Even with cheese rock and rollers like Blackberry Farm, Looking Glass Creamery, and Sweet Grass Dairy, southern cheese still has to work its butt off to be taken seriously. I mean, tons in the south know of the region's dairy magic, and people in cheese nationwide talk about its beauty, but some folks- perhaps the same folks who think there's nothing more to California than the ocean, granola, and birkenstocks- need a little convincing. Introducing the Southern Artisan Cheese Festival.
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Let's start off with some straight talk. Goat cheese haters can be found anywhere. Except for the slightly less satisfied look on their face that comes from consuming the shorter amino acid chains that are in goat cheese, they look like you and I. They walk like you and I. They even sound like you and I.
Read MoreFor the first of a series I'm doing on wine and cheese pairing here on "It's Not You, it's Brie," we're going pink. The hue is partially inspired by a class I just taught on rosé and summer cheeses at the Cheese School of San Francisco and otherwise inspired by a general love of wines the color of salmon, Barbie logos, watermelon, nectarines and strawberry ice cream.
Read MoreWhat are some of the privileges of living on the east coast? Oh, Vermont. Being able to use "summer" as a verb without being looked at like you're a creep. Cobb Hill's Four Corners.
Read MoreI spent the last weeks of July and the first two weeks of August traveling around Vermont and Montreal. Vermont, to interview cheesemakers for my book, and Montreal, to eat massive amounts of foie gras and cheese, and you know, maybe hit up the ACS conference while I was in town. I had a blast. I met some new people, went on play dates with some old ones, and went to one ACS session where I tasted six different cheeses made by nuns or monks. And then I got tired.
Read MoreAre you ready sharpen your pencils to a dangerous point, fill your binder with white paper, and put on your new super hero backpack? Not in the mood? Yah, don't worry about it, places like The Cheese School of San Francisco pimp their own writing supplies. The Wonder Woman backpack is up to you (find two and I'll give you my mailing address).
Read MoreIn order to be as tasty as possible, cheese opens its arms wide to everyone. Don't matter where you're from, who's your daddy, what your name is, or if you're sweet and sugary or pickled and rambunctious. One of my latest favorite pairings? Yuzu marmalade and Alpine style cheese
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