Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Radio Live at the Wisconsin Art of Cheese Festival: Fortune Tellers, the Ultimate Grilled Cheese, and Cheddar Blue
Nov 4, 2025
Marika Penderman, an award-winning Gouda producer from a dairy farm, shares her fermentation secrets and triumphs in making aged Gouda. Chris Raleigh, a fourth-generation cheesemaker, introduces his innovative Dunbarton Blue, a cheddar-blue hybrid, emphasizing the importance of quality milk in small-scale production. Meanwhile, James Beard winner Tory Miller discusses his culinary journey, reveals how he bested Bobby Flay, and provides tips for the ultimate grilled cheese. The event also features cheeky cheese fortune telling and insights into Wisconsin's rich cheese-making culture.
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Wisconsin's Cheese Evolution
- Wisconsin shifted from wheat to dairy before statehood and evolved into a hub of innovative cheesemaking.
- Local heritage and experimentation produced unique American-original cheeses like Colby and Brick and modern specialty varieties.
Innovation Through Local Adaptation
- Wisconsin artisan cheesemakers innovate by adapting Old World styles to local terroir and techniques.
- Examples include Pleasant Ridge Reserve and Dunbarton Blue, which propelled Wisconsin onto the specialty-cheese map.
Fortunes Read In Cheese
- Jennifer Billock practices tiromancy, divining meaning from cheese surfaces much like reading tea leaves.
- She read Christopher Kimball's cheese, seeing an "M," a trident, and a dolphin and advised him to slow down on new pursuits.