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Why is Wisconsin Cheddar Orange?

There’s no law that says Wisconsin cheddar has to be orange, but much of it is. While most cheddars coming from Vermont and New York are white, the majority of Wisconsin cheddar is colored. Why? No one knows for sure, but two prevailing theories suggest it’s all about marketing.
First of all, what makes cheddar orange? All cheese is naturally white, or off white, or even a golden yellow, depending on the type of milk used. But you’ll never find a cow that gives orange milk. The color instead comes from the flavorless Annatto seed, which gives Wisconsin cheddar that pumpkin orange hue.
Sid Cook, fourth-generation owner of Carr Valley Cheese in LaValle, Wis., believes the state’s cheddars were tinted orange as far back as the late 1800s. In the early days of Wisconsin cheesemaking, cows dined on carotene-rich pasture, and their milk naturally produced a cheese with a rich golden color. Gradually, some dairies moved their cows off pasture and onto dry feed, with the resulting milk yielding paler cheese. Because consumers already associated the gold color with quality, cheesemakers used Annatto to bring back the color.
Another theory holds that Wisconsin cheesemakers wanted to differentiate their cheddars from those coming from New York, so they used Annatto seed and turned their cheddars orange, using it as their own claim to fame and capturing a portion of the market.
No matter the color – white, yellow or orange — Wisconsin cheddar rules. Today, a handful of the state’s cheesemakers are even turning back the clock and crafting Bandage Wrapped, or Cloth-Bound Cheddar, the way cheddar was made in England before the days of refrigeration. Two of my favorites:
  • Eagle Cave Reserve, made by Meister Cheese near Muscoda — crafted in 6.5 pound “mini” truckles, and aged 6-9 months, this new cheese on the market is one to watch.
  • Cave-Aged Bandage-Wrapped Cheddar by Willi Lehner, Bleu Mont Dairy, near Blue Mounds. A perennial favorite and award-winner. Can’t go wrong with this one.
Both of these cheddars are a natural whitish color and you can find both varieties at Fromagination in Madison. If you’re looking for a good aged cheddar, Wisconsin has the corner on that market — my favorites are:
  • 10-Year Cheddar, Hook’s Cheese in Mineral Point
  • 6-Year Cheddar by Widmer’s Cheese Cellars in Theresa
  • 4-Year Cheddar by Carr Valley Cheese in LaValle
All of these cheddars are orange and are widely available in specialty cheese shops. No matter the color, it’s hard to go wrong with Wisconsin cheddar.
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This Just In: Walmart to Save World

It’s getting harder to hate Walmart.


I’ve been trying for years. As a starving college student who really could have used their “Always Low Prices,” I refused to shop there because they didn’t provide decent benefits for their workers. In my late 20s, I boycotted it because every time the big box mammoth infiltrated a community, it seemed like a local downtown dried up. Lately, I’ve avoided their “Save Money, Live Better” philosophy because, well, because I’ve always avoided it. Plus, I thought I was living just fine without shopping at Walmart.

But then in March, writer Corby Kummer penned a thought-provoking article on why Walmart, and not Whole Foods, will save the farm and make America healthy. I remember thinking, “What the hell??” when I read the article, published in the March 2010 issue of The Atlantic, a publication one would not expect to find a pro-Walmart article. At the end, when Corby admitted if there were a Walmart closer to where he lived, he would probably shop there, my hatred began to soften.

And now today, the Mother of Top Fortune 500 companies has to go and announce this little gem: “Walmart unveils global sustainable agriculture goals: retailer will buy more from small and mid-sized farmers around the world; reduce food waste; and sustainably source key agricultural products.”

Ahhh, come on Walmart. I want to hate you, but now you’re going to save the world by helping small farmers earn more income for their products, reduce the environmental impact of farming, and strengthen local economies by providing customers around the world with long-term access to affordable, high-quality, fresh food?

