine and Food, Oldways Preservation and Exchange Trust, the Gathering of Games, and the NASFT Fancy Food Show. In 1988 Zingerman’s was instrumental in the founding of Food Gatherers, a perishable food rescue program, and continues to be a major supporter of the organization. Every year Food Gatherers delivers over a million pounds of food to people in need. Ari has also served on the board of The Ark, the longest continuously-operating folk music venue in America. In April of 1995, Ari and Paul received the Jewish Federation of Washtenaw County’s first Humanitarian Award for their community contributions. Ari was recognized as one of the “Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America” by the 2006 James Beard Foundation. In 2007, Ari and Paul were presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award from Bon Appetit magazine for their work in the food industry. Ari has written over 250 issues of the Zingerman’s newsletter, and has contributed to such magazines as Fine Cooking, Specialty Foods, Gourmet Retailer, and Food and Wine. He is also the author of several books which can me found at http://www.zingtrain.com  

Consider Bardwell Farm produces award-winning cheeses from a property that was once the first cheese-making co-op in Vermont. With Angela Miller and Russell Glover at the helm, Consider Bardwell cheeses can be found at farmer's markets around New York and Vermont, and restaurants and cheese counters across the country. Tune in to hear Angela Miller discuss the history of the farm, and the upcoming Washington County Cheese Tour, on September 10th and 11th, 2016.

The American Cheese Society's yearly conference provides a chance for cheese professionals from around the country – and the world – to gather and learn from each other for the benefit of artisan cheese. ACS also hosts an annual competition – the Oscars of artisan American cheese. Tune in to hear Diane Stemple's mini-interviews with winners from the 2016 competition.

On this episode of Cutting the Curd, host Diane Stemple talks to Debra Dickerson, who has been passionately involved in the cheese world for over two decades. A board member of the American Cheese Society, Debra lays out the necessary details about the organization plus highlights the upcoming ACS Conference before welcoming cheesemonger and author Gordon Edgar to the show to add to the discussion. Tune in as the conversation winds down with an interesting talk on European buyers taking over American cheesemaking companies. This program was brought to you by Academie Opus Caseus. “There is a panel for every interest in the cheese world and I think as the American Cheese Society has evolved and as the conference has evolved, the panels have become more meaty and more engaging and relevant for the future of the industry.” [21:28] —Debra Dickerson on Cutting the Curd

This week on Cutting the Curd, co-hosts Greg Blais and Anne Saxelby talk with Adam Moskowitz of Larkin Cold Storage and Debra Dickerson of Tomales Bay Foods. During the busy holiday season, cheese shops around the country stock their walk-ins and cheese cases to the brim. But how does all of this fragile cheese get from the farm to the cheese counter in perfect condition? Tune in to hear all of the details from veteran wholesalers/distributors in the American cheese biz as they talk about how the cheese gets to your local cheese shop. This program was brought to you by The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. “I think helping people understand the scope of the laws and FDA regulations, and working toegher with the FDA to make a good relationship happen, as the American Cheese Society is trying to do, I think is absolutely critical.” [36:00] —Debra Dickerson on Cutting the Curd “I’m not here to bash the FDA, what I’m here to do is tell people that those who are not being in a mode of compliance, they’re actually putting us all in jeopardy.” [36:55] —Adam Moskowitz on Cutting the Curd

What’s in a name? This week on Cutting the Curd, host Greg Blais is talking cheese names with guests Rachel Perez and David Grotenstein. Rachel is the French Cheese Ambassador for The French Cheese Club and is on the Judging and Competition Committee with the American Cheese Society, while David is an industry veteran having been in the business for over 30 years. Rachel kicks off the show with explaining European standards for naming cheese as it pertains to American producers. The group goes on to expand on the topic, stating that the concern is if American producers make cheeses that share the same name as French cheeses, it will result in a loss of cheese identity. Cheese names reflect not only the cheese itself but also the location where it was made. Conversely, the discussion concludes that there is a gray area in these standards because if American cheese producers rename their cheeses it could cause confusion in consumers. After the break, Greg brings this naming issue closer to home by referencing a few American branded/named items, such as Made in Brooklyn or Idaho Potatoes. Tune in to hear more! This program was brought to you by The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. “We don’t want to change names that have historically been used in the states but we also want to protect some of our smaller producers who are making cheese.” [7:51] —Rachel Perez on Cutting the Curd “The truth would work best, generally when you’re selling something. You really just want to be able to say what it is.” [19:07] —David Grotenstein on Cutting the Curd

