Cutting the Curd

In this inspiring episode, Joe checks in with CMI Masters Champions Courtney Johnson and Sam Rollins. Courtney and Sam will each individually represent Team USA in September 2023 at the Mondial Du Fromage in Tours, France, an elite biannual world champion cheese monger event. If either of them win, it would be a first for a USA cheesemonger! - GO team USA!

Photo courtesy of Kathryn M. Sheldon.

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cutting the Curd by becoming a member!

Cutting the Curd is Powered by Simplecast.

Sarah Simiele, owner of The Curd Nerd in Syracuse, NY has forged a path from Microbiology studies to cheese shop ownership with no signs of slowing down. A story about following your passion and taking risks that most recently culminated in being crowned the new CMI champion. Listen and get inspired!

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cutting the Curd by becoming a member!

Cutting the Curd is Powered by Simplecast.

We're doing things a little differently on this week's episode of Cutting the Curd. Our dear friend and former CTC host Diane Stemple is being recognized by the new world chapter of the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers for her work in the cheese industry. For decades, Diane promoted artisanal cheese makers form the US and abroad, first as a monger, then in sales, then as a brand ambassador, and of course as a co host of this podcast.

Diane’s niche was interviewing authors about their cheese-centric books. She stepped away from CTC about a year ago, and we want to take this opportunity to honor her as well, by throwing it way back to 2010 when she was a guest of Anne Saxelby on episode 10 of CTC. Their conversation recaps the decade in cheese (2000-2010), which was a big one for artisanal cheese. Diane and Anne held each other in high esteem, and were good friends who shared a passion for cheese. We really hope you enjoy this time capsule, and that you enjoy hearing Anne and Diane’s voices!

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cutting the Curd by becoming a member!

Cutting the Curd is Powered by Simplecast.

Today we welcome CJ Bienert to CTC for the first time! CJ & Kari Bienert are the owners of both the Cheese Shop of Des Moines and Cheese Bar of Des Moines. We discuss what it was like in 2011 to start up a cheese shop in their twenties and the upcoming ACS conference that will be held again this year in Des Moines.

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cutting the Curd by becoming a member!

Cutting the Curd is Powered by Simplecast.

In her latest book, "Spoiled: The Myth of Milk as Superfood," Anne Mendelson deconstructs the history of 'drinking milk' and the myths, scientific developments, and social constructs that have supported the growth of an industry, for better or worse.

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cutting the Curd by becoming a member!

Cutting the Curd is Powered by Simplecast.

Our guests are Oliver Ford and Britton Welsh, Director of Sales and President of Beehive Cheese respectively. We examine how they became B Corp certified and the advantages of being a B Corp company. Plus, we deep dive into of some of their greatest flavor origin stories, starting with their classic Barely Buzzed and now to their newest venture Red Butte Hatch Chile cheese.

Photo courtesy of Katie Schall.

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cutting the Curd by becoming a member!

Cutting the Curd is Powered by Simplecast.

On our latest episode, Joe chats with Trevor Warmedahl, the 2022 Daphne Zepos Teaching Endowment Award winner. Trevor is known as the "Milk_Trekker" by his popular instagram and YouTube handle where he is followed by thousands. Trevor is a real life nomadic herdsman, cheese maker, writer, and educator who has traveled to remote areas of the world studying different coagulation and rennet practices while embracing regenerative grazing and sustainable livestock practices. We catch up to hear what he's been up to and where's he's been lately - don't miss this inspirational session!

Photo courtesy of Alexander Pomper.

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cutting the Curd by becoming a member!

Cutting the Curd is Powered by Simplecast.

Marissa Mullen, founder of That Cheese Plate and creator of Cheese By Numbers, is back with us to celebrate her new book, That Cheese Plate Wants to Party. We get into the details of writing a second book, social media, book deals, and building a work life you love. We also dive into the book and talk cheese plates, cheese pairings, and cheese playlists!

Photo courtesy of Alyssa Greenberg.

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cutting the Curd by becoming a member!

Cutting the Curd is Powered by Simplecast.

We finally got a Pizza expert on Cutting the Curd! On this episode Cara and Joe interview Peter of HRN 's Pizza Quest about everything form best practices of cheese to the new wave dough movement hitting the Pizza crust domain. Plus, we review the philosophy of artisan Pizza and its similarities to cheesemongering. In the words of the great Michelangelo, Cowabunga!

Photo courtesy of Ron Manville.

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cutting the Curd by becoming a member!

Cutting the Curd is Powered by Simplecast.

