In the last of the Old School vs New School series, Greg Blais is joined by two talented cheesemongers – Emily Acosta of Eataly and Matt Rubiner of Rubiner’s Cheesemongers and Grocers. Hear them both explain how they found cheese as a career, what the world of cheese means to them and what makes a “real” cheesemonger. Find out how the cheese industry has changed over the years and what tools make learning the trade easier in 2014. This program was brought to you by Bonnie Plants . “We didn’t hav...
Jun 23, 2014•36 min•Ep. 180
This week on Cutting the Curd , Diane Stemple talks with Gianaclis Caldwell about her new book, The Small-Scale Dairy . Tune into this program to hear how writing this book reminded Gianaclis of the importance of food advocacy. Why is Gianaclis so inspired by the DIY spirit? Learn how some of the FDA’s proposed aging regulations could hurt some cheesemakers, and why artisan producers should define their own good manufacturing practices. Hear more about the farmstead cheesemaker short course that...
Jun 16, 2014•32 min•Ep. 179
Continuing in the old school/new school series, host Greg Blais hosts two sheeps milk cheesemakers on this week’s episode of Cutting the Curd. He chats with David Major of Vermont Shepherd and Veronica Pedraza of Meadowood Farms. They talk a bit about their work making cheese before jumping into a conversation on the new FDA ban on the use of wood for cheese aging. If that sounds crazy to you, you’re not alone as Greg and his guests wax poetic on the historic method of cheese aging and what it w...
Jun 10, 2014•31 min•Ep. 178
Goat milk cheesemakers love goat, there can never be enough cheesemakers and they all love each other. These are some of the positive takeaways from this week’s episode of Cutting the Curd , a continuation in the Old School vs. New School series hosted by Greg Blais. This week’s episode sees burgeoning cheesemaker Michael Lee of Twig Farm, a small goat dairy and cheese making business chatting with his more experienced counterpart Judy Schad of Capriole Goat Cheese. Hear them geek out on goats, ...
Jun 03, 2014•38 min•Ep. 177
What happens when you pit old school next to new school in the cheese world? Find out this week on a brand new episode of Cutting the Curd , as Greg Blais is joined by Jos Vulto of Vulto Creamery and Franklin Peluso, a third generation cheesemaker from California. Tune in to hear their stories and learn what it’s like in the life of a cheesemaker. From raw milk production to inspections – get some real life insight into what it’s like making cheese for a living. This program was sponsored by The...
May 26, 2014•35 min•Ep. 176
Tom Mylan knows his meat. The cult-hero, Executive Butcher and co-owner of The Meat Hook, a butcher shop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where he cuts, smokes and cures meat that is sourced from small, family-owned farms, is just about to release his first book, The Meat Hook Meat Book: Buy, Butcher, and Cook Your Way to Better Meat . On this week’s book review edition of Cutting the Curd , host Diane Stemple chats with Tom Mylan about the bookwriting process, his career as a butcher and his previous...
May 19, 2014•34 min•Ep. 175
Welcome to another episode of the best cheese radio show in the world, Cutting the Curd . This week – host Greg Blais is chatting with two movers and shakers in the world of cheese – Elena Santogade of Arethusa Farm & Dairy, and Lisa Hall of Saxon Creamery. Tune in and hear from both guests as they share their cheese stories. Elena explains what it’s like working with the award winning cows at Arethusa Farm & Dairy and why nothing can beat incredible milk. Later in the show, Lisa shares ...
May 12, 2014•35 min•Ep. 174
What’s the deal with mozzarella? Most people have a vague understanding of the popular cheese – but there’s more to it than you think. From burrata to stracciatella – this week’s episode of Cutting the Curd is dedicated to mozzarella. New host Greg Blais welcomes Rynn Caputo of Caputo Brothers Creamery and Patrick Molinari of Eatlay to chat about the pulled curd we all love so much. Find out what people get right — and wrong — about mozarella on another great episode of the world’s best cheese r...
May 05, 2014•31 min•Ep. 173
Ari Weinzweig knows how to run a good business. In fact, he wrote the book on running a good business — literally, and he’s this week’s guest on Cutting the Curd . From explanations of the “Twelve Natural Laws of Building a Great Business” to “Writing and Using Guiding Principles,” Zingerman’s co-founder Ari Weinzweig shares eighteen different “secrets” that will help you grow and run your business in his latest book A Lapsed Anarchists Approach to Managing Ourselves . The experiences are compil...
Apr 28, 2014•35 min•Ep. 172
What could be better than a cheese tour? For cheese enthusiasts – it’s worth every penny. On a travel themed episode of Cutting the Curd , Anne Saxelby and Greg Blais chat with Susan Sturman of Academie Opus Caseus and Chris George from Neal’s Yard Dairy. Learn about some cheese farm tours, cheese professional meetups and the place American cheese holds in the global cheese community. What happens when French cheesemakers meet up with American’s? What can cheese professionals learn from travel? ...