This week on a brand new Cutting the Curd, host Greg Blais takes on current events in the cheese realm and welcomes Susan Sturman and Stephanie Ciano to the program to shed light on what’s going on. A Cutting the Curd veteran, Susan Sturman is the Director of the Anglophone Program at Academie Opus Caseus and is a Co-Chair of the 2015 Annual Conference at the American Cheese Society. Stephanie Ciano is the Vice President of Sales & Purchasing at Crystal Food Import Corporation, specializing in cheese imports. Talking to Greg about some of the recent happenings with the International Cheesemonger Confederation, Susan explains how the ICC is helping to represent all retail cheesemongers in order to promote and defend their business interests, especially with recent, controversial FDA regulations and the Russian food embargo. Stephanie joins in on the discussion, adding from what she has dealt with as a cheese importer on both situations. After the break, the talk turns to domestic cheese and what it takes to abide by the guidelines and produce cheese in the United States. This program was sponsored by The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. “Until we’re all really honest and people aren’t doing bad stuff to good food, we’re going to need those labels because they’re our protection.” [18:52] — Susan Sturman on Cutting the Curd “I hit road blocks everyday as an importer with all the products that I have that are on FDA holds. You’re looking at a quarter of a million dollars at any given time that we’ve got on hold.”[32:20] — Stephanie Ciano on Cutting the Curd

Greg O’Neill is a man who knows cheese better than most. He’s the co-founder and co-owner of Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine in Chicago, and president of the American Cheese Society which just celebrated a successful 30th annual conference this year in Madison, Wisconsin. Greg re-caps the conference and speaks to the current state of the cheese community in America. Find out about some great upcoming festivals and trends in the world of cheese. Cutting the Curd is underwritten by The Dairy Farm Families of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. “We have to help our members to help themselves – we can’t as ACS do the work for them, people have to be able to take the information and run with it. We try to bring as much rigor and detail to is as we can so people can have a head start.” [15:00] –Greg O’Neill on Cutting the Curd

It’s a cheese-for-all on this episode of Cutting the Curd. Host Diane Stemple starts her book review program with Sasha Davies, a member of the Executive Board of the American Cheese Society and owner of Cyril’s at Clay Pigeon Winery in Portland, Oregon. Davies recently authored the book “The Cheesemaker’s Apprentice” which includes in-depth interviews from top cheesemakers and cheese recipes. Find out what it takes to write the book on top-quality cheese production. The President of the American Cheese Society, Greg O’Neill phones in to chat about the Pastoral Cheese Festival, which takes place in Chicago tomorrow. The event will feature 30 cheesemakers from across the world in addition to other food, wine and beer. Yoav Perry, cheesemaker and founder of the online cheesemaking supply company, Artisan Geek joins Diane in the studio. This program was sponsored by Academie Opus Caseus “The one where you’re talking to a cheesemaker and asking them how they got started being a cheesemaker and what led them to a particular stlye and did they have any memory of real moments of lightbubls going on? Revelations about that particular type of cheese because… it could take a home cheesemaker 10 years to get to because they’re not making cheese everyday.” [6:00] — Sasha Davies on Cutting the Curd “With the cheesemaker I asked them some of the same questions. For example,… I asked every maker what their most important tool was in the cheesemaking room?” [10:00] — Sasha Davies on Cutting the Curd “I don’t think a home cheesemaker is going to dig a huge tunnel under its house thats probalby not goignt ob ethe issue and ive been workinga lot with home cheese maker form all over the world and they call me up with advices on what microbes to use and things like that and it always stakrs out with I’m just going to make a 30 minute mozzarella and then its turn out 2 or 3 years later brightening when they’re making crazy caves in their house” [19:00] –Yoav Perry on Cutting the Curd