Back in June 2014, almost a decade ago, our former CTC host Greg Blais chatted with Mike Lee of Twig Farm Vermont and Judy Schad of Capriole Goat Cheese Indiana to learn the differences between the two goat cheesemakers. Each farm milks the alpine breed of goat but has very different cheesemaking styles. Here we take a look at the thought provoking nuances between the two classic American artisanal producers.

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cutting the Curd by becoming a member!

Cutting the Curd is Powered by Simplecast.

Zach Berg and Will Werner met when they were ten years old in Michigan. After living in the Bay Area for a few years, they wrote a mission statement for a new food business, Mongers' Provisions, focused on supplying customers for a journey of Cultivation, Connection, and Passion. Now co-owners of two retail locations in Metro Detroit, Zach and Will join us to discuss beginnings, growth, and lessons learned.

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cutting the Curd by becoming a member!

Cutting the Curd is Powered by Simplecast.

In this episode, we catch up cheese monger extraordinaire Lassa Skinner about the many hair pin turns she has taken in her storied career as a cheese professional. Lassa is co-founder of Culture magazine, author of two books; 'Cheese for Dummies' and 'Cheese Boards to Share', and also is the mind behind Counter Culture events to help further cheesesmongers' education.

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cutting the Curd by becoming a member!

Cutting the Curd is Powered by Simplecast.

Cheeses are alive, and cheeses of all types are influenced by their environment. Once a cheese leaves the caves and enters the suppy chain, we need to do more than cross our fingers that it will make it to a customer in good condition. One of the responsibilites of cheesemongers is to continue to care for cheeses after they arrive to the store. In this episode, we speak with Jen Lopez from Forever Cheese and Catilin Adler from Bedford Cheese Shop in NYC to talk about Cheesemonger Education and ways they are working with cheesemongers nationally and in independent shops.

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cutting the Curd by becoming a member!

Cutting the Curd is Powered by Simplecast.

On today's episode, we discuss with buttermonger Sheana Davis the various butter types in available in the US, how compound butters can be made, and what makes them special. Plus, we look at the attributes of AOP French butters.

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cutting the Curd by becoming a member!

Cutting the Curd is Powered by Simplecast.

Meet Sean Hartwig, the specialty food manager at Zingerman's Deli. In this episode, Sean shares cheese tales about what he has seen and learned over his 14 years at the Zingerman's cheese counter. We discuss what servant leadership is, and what changes Zingerman's has made since 2020 that have improved work / life for the team and what makes things at Zingerman's Deli tick.

Photo courtesy of S. Carter.

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cutting the Curd by becoming a member!

Cutting the Curd is Powered by Simplecast.

On today’s episode we have Guillaume Dupin, Export Manager of Maison Agour based in the Basque country. He's on the program to help us learn more about the Basque gastronomic culture relating to worlds of Ossau Iraty, Petit Agour, and Bayonne Ham.

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cutting the Curd by becoming a member!

Cutting the Curd is Powered by Simplecast.

Molly Browne, Directory of Education at Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, joins us to discuss Cheese State University, a digital campus for people in the cheese industry to "deepen their knowledge, sharpen their skills, and build connections".

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cutting the Curd by becoming a member!

Cutting the Curd is Powered by Simplecast.

Some people know cheese and some people really know cheese. On today's episode we catch up with Alex Armstrong, Sensory Evaluator and Educator at Jasper Hill Farm. He is on the program today to help us understand what it means to be a sensory evaluator and how it can be useful for cheesemaking and sales.

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cutting the Curd by becoming a member!

Cutting the Curd is Powered by Simplecast.

Jasleen and Tarush Agarwal, first generation immigrants from India who met and married in California, could not find a Paneer that wasn't highly processed or tasted anything close to what they enjoyed growing up. So Jasleen started making her own. A couple of years later, they started Sach Foods to bring organic, high protein, great tasting Paneer to the US market. Tarush joins us for a conversation about the role this singular cheese plays in Indian cuisine and vegetarian diets, the experience of starting a food business, and the marketing approach to introduce Sach Paneer to American consumers.

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cutting the Curd by becoming a member!

Cutting the Curd is Powered by Simplecast.

A look into Lakin's Gorges Cheese with Allison Lakin, head cheesemaker and owner of East Forty Farm. She has been making cheese since the early 2000's and is now winning awards for her cheeses like Rockweed. Here we take a deep dive into what it means to be a Maine Cheesemaker and how studying anthropology can help you make better cheese.

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cutting the Curd by becoming a member!

Cutting the Curd is Powered by Simplecast.