Apr 21, 2014•37 min•Ep. 171
It’s the Cheese Travel Show on Cutting the Curd! Tune in and hear from Elph Morgan at the Zingerman’s Food Tour and Rynn Caputo from Caputo Brothers Creamery. From Italy to the Midwest, find out what goes into making a great cheese travel experience and why cheese makes for such an interesting destination theme. This program was sponsored by Bonnie Plants There are three things we look for when designing tours, great product, good communication and an inviting physical space” [05:00] –Elph Morga...
Apr 07, 2014•24 min•Ep. 170
This week on Cutting the Curd, Diane interviews Tenaya Darlington, author of DiBruno’s House of Cheese. Tenaya talks about her writing and processes, as well as how she came up with 170 great cheeses to include in the book. This program has been sponsored by Consider Bardwell Farm . Today’s music provided by The California Honeydrops . Image from DiBruno Bros. “We liked the idea of giving 1 line of personality to the cheeses, so that if you were standing around looking at this book, you could vi...
Mar 31, 2014•29 min•Ep. 169
What does it look like when a small business scales up in the cheese world? This week’s episode of Cutting the Curd answers that question, as host Anne Saxleby is joined by two guests who are in the middle of that process right now. First, hear from Kari Skibbie, Sales Director of Holland’s Family Cheese and later in the show hear from Chris Roelli, Cheesemaker for Roelli Cheese Haus. Learn about everything from the cheesemaking process to small business management and get insight into what it’s...
Mar 24, 2014•34 min•Ep. 168
The cheese world is changing! Certain certification programs are evolving and there are more options than ever for aspiring cheesemongers looking to learn about the industry. With that, comes controversy. On this week’s episode of Cutting the Curd , Anne Saxelby chats with cheesemonger Greg Blais of Eataly about certification programs, their effectiveness and relevance in today’s ever-changing world of curd. They also discuss the affinage debate and the general state of cheese in America today. ...
Mar 17, 2014•32 min•Ep. 167
We’re profiling some Cheesy Kickstarters this week on Cutting the Curd ! Tune in as Anne Saxleby chats with Rynn Caputo about her successful Kickstarter campaign for Caupto Brothers Creamery. The Caputo Brothers Creamery’s successful Kickstarter campaign helped them start an initiative to deliver their mozzarella curd to people’s homes. This program has been sponsored by Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art1...
Mar 10, 2014•26 min•Ep. 166
What’s better than beer & cheese? This week on Cutting the Curd, Anne Saxelby invites Jimmy Carbone, host of Beer Sessions Radio and Greg Blais, cheesemonger at Eataly for an on-air beer and cheese pairing and discussion! Tune in and learn how grains play into both cheese and beer – and what pairings work best. Tune in for this virtual tasting and conversation about terroir, provence and ingredients as they relate to beer and cheese. This program was sponsored by Wisconsin Milk Marketing Boa...
Mar 03, 2014•6 min•Ep. 165
This week on Cutting the Curd, host Diane Stemple interviews Janet Fletcher, food writer from Napa Valley and author of Cheese and Beer . Janet writes a weekly column in the San Francisco Chronicle where she reviews cheeses, and gives a beer or wine pairing suggestion at the end. Tune in to hear Janet’s thoughts on combining beer & cheese! This program has been sponsored by Wisconson Milk Marketing Board . Today’s music provided by Snowmine . Image from Janet Fletcher “I definitely think it’...
Feb 24, 2014•32 min•Ep. 164
This week’s episode of Cutting the Curd focuses on New Jersey family businesses. Hear from Bob Sickles of Sickles Market, a multi-generational family business. Since 1908, Sickles Market has become a favorite destination for the best produce, plants, gourmet foods, garden accessories, and gifts at the New Jersey Shore. Later in the show, hear from Andrea Carbine, Owner and Founder of Local Roots Cranford Community of Businesses. Find out how she manages to divide her time between A Toute Heure, ...
Feb 17, 2014•39 min•Ep. 163
The results are in! This year’s Cheesemonger Invitational in San Francisco was a huge success and a winner was crowned – Perry Soulos! Tune in and hear from both Perry and the organizer of the wildly successful event – Adam Moskowitz. Hear how cheesemongers faced off, what plans are in store for the event in the future and what’s going on generally in the world of cheesemongers today! This program was sponsored by The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board . “The Cheesemonger Invitational like a fourtee...
Feb 10, 2014•34 min•Ep. 162
On this edition of the Cutting the Curd Book Review, Diane Stemple chats with Tami Parr, author of Pacific Northwest Cheese: A History about, well… the history of cheese in the Pacific Northwest! Learn about the research that was involved with writing the book, and how Tami had to dig through the archives of the Library of Congress to discover some of the West’s oldest cheesemakers! Learn how milk shortages affected cheesemakers, and why competition for milk was fierce in the earliest days of Or...
