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How Have You Celebrated American Cheese Month?
 As we near the end of American Cheese Month, let us know: how have you been celebrating? Send us photos of your events, and we'll share them in CheeseBytes and via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! If you're still looking to get involved in the celebration, there's still time! Here are a few ideas:
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Upcoming Cheese Events
Beverly Hills, CA
The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills celebrates American Cheese Month with a special in-house tasting event. The Beekman Boys, Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell, will be at The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills as part of their west coast book tour, sampling their Beekman Blaak 1802 Goat Cheese.
New York NY
End American Cheese month and say hello to our new classroom. Murray's is throwing the ultimate Halloween Party and Brooklyn Brewery will be in attendance serving up Scary Good Brews.
November 3, 2013
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Longmont, CO
Sample cheese and other artisan foods (unlimited samples with admission)!
November 10, 2013
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
St. Louis, MO
3rd Annual Fundraiser for the American Cheese Education Foundation! Cheese tastings, mozzarella stretching demo, meet the cheesemaker, and much more!
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A Classic Pairing: Cooking with Apples and Cheese
Around the country, markets are stocked with incredible varieties of local apples -- and we don't think you can find a more classic pairing than apples with cheese! If you need menu inspiration, look no further than these recipes for a seasonal meal:
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Happy Fall!
 With the leaves changing, the harvest occurring, and temperatures dropping across most of the country, we know the holidays can't be far in the distance. It also means it must be American Cheese Month (ACM).
From the looks of things, ACM is really catching on! From ACM Passports to tastings, to special menus to cheese tours, thanks to all who are helping to raise awareness (and consumption) of cheese produced in America. These efforts are well-timed to make it a big holiday season for our pride and joy! What have you been doing? Make sure to post on the American Cheese Month Facebook page and also use the hashtag #amcheesemonth.
'Tis the season for celebrating America's finest, as demonstrated by an amazing showing at the bi-annual Slow Food World Cheese Festival, where American producers brought 25% more cheese than 2011 and still sold out with almost two days left in the festival! Additionally, the American Artisan Cheese pairing program at the Franciacorta Wine Festival was a sell-out success, with Italians clamoring and asking "where can I BUY these great cheeses"? After a number of meetings with international cheese organizations and watching the crowd react to our members' creations, it is clear that America is taking a seat at the world cheese table, as it were. Watch this space for more information on these topics.
Having just returned from sunny California and the fall board and conference planning meetings, I can confidently predict that Sacramento is going to give our record-breaking conference in Madison a run for its money! In addition to its beauty and affordability, this city that calls itself the "Farm to Fork Capital" certainly appears to live up to its name. Make plans to join us next summer for a first-rate program in a region where dairy holds a prominent place in the hearts of locals. Big thanks to our 2014 co-chairs, Jill Giacomini Basch, Lynn Giacomini Stray, and Juliana Uruburu, plus the all-star conference planning team for their efforts. A true "dream team" from across America is...[continue reading]
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Trending
As American Cheese Month, October is a great time to reflect on the current state of American cheese. I am often asked about industry trends, but recently I was asked in an interview about American artisan cheese itself as a trend. I was surprised by the broadness, and underlying assumption, of the question. When asked about trends, I tend to mention buzz words that show industry growth and maturity -- affinage, consumer demand, popular cheese styles -- and generally that suffices. Everyone likes to feel they are on the cutting edge of a trend, so in a way, everyone colludes to create the aura of one. But trends are, by nature, transient. And while people like to be part of something "trendy," they don't want to be part of a flash-in-the-pan that might evaporate as quickly as it materialized. That is why I was surprised to be asked about our broader industry as a trend.
What I find so compelling about America's cheese industry is that, while the media may wish to tout it as trendy, it has a solid foundation and history. That which seems trendy is really just a rare combination: a newness of vision coupled with an adherence to and respect for strong traditions...[continue reading]
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Retail Discounts for ACS Members
ACS members enjoy discounts on great cheeses at participating retailers via the ACS Retail Discount Program! This program allows you to receive discounts of 10-20% simply by presenting a valid ACS membership card at check-out. Click the map below for a full list of participating retailers in the U.S. and Canada.
