Cutting the Curd

Cutting the Curd returns after a brief hiatus! This week, Anne Saxelby is joined in the studio by Diane Stemple of Jasper Hill Farm. Diane will be hosting Cutting the Curd while Anne is on maternity leave! Tune in to hear how Hurricane Sandy affected the cheese business in New York City. Bedford Cheese Shop, Saxelby Cheesemongers, and Murray’s Cheese are all located in Lower Manhattan and suffered because of the storm. Veronica Pedraza of Meadowood Farms calls in to talk about her experiences last year with Hurricane Irene in Vermont, and to talk about the Dairy Sheep Association of North America Symposium this year. What barriers do people face when starting a sheep dairy? Learn why people like sheep as a multi-purpose animal, but why sheep dairies are still suffering in the United States. This episode has been brought to you by Whole Foods. “If your parents have a cow dairy, and they’re struggling to find a way to make it viable, you can turn that into a cheese-making operation. But no one’s really inheriting sheep diary farms from their families. The infrastructure on farms that currently exist… a lot of the designs are meant for cows.” [14:00] — Veronica Pedraza on Cutting the Curd See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week’s episode of Cutting the Curd, Anne Saxelby and Sophie Slesinger are talking with author and cheesemaker Gianaclis Caldwell. In addition to running Pholia Farm, Gianaclis has written two cheese-themed books, The Farmstead Creamery Advisor and the recent Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking. Like Anne, Gianaclis comes from a studio art background; hear why Gianaclis left the art world to embrace cream and curd. Tune into listen to Gianaclis talk about what she learned from writing her books, and why it was important to filter and edit information to make her books pertinent to beginning cheesemakers. Cheesemaking isn’t necessarily a recipe – so many elements are interchangeable! Hear why cheesemaking can be so fragile, and learn some of Gianaclis’ tips for making reliable cheese. Learn more about the scale at Pholia Farm, as well as the types of cheeses that the farm produces. This program has been sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. “You can stay true to you art with cheese, but if you’re working with two dimensions or sculpture, you’re showing a part of your soul that many people might not be able to identify with.” — Gianaclis Caldwell on Cutting the Curd See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We’re talking cheese tools on this week’s installment of Cutting the Curd! Anne Saxelby and Sophie Slesinger talk with Kristy Hadeka and Sean Tice of Brooklyn Slate. Hear about how a graphic and fashion designer came to start a small company to plate cheese and serve beverages! Learn about the different processes that Kristy and Sean use to crack and extract slate. How did Kristy and Sean’s families react to the idea of Brooklyn Slate? Later, Anne and Sophie call Martijn Bos of Boska in Amsterdam. Hear about Martijn’s roots in the cheese world, and why he decided to build Boska into a company of cheese accessories. Hear about some of Martijn’s products, such as the Partyclette and the cheese curler. Learn how you can implement Boska’s tools into your cheesemaking and your kitchen! To wrap up the episode, Anne and Sophie share some of their favorite cheese accessories that they use in their homes and at Saxelby Cheesemongers! This episode has been brought to you by Hearst Ranch. “The thinner the slice, the better the taste, and the quicker the taste hits your palate.” — Martijn Bos on Cutting the Curd See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Anne Saxelby and Sophie Slesinger call up New York state dairy farmer Lorraine Lewendowsky for a report from the New York State Yogurt Summit. Lorraine is not only a dairy farmer, but an activist in the New York food community. Tune in to hear Lorraine talk about the percentage of yogurt that is made from large farms versus small farms. Learn about the environmental effects of New York state yogurt boom, and hear about some of the past trials that dairy farmers have had to face in the state. Learn about the importance of the food security in an import-heavy economy, and why New York state dairy farmers were prevented from organizing for collective bargaining rights. This episode has been sponsored by Hearst Ranch. “About 9% of all New York State milk goes into yogurt.” “If you’re going to incentivise the large farms, you should incentivise the smaller farms as well.” “I think the food movement should start incorporating the average farmer, not just the artisan farmer.” — Lorraine Lewendowsky on Cutting the Curd See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Cutting the Curd is back from summer vacation, and Anne Saxelby and Sophie Slesinger are reviewing some of the best cheese-focused events of the summer. Hear about the American Cheese Society Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina, and the new Certified