Yeah, I copied that last part word for word from Wal-Mart’s press release, published on PR Newswire. It’s such a well-written and captivating press release, that even Yahoo Finance published it word-for-word, with no reaction from industry. Big sigh. Makes me wish I were still a reporter.

So, in case you’re wondering how Walmart is going to save the world, here’s a hint. The company has announced even its global markets have established country specific commitments. For example:
  • In India, Walmart will source 50 percent of its fresh produce through its Direct Farm Program;
  • In China, it will upgrade 15 percent of Direct Farm products from Green to Organic certified;
  • In Japan, Walmart will reduce in-store food waste by 35 percent and increase the number of produce farmers it sources from directly from 15,000 to 17,000;
  • In Canada, it will purchase 30 percent of the produce assortment locally on an annual basis.
Meanwhile, back home in the U.S., Walmart’s own Heritage Agriculture program, launched earlier this year and praised by some, but criticized by others, will help the company double the sale of locally grown food. Three of Walmart’s largest Heritage Agriculture programs are in the I-95 corridor along the East coast, the Delta region in the South and the Midwest. Sourcing examples include tomatoes, blueberries and broccoli in the I-95 corridor, peaches, cucumbers and strawberries in the Delta region and potatoes, onions and apples in the Midwest program.

The press release doesn’t mention cheese, but who knows? Maybe Walmart will start its own Super Duper Local America’s Dairyland Specialty Cheese Program Designed to Save the Dairy Industry and procure all of its cheese from Wisconsin. That would be cool. That might actually make me start shopping at Walmart. Until then, I’ll only believe the rhetoric when farmers tell me they see results instead of press releases.
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Goat Gas

Finally something to be excited about: more than 200 homes in my hometown of Belmont, Wis., are about to be powered by goat gas.

Yes, my father’s modest two-bedroom ranch will soon be electrified by methane gas created from goat cheese whey. I’m already envisioning the conversation possibilities the next time I visit. It’s going to be awesome.

Why goat gas? Because Montchevre-Betin, one of the largest goat cheese plants in the nation, is about to debut a new $3.5 million anaerobic digester in Belmont, population 914. The digester – the first one installed at a goat cheese factory in America — will break down whey and wastewater from the cheese plant to create methane gas, which will then be captured and sent to a generator and converted into electricity.
This is no small deal for southwestern Wisconsin. Montchevre is one of the largest employers in the area, employing about 150 people. Last year, it processed about 50 million pounds of goat milk from 300 dairy farms throughout Wisconsin, Iowa, southern Minnesota and Missouri into 8 million pounds of goat cheese. Company vice president and cheesemaker Jean Rossard says the market for goat cheese is only growing, and Montchevre will grow with it.
The digester project is adding 22,000 feet to the 90,000-square-foot-plant, which has undergone several additions and remodeling sessions since I lived there. Today, Montchevre is a respected goat cheese manufacturer with products in most supermarkets across the country. It makes everything from goat milk cheddar to feta to goat cheese logs. And now, it can add electricity to its list.
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Brilliant Marketing 101

The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board sent out their Fall issue of “What’s New from Wisconsin” this week, and on the front page is a new line of Seasonal Cheddars from Carr Valley.


Borrowing a concept from Otter Creek Organic Farm, which rolled out its own seasonal cheddars years ago, Carr Valley has brilliantly repackaged its different cheddars into seasonal selections. The labels are absolutely gorgeous and could open for their own art show. All of the cheeses are made in 23-pound wheels and sport different outside wax colors, depending on the season. Here’s the rundown:

Irish Valley Cheddar: Named for the valley where owner and Master Cheesemaker Sid Cook grew up, this cheddar is produced in the early spring. The label features lots of clover, which ties in with both the Irish theme and early spring grasses. It is a bandaged white Cheddar and dipped in vibrant green wax.

Field of Flowers Cheddar: I’m guessing here, but I think this may be the cheddar that Sid used to call Wildflower Cheddar. It tastes about the same, and the label matches the description: made with summer milk and floral notes. This is a bandaged yellow Cheddar and is dipped in bright red wax.