On this episode of Cutting the Curd, Anne Saxelby and Sophie Slesinger are joined by Kate Arding of the American Cheese Society. Kate is also the founder of Culture Magazine, and British farmstead cheese expert. Learn about the decline of artisanal British cheeses after the Industrial Revolution. Hear about mechanized cheese production, and the practice of coloring cheese. How did Neal’s Yard Dairy revive the British cheesemaking? Learn more about the role of distributors in the cheese business, and how they help to popularize small producers. Tune in to find out more about Kate’s work with American cheese, including a delicious cheese accident that occured during her time at Cowgirl Creamery! This episode has been sponsored by Susty Party. “Farmhouse cheeses were increasingly on the back burner [after the industrialization of food]. The methods of production and efficiency for cheap food were eclipsing flavor.” [5:36] “A lot of the attention understandably gets put on the producers… You can be making the best cheese in the world, but unless you have the other links in the chain in place i.e. the retailers who are going to act as the translator to the consumer- all of these things have to me in alignment in order for it all to work.” [23:14] — Kate Arding on Cutting the Curd

October is American Cheese Month! On this week’s episode of Cutting the Curd, Anne Saxelby and Sophie Slesinger are talking about the newly inaugurated American Cheese Month, and what it means for artisanal cheese enthusiasts. Learn how you can get discounted farmhouse cheeses with the American Cheese Month’s Passport Program! Later, Anne and Sophie call up Christine Hyatt of Cheese-Chick.com! Tune in to hear how Christine’s time at the American Cheese Society inspired her to help found American Cheese Month. Christine also share some of her current exploits as a Cheese Chick; hear about Christine’s cheese media adventures in Oregon! You don’t want to miss out on what American Cheese Month has to offer, so check out this episode of Cutting the Curd! This episode has been brought to you by Hearst Ranch. “The people who understand and love craft are really an ideal customer for artisan cheese.” 8:40 — Christine Hyatt on Cutting the Curd

This week on Cutting the Curd, Anne Saxelby and Sophie Slesinger are in the studio with two cheese professionals Marwen Amor of Fromagerie Catin in Paris and Sue Sturman of the American Cheese Society’s Cheese Professional Certification Program. Tune in to hear about Marwen’s beginnings in the cheese business, studying dairy sciences, the state of cheesemongering amongst the French youth, and his thoughts on American cheeses. Hear about his company, Saveurs de Laits, and its place in the cheese world. This program has been brought to you by Whole Foods. “If I could say [what sets Fromagerie Catin apart] in one word, it would be passion. They love cheese and they have the desire to teach the customers how to eat the cheese and what to eat it with.” “Young people in Paris prefer to work in banks, social services, things like that. You can say that it’s a job that’s disappearing. But there are enough people in the new generations to keep the traditions going.” — Marwen Amor on Cutting the Curd

This week Cutting the Curd talks cheese and standardization. Anne is joined by Susan Sturman of the American Cheese Society to discuss their new upcoming cheesemonger certification program that will be rolled out at the next ACS conference. Tune in to learn about how you can apply and what the requirements are. Don’t worry, even those with the wackiest cheese resume’s can still apply as Anne and Sue find out. This episode is sponsored by Hearst Ranch.

This week on Cutting the Curd its all about cheese and media. First to join Anne and Sophie is Christine Hyatt, current President of the American Cheese Society , who is using video and her site Cheese Chick TV to bring awareness to artisan and DIY cheesemaking. Later, tune in to hear from Will Fertman of Culture Magazine who tells us about using social media to spread the word on cheese, even to find people with the best cheese tattoos. This episode was sponsored by Whole Foods Market.

This week on Cutting The Curd, Anne and guest co-host Nicole Slaven talk with Tia Keenan, who is at the American Cheese Society’s Annual meeting