Cheese Professional Exam. Learn about some of the best cheeses in-show from all across the country. Also, hear about the upcoming Washington County Cheese Tour in New York, and the Nutmegger Cheese and Wine Festival at Jones Family Farm in Shelton, Connecticut. Later, Anne and Sophie talk with Tressa Eaton, Editor for Tasting Table New York. Hear how Tressa’s varied background in the food world has given her not only experience, but a greater appreciation for food professionals. Hear Tressa talk about some of her favorite foodie events of the summer, and make sure to check out Tasting Table for more updates! This program has been brought to you by Hearst Ranch. “In my currrent work, I’m interviewing farmers, cheesemongers, vintners, chefs, and restauranteurs. Having had all of my experiences [in the food world], I have so much more respect for everyone in the business because I know how hard you have to work.” — Tressa Eaton on Cutting the Curd See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week’s Cutting the Curd, Anne Saxelby and Sophie Slesinger are traveling via the airwaves to Oregon! That’s right, this week’s episode is all about the state of cheese in Oregon. The Oregonian that Anne and Sophie are talking to is Sasha Davies, cheesemonger and author of The Guide to West Coast Cheese and The Cheesemaker’s apprentice. Anne, Sophie, and Sasha talk about how Portland is similar to Brooklyn in terms of artisanal food production; Portland’s got a huge population of homebrewers, picklers, and homemade cheesemakers! Sasha is also the creator of the website CheeseByHand.com, an enormous resource for cheeseheads all over the country! Also, Sasha recommends some of the best places to buy quality cheese in Portland. Later, Anne and Sophie call up Carine Goldin, an Oregon goat cheese producer. Hear why Carine’s space in Oregon is wonderful climate for raising goats and making cheese, and some of the gatherings for cheesemakers in the area. This episode has been sponsored by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “It’s a milder climate; it’s not so extreme. I really think that the terroir of the area is just ideal for producing really nice, quality cheese.” — Carine Goldin on Cutting the Curd See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today’s episode of Cutting the Curd, Anne Saxelby and Sophie Slesinger are remembering the life and work of cheesemonger, educator, writer, and chef Daphne Zepos. Anne and Sophie speak with two call-in guests for the occasion. Ari Weinzweig of Zingerman’s recalls Daphne’s passion and eloquence when it came to cheese. Ari also talks about some trips he took with Daphne in pursuit of good cheese, and her dedication to spreading the word about cheese and food education. Katherine Alford, currently of The Food Network, was Daphne’s teacher at Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School, better known as The Institute of Culinary Education. Listen in to hear Katherine reminisce about a trip to Daphne’s childhood home in Greece, where they watched shepherds milk goats and create cheese in the most traditional of ways. To contribute to Daphne’s cheese education vision, please visit Cheesefoundation.org and make a donation in Daphne Zepos’ memory. This program has been brought to you by Whole Foods. “There was this majestic, theatrical, intelligent, philosophical person who could wax eloquently about cheese, and nobody else really did it like that. She brought something special to a food world that was already changing for the better…she did a lot of work to teach about it so that it wasn’t just superficial prose.” — Ari Weinzweig on Cutting the Curd “Daphne understood place, the lives of the people that were making the cheese, and wanted to really celebrate that and share it with people in a way that was really unique.” — Katherine Alford on Cutting the Curd See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What’s the state of cheese in Arizona? On this week’s episode of Cutting the Curd, Anne Saxelby and Sophie Slesinger are talking with some cheese people from Arizona in the know! First up, we have Krista and Troy Daily from the Wedge and Bottle, a new cheese shop in Phoenix, Arizona. Find out what got Krista and Troy interested in cheese, as well as some of the local and imported cheese that they sell in their shop. What’s in store for Wedge and Bottle in terms of cheese education and tastings? Next, Anne and Sophie talk with Rhonda Crow from Crow’s Dairy in Buckeye, Arizona. Tune in to learn why Nubian goats thrive in the Arizona climate, and how goat dairies are growing throughout the state. Hear about some of Crow’s Dairy’s delicious treats, including goat milk gelato! This episode has been sponsored by Fairway Market. “It seems that everyone with five or more goats is trying to start a cheese dairy [in Arizona]. It has really boomed…there’s a lot of inquiry about staring a small dairy, and I think that’s just great.” — Rhonda Crow on Cutting the Curd See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.