Autumn Harvest Cheddar: I haven’t been able to find this one at retail, but I’m wondering if it’s similar to the company’s Apple Smoked Cheddar, as the label says it’s smoked lightly with apple wood. Either way, sounds good.

Winter Solstice Cheddar: This Cheddar, as implied by the name, is made in the winter months when Wisconsin cows eat preserved hay. This one is a bandaged white Cheddar and dipped in brilliant blue wax. Hmmm … can you say Christmas gift??

As I was perusing Carr Valley’s website to check out more info about the cheeses, I stumbled upon another little brilliant marketing move: dipping Carr Valley cheeses in ivory wax and selling them as wedding cakes. They even provide several different ideas with “cheese” cakes topped with fruit, flowers and white lace. Almost makes me wish I was getting married again. Maybe my husband and I will have to renew our vows?
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Cheese & Sake

Ever paired a Japanese Sake with a Wisconsin Artisan Cheese? Yeah, me neither, but it sure sounds interesting, doesn’t it?

Sake, the oldest known spirit in the world, will make its debut this fall at the Second Annual Wisconsin Original Cheese Festival, where it will be paired with four of the state’s finest artisan cheeses in an exclusive tasting seminar.
While the festival’s seminars traditionally focus on Wisconsin cheesemakers, this year, one of the eight sessions will feature Barrie Lynn – The Cheese Impresario and cheese columnist for The Beverly Hills Times. Attendees will taste four different Wisconsin artisan cheeses and four artisanal, brewed sake drinks. Barrie Lynn says attendees should “prepare their palates for a unique ride down ‘The Cheese Highway.’”
Slated for Saturday, Nov. 6, the Wisconsin Artisan Cheese & Sake Pairing Seminar will start at 1:30 p.m. at the Monona Terrace in downtown Madison. Tickets are $40, sold only in advance, and are available online at www.wicheesefest.com.
Wisconsin artisan cheeses featured at the Artisan Cheese & Sake Pairing Seminar include:
• Marieke Fenugreek Gouda, an authentic Dutch Gouda made on a farmstead dairy near Thorp
• Aged Brick Spread, crafted by Widmer’s Cheese Cellars in Theresa
• Hook’s 10-Year Cheddar, a cheddar crafted and aged to perfection by Tony & Julie Hook in Mineral Point
• Carr Valley Airco, a hickory-smoked cheese made from sheep, goat and cow milk at Carr Valley Cheese
The four artisanal, premium sake drinks will be served cold in stemmed wine glasses. They say that sake is brewed like a beer, yet has legs like a wine and contains no sulfites or tannins. It is gluten free, as well as preservative free, and is often regarded to be the purest alcoholic beverage in the world. Japanese tradition says a person must never pour their own sake. So I’m guessing it will be poured for you at the seminar.
In addition to Saturday seminars, the three-day Annual Wisconsin Original Cheese Festival features Friday dairy tours and cheesemaker dinners, a Saturday Meet the Cheesemaker Gala, and a new Sunday Artisan Marketplace. Hosted by Wisconsin Cheese Originals, the festival is becoming a premier destination for cheese enthusiasts and specialty food buyers from across the country, who attend to discover and buy new Wisconsin artisanal cheeses.
Hope to see you there!
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Oliver’s Reserve

Some stories take longer than others to reach a happy ending. The story of Shepherd’s Ridge Creamery is one of those tales.


I first met Jeff & Vicki Simpkins four years ago, when they drove to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture in a snowstorm to discuss blueprints for a farmstead cheese factory they intended to build on their land near St. Croix Falls, Wis. They were both working in the medical field and had plans to retire, live off the land, milk some sheep and make some cheese.

Sounds idyllic, doesn’t it?