Jan 27, 2014•32 min•Ep. 161
It’s the holiday season, and many folks are wondering, “What’s the best cheese to bring to a family gathering?” Anne Saxelby is joined by two guests who can help you make the right cheese decision: Andy Hatch of Uplands Cheese and Matt Rubiner of Rubiner’s Cheesemongers and Grocers! Tune in to hear Andy Hatch talk about the processes involved with making Rush Creek Reserve- the perfect holiday cheese! How does Uplands Cheese use spruce bark to flavor Rush Creek Reserve, and how often is the chee...
Dec 09, 2013•34 min•Ep. 160
On this edition of the Cutting the Curd Book Review, Diane Stemple talks with Sue Conley, co-author of Cowgirl Creamery Cooks . Sue, along with her partner Peggy Smith, were artisan cheese innovators with the establishment of the Cowgirl Creamery in Marin County, California. Tune in to hear how the Cowgirls combined recipes with cheese know-how in order to create an encompassing cheese guide. Tune in to learn how to arrange cheese plates according to region, variety, and beyond! Hear how Cowgirl...
Dec 02, 2013•33 min•Ep. 159
Want to learn how to make cheese? Live in Brooklyn? Why haven’t you been to the Brooklyn Kitchen yet!? Learn all about New York City’s original “small box cooking store” and their educational programs on this weeks episode of Cutting the Curd. Anne is joined by Brooklyn Kitchen’s ÂDirector of Education, Michelle Warner, who shares her personal story and gives some insight into the programs at Brooklyn Kitchen! This program has been sponsored by Cain Vineyard & Winery . “People always walk a...
Nov 25, 2013•31 min•Ep. 158
What is affinage? Simply put, it’s the art of ripening cheese. However, as you’ll learn on this episode of Cutting the Curd, it’s a complicated art that is as challenging as it is rewarding. Hear from Susan Sturman, of the Academie Opus Caseus, a school for cheese professionals in France with a program in English for anglophone cheese professionals worldwide as she explains the school’s programs in affinage. Later in the show, affinage expert ÂLaini Fondilier of Lazy Lady Farm joins in and cont...
Nov 18, 2013•32 min•Ep. 157
Kirstin Jackson focuses on American cheese in her new book, It’s Not Your, It’s Brie: Unwrapping America’s Unique Culture of Cheese ! On this edition of Cutting the Curd ‘s book review, guest host Diane Stemple talks with Kirstin about her first book, and the research and stress that went along with writing. Hear how Kirstin learned about different inspirations for cheeses from farmers and cheesemakers! Find out why Kirstin works within a light-hearted aesthetic, and why she imposed such a tight...
Nov 04, 2013•32 min•Ep. 156
On this week’s special episode of Cutting the Curd, host Diane Stemple speaks with Gordon Edgar, author of Cheesemonger: A Life on the Wedge . Gordon Edgar is a cheesemonger based in San Francisco, California. He has been selling and working with cheese since 1994, at San Francisco’s largest grocery store. His latest book, Cheesemonger: A Life on the Wedge , is the highly readable story of Gordon’s unlikely career as a cheesemonger at San Francisco’s worker-owned Rainbow Grocery Cooperative. Wit...
Oct 25, 2013•35 min•Ep. 155
Take a trip to Florida on the latest episode of Cutting the Curd! For its “State of Cheese” series, Anne Saxelby takes the show to the south, chatting with Louise Kennedy Converse of Artisan Cheese Company in Florida and Kathleen Cotter of The Bloomy Rind in Nashville, TN and the Southern Cheese Festival. This program was sponsored by SPONSOR . “I wanted to create a place that I would love!” [11:00] Louside Kennedy Converse of Artisan Cheese Company See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privac...
Oct 11, 2013•29 min•Ep. 154
aHeirloom is an Etsy-born company that produces state shaped cutting boards. It’s proprietor, Amy Stringer-Mowat, is this week’s guest on Cutting the Curd with Anne Saxelby. Find out how she launched her business and what drove her to make cutting boards! This program was sponsored by Consider Bardwell . “I think it’s really important to stick to things you’re passionate about.” [26:00] –Amy Stringer-Mowat on Cutting the Curd See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy...
Oct 07, 2013•33 min•Ep. 153
Hannah Howard has been working in cheese in New York City since the age of seventeen. On this week’s episode of Cutting the Curd, Anne Saxelby sits down with Hannah to talk about her lifelong love of food, and how she became the Copywriting Director at Fairway Market. Hannah has worked with a wealth of cheese luminaries in New York City including Steve Jenkins, Brian Keyser, and max McCalman; what lessons has Hannah learned from this roster of cheese professionals? Hear how Hannah got involved w...
Sep 27, 2013•29 min•Ep. 152
This week on Cutting the Curd, Anne Saxelby talks with Janet Keller about the upcoming World Dairy Expo! 2013 marks the 47th annual World Dairy Expo located in Madison, Wisconsin. Learn more about the cow shows at the World Dairy Expo, and what a blue ribbon means for a specific breeder. Tune in to find out what seminars are available at the event, and how the Expo is pushing sustainable dairy production. What new technologies are gaining momentum in the dairy world? Find out how the influence o...
Sep 20, 2013•31 min•Ep. 151