Cheese Torta with Apricot ChutneyThe simpler the recipe the more important the quality of the ingredients is. This cheese torta is a perfect example. Simple, easy to prepare, and so tasty. Mari Rossi invited me to try this recipe in her kitchen at B & R Farms. Jim and Mari Rossi and their son Scott run this apricot ranch in Hollister, where they grow the Queen of Apricots, the Blenheim. Using recipes from Jim's mother Elsie and recipes developed by Mari, their products all use dried apricots from their farm. To make the cheese torta, we combined 8 ounces of Fromage Blanc and 2 cups of grated Goat Milk Cheddar. Cowgirl Creamery makes a number of fresh cheeses, including Fromage Blanc, Crème Fraiche and Clabbered Cottage Cheese, all of them award-winners from the American Cheese Society. (We use the Crème Fraiche in the recipe for Dried Fruit in Vanilla Wine Syrup.) Fromage Blanc is sort of a French version of cream cheese, only richer and yummier. The goats at Redwood Hill Farms are happy goats, and the cheese is wonderful as a result, a fact that is attested to by the numerous awards the farm has won. All the cheeses are made on the farm with milk from their own herd of goats. There is a cheese for every occasion (and every wine pairing): fresh chevre, the Camembert-style Camellia, earthy and robust California Crottin, raw milk Gravenstein Gold cider washed and aged, feta, cheddar and smoked cheddar. As Mari added the grated goat milk cheddar from Redwood Hill Farms to the Cowgirl Creamery Fromage Blanc, she was watching the consistency of the torta. She chose to add not quite the full 2 cups of cheddar. It's a matter of personal preference, and it helps to keep in mind that a little bit of liquid is still to be added. The ingredients to add to the torta mixture were a dash of hot pepper sauce, two tablespoons of dry sherry, three to four minced green onions, a quarter teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of curry powder. That's it! The torta was shaped on a plate, any shape will do. And it was topped with the B & R Farms Dried Apricot Chutney. Mari made sure that it was well covered, so that every single bite would have both cheese and chutney! To serve the torta, we used heart-shaped Lahvosh crackers. It makes a pretty presentation and a tasty backdrop to the cheese torta. Valley Lahvosh also makes round crackers and star-shaped crackers (nice at the holidays). Since we had opened a bottle of very good dry sherry to make the recipe, we had a little glass of that with the finished torta. Marvelous! It would also be nice with a dry Riesling or Gewürztraminer. A Sauvignon Blanc or off-dry rosé would pair well too.

Dried Fruit in Vanilla Wine SyrupIt's a good sign when a recipe starts out with a full bottle of wine! And this recipe is an outstanding dessert. Looks beautiful, smells wonderful and tastes fantastic. For this recipe you need a bottle of Riesling. Put the whole bottle into a saucepan, and add 2/3 cup of Vanilla Agave Syrup and one cinnamon stick. Simmer the syrup for 20 minutes, so that the cinnamon can infuse the syrup. Add about 1 packed cup dried apricots and about a dozen Valley Fig Growers' Calimyrna Figs, with the stems removed. Simmer the fruit in the syrup another 25 minutes until the fruit gets nice and plump. Of course, the apricots and figs are great on their own, so be sure to buy extra just to eat by themselves. B & R Farms' California Blenheim Apricots are in a class by themselves. Nothing at all like "ordinary" dried apricots. And if you haven't ever tasted a Calimyrna fig, it's a totally different color, taste and texture from the more common mission fig. They are bigger, a nutty brown, and even have a nutty flavor, not as sweet as mission figs, You can shop online for both B & R Farms apricots and Valley Fig Growers figs. Also, you can visit the B & R Farms store at their ranch in Hollister, east of Monterey. After the fruit has plumped up, remove it from the syrup, discard the cinnamon stick, and simmer the syrup another 25 minutes to reduce it to about 2 cups. You want to keep an eye on this. It may not look like anything is happening for a while, and then suddenly, the syrup will start to thicken. It becomes a gorgeous golden brown, and as Mari Rossi says, "Wow! The color and the aroma are absolutely divine!" Pour the syrup over the fruit and add the topping of your choice. Mari decided to top hers with 231 Not Found Organic Vanilla Yogurt (we also had the Wallaby Organic Plain Yogurt), and I chose the Cowgirl Creamery Crème Fraiche. Wallaby Organic Yogurt is so smooth and incredibly creamy. They make unusual flavors in both low fat and non-fat, and you won't miss the fat for one bite. Their Down Under flavors have lots of fruit topped with lowfat yogurt. To make the Cowgirl Creamery Crème Fraiche, organic cream is cooked at a very low temperature for hours. It thickens and develops a rich, sweet, slightly almond flavor. The American Cheese Society gave it a blue ribbon, and it's no wonder. We topped these fabulous creations with 273 Not Found Sliced Almond Delights. The very finely sliced almonds gave a delicious crunch to each bite. There really is a Maisie Jane, and she grows organic almonds in California's Sacramento Valley. If you're in Chico stop at her charming store for Maisie's own products as well as other local goodies. Try a Moscato or Sauterne wine with this dessert.