But, life has a way of throwing us curve balls, and through no fault of their own, the Simpkins hit a few snags in their grand plan. Today, however, I am ecstatic to report the Simpkins are milking 66 sheep with plans to expand to 100 next year, Vicky has earned her cheesemaker’s license, the farmstead creamery is built and up and running, the cheese aging cave is operational, and Shepherd’s Ridge Creamery is making cheese.

And not just any cheese, but an amazing sheep’s milk cheese called Oliver’s Reserve.

Named after Vicki’s grandfather, Oliver Olson, an award-winning Wisconsin cheesemaker who ran his own factory called Poplar Lake for years (her father was also a Wisconsin cheesemaker), Oliver’s Reserve is a sheep’s milk Asiago, crafted by Vicki in 10-pound wheels and aged for four months.

How did I come to taste this mythical cheese, a cheese four years in the making, you ask? It was handed to me today in an unmarked brown paper sack by a friend who discovered it at the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival in Jefferson over the weekend. A fellow cheese geek, she snagged a slice, put it in a ziploc baggie, put it in her fridge, and surprised me with it today at lunch.

I felt like I had just won the lottery. Even in non-pristine condition, this cheese is amazing. AMAZING. (Keep in mind that by the time I tried it, it had undergone several changes in temperature, a couple episodes of wrapping and re-wrapping and was not in what I would describe as stellar shape. But even through all that, this cheese was buttery, rich, nutty and boasted a fresh, clean finish. Complete keeper.

When I called Vicki tonight to rave about her cheese and encourage her to find a retail outlet (she has a few wheels that will be ready in 30 days), she sounded surprised. I guess after four years of learning to milk sheep, making different test batches of cheese, and tinkering with humidity levels in a self-built aging cave, she’s learned not to get her hopes up too high.

But Jeff and Vicki deserve to celebrate. Oliver’s Reserve is going to put Shepherd’s Ridge Creamery and another Wisconsin farmstead woman cheesemaker on the map. Just you wait and see.
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Chesemaker Pin-Up Calendar

I had to chuckle last week when a friend and colleague in Wisconsin agriculture sent me this email: “I just can’t believe this – either you actually KNOW what you are doing or you are always the recipient of an ongoing string of LUCK.”


While I like to think I know what I’m doing most of the time, let’s face it, I’m almost always lucky. That’s what happened last week when my 2011 Portrait of a Wisconsin Artisan Cheesemaker calendar went on sale three days after Andy Hatch’s Pleasant Ridge Reserve was named the best cheese in the country at the American Cheese Society.

One of the best new cheesemakers in Wisconsin, Andy is featured on the cover of the calendar, holding a half wheel of Pleasant Ridge Reserve. The shot was taken back in June when photographer Becca Dilley and I went on the road for a week to take photos of 12 different Wisconsin artisan cheesemakers. I decided on the cover shot in late July, and had the calendars printed in time to go on sale Sept. 1. Little did I know that Andy Hatch would be the best-known cheesemaker in the country by then.

Andy is by far not alone in some exceptional talent featured on what I like to call the first Wisconsin Cheesemaker Pin-Up Calendar. Others featured in iconic photos include:
  • January: Joe Widmer, Widmer’s Cheese Cellars, pictured making his famous Brick Cheese
  • February: Willi Lehner, Bleu Mont Dairy, looking distinguished in his self-built underground cave
  • March: Chris Roelli, Roelli Cheese, pictured with his Dunbarton Blue
  • April: Katie Hedrich, LaClare Farm, holding a baby goat (Katie won the 2010 Wisconsin Cheese Originals beginning cheesemaker scholarship).
  • May: Andy Hatch, Uplands Cheese, looking skyward with his Pleasant Ridge Reserve
  • June: Gerald Heimerl, Saxon Homestead Creamery, posing with his herd of dairy cows on his farm near Cleveland, Wis.
  • July: Diana Murphy, Dreamfarm, hanging out with her dairy goats
  • August: Brenda Jensen, Hidden Springs Creamery, trying not to laugh as her sheep nibble on her butt
  • September: Bruce Workman, Edelweiss Creamery, looking nonchalant with hundreds of his 180-pound wheels of Emmentaler cheese
  • October: Sid Cook, Carr Valley Cheese, posing in his LaValle cheese plant in his standard flannel plaid shirt
  • November: Myron Olson, Chalet Cheese Cooperative, washing Limburger
  • December: Gianni Toffolon, BelGioioso Cheese, holding a 70-pound wheel of American Grana
The calendar is on sale for $19.95 at www.WisconsinCheeseOriginals.com, as well as at a handful of select specialty outlets in Wisconsin, including Fromagination in Madison and Larry’s Market in Brown Deer. The calendar will also be for sale at the Second Annual Wisconsin Original Cheese Festival, November 5 – 7, at the Monona Terrace in Madison. Tickets for the festival go on sale to the public on Sept. 20.

A portion of all calendar proceeds will go toward Wisconsin Cheese Originals’ annual $2,500 Wisconsin Licensed Cheesemaker Scholarship, available to any state resident intending to pursue a cheesemaker license.

I think blogger Tami Parr, at the Pacific Northwest Cheese Project, says it best: “So enough of those boring chocolate lab puppy calendars, those ‘Waterfalls of the West’ calendars, those dreary tropical beach scenes. Think bigger for next year….think something you love….think cheese. I’m certain this is what you’re going to need to set a new tone going into 2011.”
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Pleasant Ridge Reserve Wins ACS

The streets of Seattle are singing the praises of Wisconsin cheesemakers tonight, as America’s Dairyland swept the 2010 American Cheese Society competition, winning nearly one-third of all awards, including the prestigious Best of Show prize.

Out of 1,462 total entries, Wisconsin cheesemakers scored 98 awards, including 29 firsts, 36 seconds and 33 third places. Cheesemakers from 225 companies in 34 U.S. states, Canada and Mexico were represented.

Taking the top prize of the night was Extra Aged Pleasant Ridge Reserve, made by Uplands Cheese in Dodgeville, Wis.. It is the third time Pleasant Ridge Reserve has won Best of Show at the American Cheese Society, winning previously in 2001 and 2005, and is the only cheese in the history of the competition to win the top prize three times.

The win is especially sweet for the company, as the winning cheese was made by Andy Hatch, who has acted as Uplands’ primary cheesemaker since 2007. The previous-winning Pleasant Ridges were crafted by company owner Mike Gingrich. Both Mike, his wife, Carol, and Andy were on hand tonight to accept the prize.

“It sure helps to hire a good cheesemaker,” joked Mike, putting his arm around Andy’s shoulders and giving him a squeeze. “This is an especially meaningful award – to have won this competition three times in 10 years is just amazing. I don’t know what to say.”

Andy Hatch was equally speechless. “Can you just make up something for me that sounds good? I’m not thinking straight,” he said, smiling. “Wow, what a night. It’s going to be a good night.”

The cheese that won the top prize was aged longer than most Pleasant Ridge Reserves on the market. Retailers were putting their order in tonight, as Mike says he’s got about 1,000 wheels of this particular cheese, and once they’re gone, they’re gone.

In addition to the Uplands crew, a host of Wisconsin cheesemakers swept the competition, including perennial favorite Sid Cook at Carr Valley Cheese in LaValle. Cook left the auditorium with a basket full of 18 ribbons. BelGioioso Cheese in Denmark, captured the second most ribbons for Wisconsin, with a total of 7 awards, and Sartori Foods in Plymouth took home six ribbons.

First place ribbons for Wisconsin cheesemakers went to:

• Arthur Schuman, Inc, Montfort: Montforte Gorgonzola Cheese
• BelGioioso Cheese, Denmark: Sharp Provolone Mandarino
• Bleu Mont Dairy, Blue Mounds: Lil Wils BIG Cheese
• Carr Valley Cheese, LaValle: Smoked Billy Blue, Fresh Marisa, Native Sheep
• Cesar’s Cheese, Random Lake: Oaxaca String Cheese
• DreamFarm, Cross Plains: Fresh Goat Cheese with Pesto
• Edelweiss Creamery, Monticello: Cellar Aged Grass Based Gouda, Grass Based Emmentaler
• Emmi-Roth Käse USA, Monroe: GranQueso
• Hidden Springs Creamery, Westby: Driftless Honey Lavender
• Holland’s Family Cheese, Thorp: Marieke Gouda Onion Garlic, Marieke Gouda Smoked
• Klondike Cheese, Monroe: Brick, Reduced Fat Feta
• Lactalis American Group, Belmont: 1 kg Brie
• Montchevre-Betin, Belmont: Chevre in Blue – Goat Milk Blue Cheese
• North Hendren Cooperative Dairy, Willard: Black River Caraway Blue
• Pine River Pre-Pack, Newton: Extra Sharp Cheddar Cold Pack Cheese Food
• Sartori Foods, Plymouth: Sartori Reserve BellaVitano Gold, Sartori Reserve Pastorale Blend, Sartori Asiago, Sartori Reserve Balsamic BellaVitano
• Saxon Homestead Creamery, Cleveland: Green Fields
• Uplands Cheese, Dodgeville: Extra Aged Pleasant Ridge Reserve, Ridge Reserve
• Widmer’s Cheese Cellars, Theresa: Traditional Colby, 8 Year Cheddar

In addition to landing the most first place awards, Wisconsin cheesemakers swept 11 categories, including: American Originals Brick Cheese; American Originals Colby; American Originals Made from Sheep’s Milk or Mixed Milk; Blue Mold Cheese Made from Cow’s Milk; Blue Mold Cheese Made from Goat’s Milk; Italian Type Cheeses Grating Types; Italian Type Cheeses Pasta Filata; Smoked Cheeses Made from Cow’s Milk; Fresh Sheep’s Milk Cheeses Flavor Added; Cheese Spreads Made from Cow’s Milk; and Aged Sheep’s Milk Cheeses.

Winning Second Place, Runner-Up Best in Show was Vermont Butter & Creamery for its Bonne Bouche. Taking Third Place, or Second Runner-Up Best in Show was Farms for City Kids Foundation in Vermont, for its Spring Brook Farm Tarentaise.

All in all, it was a very good night for Wisconsin. I’m off to celebrate. 🙂
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My Favorite Cheese People

It’s Friday at the American Cheese Society conference in Seattle. That means, like every year, it’s about the time I remember why I take a week out of my schedule, experience the transit from hell (whether it be by plane, train or automobile), and trek to an annual meeting of cheese geeks from across the continent.


Here’s the long and short of it: I come here because of the people. Just as I live in Wisconsin because it’s full of nice people (and great cheese), I go to ACS because it feels like coming home. Whether they be cheesemakers, cheese scientists, cheese nerds or cheese writers, some of my very favorite people on the planet (notwithstanding my beloved Wisconsin cheesemakers) gather every year at the American Cheese Society and inspire me to forge ahead another year in spreading the gospel that is American Artisanal Cheese.

So who are these happy shiny people? Here’s a sampling:

Daphne Zepos

Every couple of years at ACS, I work up the nerve to introduce myself and say how much I admire her work, and every time, she graciously assures me how nice it is to see me again. This year, she even asked for my card, which was an especially nice touch. But let’s face it, Daphne Zepos has no idea who I am. A mere cheese blogger does not register on the radar of a woman who owns her own cheese importing business in New York and who is regarded as one of the most outspoken and dynamic cheese advocates in the United States. This year, Daphne led an AMAZING 90-minute seminar at ACS, providing a vertical tasting of cow, goat and sheep dairy products, from fluid milk to yogurt, to fromage blanc to different-aged cheeses. This seminar alone was worth my entire trip, and Daphne Zepos is one of the reasons I’ll trek to ACS again next year.


Galen Musser

At 19 years old, Galen Musser is one of the best young cheesemakers in the United States. Last year, his Prairie Breeze pulled a giant coup, winning first at ACS in the All Milks Cheddar class, beating out the likes of Beecher’s Flagship Reserve. Galen is the lead cheesemaker at Milton Creamery in Iowa, founded in 2006 by his parents, Rufus and Jane Musser. I first met Rufus and Jane in 2003, when they, along with a van load of their Amish neighbors, all sporting matching unibrows – trekked to Madison to meet with Dan Carter, Norm Monsen and I as we were just starting the Dairy Business Innovation Center. Since then, they’ve built a highly successful creamery and now make cheddar cheese, colby and fresh curds. This year, Galen says he didn’t enter Prairie Breeze into the ACS conference. “We can’t keep up with the demand now,” he told me. “We don’t want to win again and get even more orders. We’re trying to keep our current customers happy.” I think that pretty much says it all.

Judy Schad
Judy is another cheese legend, of whom I usually admire from a distance, and again, occasionally work up the nerve to find an excuse to chat. This year, we were both on the Wednesday ACS bus tour of the Olympic Peninsula, and after sitting behind her for eight hours, I remembered why I like her so much. Judy is the founder of Capriole Farms in Greenville, Indiana and is the creator of such celebrated cheeses as Wabash Cannonball, Old Kentucky Tomme and Piper’s Pyramid. Confident, funny, vivacious, but never pretentious, Judy is a trip. She makes me laugh, she makes me think, but most of all, she makes me relaxed. Plus she continues to crank out awesome new cheeses like Juliana, named after a former intern who is now making cheese in England and selling it to Neal’s Yard Dairy. What’s not to like?

Kate Arding
A native of Britain, Kate is one of the most unassuming, yet highly-regarded cheese geeks in the world. She’s done everything from work as wholesale manager for Neal’s Yard Dairy in London, to help start Cowgirl Creamery in California. Since 2003, I’ve been lucky enough to work with her occasionally at the Dairy Business Innovation Center, where she helps small-scale cheesemakers develop and launch new cheeses. Her latest venture, of course, is as one of the Founders and Editors of Culture Magazine, showcasing the world of artisanal and farmstead cheese, and for which I’m lucky to write for. I only get to see Kate once or twice a year, but every time I see her, she gives me a big hug and kiss on the cheek, and visits with me until we’ve run out of things to catch up on. She’s not the type of person who’s always looking over your shoulder, scanning the room for someone more important. She genuinely cares about people, goes out of her way to help cheesemakers whenever she can, and has a huge heart. She’s a keeper.

Gordon Edgar

Two years ago, some dude named Gordon Edgar emailed me, asking if I was going to be at ACS because he was a fan of my blog and wanted to meet. Little did I know that Gordon was a force to be reckoned with, having worked as the cheese buyer at the Rainbow Cooperative Grocery in San Francisco for 15 years, and author of his own blog, Gordonzola. This year, he came out with a new book, Cheesemonger: A Life on the Wedge, which I picked up one morning to review for Culture, and didn’t put down until I finished it around noon. I’ve written before that Gordon is the Barbara Mandrell of the cheese counter, but he’s also the type of guy who welcomes and nurtures newcomers to the cheese industry, can laugh at himself (quite often and quite heartily), and who carries one of the most awesome bags I’ve ever seen in my life (pictured above). He’s cool, and his cool factor radiates across the room. He makes me want to laugh at myself more often (which as you know, is quite easy to do).

I could go on, but time is short and there is more cheese to eat. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s announcement of which Wisconsin cheesemakers take home blue ribbons, and of course, which North American cheesemaker wins Best in Show. I’ll be blogging live amidst 1,462 cheeses in Seattle’s Benoya Hall, where hundreds of people will eat themselves into cheese comas. Can’t wait.
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Sunburn in Seattle

Seattle is spoiling me. It must know I am a first-time visitor and is trying to lull me into moving here by giving me a sunburn in a city where the fashion-conscious have Gore-Tex jackets to match every outfit, introducing me to Tom Douglas’ delightful little crab cakes, and sweet-talking me into buying fresh, squeaky cheese curds for $11.95 a pound made smack-dab in the middle of the city at Beecher’s Handmade Cheese.

Apparently both the food and weather gods have rolled out the red carpet this week for the American Cheese Society, as the sun has been shining and the food has been flowing since I arrived on Monday.

Today was the first official day of ACS, and attendees celebrated by embarking on one of four different pre-conference tours of the lovely Pacific Northwest. A cozy busload of 50 people and I attempted to visit two creameries and two farms (alas we only made it to 1 cheese plant and 1 farm) as we spent most of our time waiting to board ferries, crossing bodies of water on ferries and waiting for barges on bodies of water to cross under bridges.

(The scenery may be beautiful, but I really have to question the sanity of the manager of Poulsbo’s Central Market when she told me, quite passionately, that her three-hour (one-way) commute every day from Seattle to work via car/ferry really IS worth it).

What WAS worth it was hanging out with fellow blogger Kirstin Jackson (that’s her pictured above, looking quite modelesque while braving the wind atop one of Washington’s famous ferries) and visiting tiny Mt. Townsend Creamery in Port Townsend, Wash. We got to see its one circular cheese vat in action and meet its two owners, Matt and Ryan. My favorite of their many cheeses is Trailhead, a 5-1/2 pound tomme aged for three months.
While Trailhead was originally made with local Jersey milk (sadly no longer available – the farm is now selling it all as fluid raw milk), Matt & Ryan had to convert to local Holstein milk four months ago and have just finally got the cheese back to where they want it. I never tasted Trailhead with Jersey milk, but I can tell you it’s pretty darn good right now as is. It carries a nice nutty flavor and catches your attention.

While Mt. Townsend was the highlight of today’s 8-hour bus ride, yesterday was one highlight after another. I started the morning with a Savor Seattle food tour of the fabulous Pike Place Market, and over the course of two hours, consumed the following:
  • Two hot, sugary and delicious Daily Dozen Donuts
  • One cup of MarketSpice “Seattle Blend” tea
  • Three different samples of amazing smoked salmon at Pike Place Fish (home to flying fish)
  • Two fresh bing cherries and a juicy nectarine at Frank’s Quality Produce
  • A cup of classic clam chowder at Pike Place Chowder
  • Five different dried cherries covered in various types of chocolate from Chukar Cherries
  • Flagship cheddar and a cup of amazing mac n’ cheese at Beecher’s
  • A beef & cheese piroshky at Piroshky-Piroshky
  • And a crab cake from Etta’s
Vowing never to eat again, we then went to Pike Place Pub, downed a plate of nachos and a couple of beers, and went on the Underground Tour in Pioneer Square. Seeing no ghosts and no rats, we ended the evening at the fabulous Calf and Kid, a new cheese shop on Capital Hill in Seattle owned by the charming Sheri LaVigne, where Gordon Edgar was doing a reading of his “Cheesemonger: A Life on the Wedge”.

Gordon was losing his voice and only read a couple of excerpts, but one was my favorite: the re-telling of buying his first, very over-ripe, very nasty Tallegio. The fabulous Sheana Davis of The Epicurean Connection was on hand as well, and brought along a half dozen of cheeses from California, along with what tasted like a very nice, un-nasty Tallegio. What a sweetie.

About 30 people gathered round and asked Gordon questions like: “I hate cheese. It makes me want to vomit. Which one would you recommend that won’t make me sick?” (Gordon, in his infinite wisdom and desire to sell books, deferred to cheese goddess Judy Creighton, who happened to be in the crowd, and she advised a creamy, buttery Havarti. Good call).

All in all, a couple of very pleasant days here in the Emerald City. I can only hope that the week will get even better, as close to 700 of my favorite cheesemakers, cheese enthusiasts and general cheese geeks gather to taste, learn and talk cheese. Let the cheese coma commence.