In addition, throughout the month of October, a number of retailers will offer special discounts of 20-40% off featured American cheeses through the American Cheese Month Passport Program. Please note: this program is independent from the ACS Retail Discount Program, and some of the participating retailers will differ. Click here for participating American Cheese Month Passport retailers.
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Retailer Profile: Star Provisions, Atlanta, GA
Offering an ACS Member Discount: 15% off cheese purchases
Star Provisions is a gourmet shop in Atlanta, GA that carries 125-150 cheeses at any time. Their selection is from around the world, with a focus on regional Southern cheese. Star Provisions also carries house-made cured meats, fresh meat and seafood, prepared meals, sandwiches, and cheese accompaniments like Roots & Branches Crackers, Gracious Gourmet Chutneys, Phickles Pickles, Little Figs Jams, and TruBee Honey.
 Cheesemonger Tim Gaddis, ACS CCP™, has really been enjoying Condors Ruin from Many Fold Farm in Chattahoochee Hills, GA lately. The cheese is a bloomy, ash-ripened sheep's milk pyramid that is dense, complex, and rich.
Star Provisions offers monthly cheese classes. They vary in theme from month to month, but usually include beer, wine, or spirit pairings.
On a cool, fall night, Gaddis recommends a Tartiflette. Star Provisions carries Reblochon, so you can make this hearty dish of potatoes, onions, bacon, and cheese.
Star Provisions
1198 Howell Mill Rd. NW
Atlanta, GA
(404) 365-0410 ext. 132
Hours: 10 AM - 10 PM daily
Learn more: www.starprovisions.com
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Featured Cheese: Rogue River Blue
By Marcella Wright, ACS Certified Cheese Professional
 It's fall and for blue cheese fans, that means it's Rogue River Blue time... I'll just say it at the top of this profile, David Gremmels and Cary Bryant are two of my favorite cheese friends; in fact, they are two of the most special, good people I know, admire and adore. But enough gushing about them... time to gush about their award-winning Rogue River Blue. This cheese has won Best of Show at the American Cheese Society Competition, 2009 and 2011; one of only two cheeses to become the Big Kahuna of American Cheeses multiple times (Uplands Cheese Co. for Pleasant Ridge Reserve being the other, winning three times). There's a reason for multiple wins; to quote my Mother, "It's luscious". And luscious, it is. Maybe not your typical cheese term, but it describes this cheese perfectly. David and Cary became owners of Rogue Creamery in 2002, after being chosen by the late, legendary Ig Vella to follow in his footsteps...[continue reading]
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Let the ACE Foundation Be Your Legacy
"Let ACE Foundation be your legacy" are the words with which I ended my appeal for the American Cheese Education (ACE) Foundation at the 2013 conference. What preceded that was a brief primer on what the ACE Foundation is now, and where we're hoping to take it. Now, as we happily make our way through American Cheese Month, I want to shine the spotlight on the ACE Foundation once again.
As the name of the Foundation intimates, its mission is to educate (click here to read the official mission statement). In particular, the ACE Foundation identifies areas within the cheese industry in which education, research, and ultimately sustainability of the industry is needed. The Foundation then funds some of the delivery methods of that education by way of conference scholarships, grant writing, research projects, and the like.
Most recently, the ACE Foundation approved a fund request by the Regulatory and Academic Committee to attend the November conference of the Dairy Practices Council with which they will be working on developing resource materials to address the regulatory and technical aspects of cheesemaking, as well as animal husbandry and milk harvesting practices. The resulting handbook will be invaluable to the ACS membership.
This is just one example of the work the Foundation is doing on behalf of ACS members. The sky's the limit, though, which is why I reach out to you now during American Cheese Month -- and well in advance of the onslaught of end-of-year appeals -- to ask you to consider making your tax-deductible donation to the ACE Foundation Ensure the growth and future of American cheese and yes: let the ACE Foundation be your legacy.
Laura Werlin
ACE Foundation President
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| An Interview with Jason Sobocinski
Jason Sobocinski has cheese on the brain. Perhaps it's due to growing up vegetarian, when he ate a lot of cheese as his source of protein. Or maybe it's because he really got into cheese while catering at Chestnut Fine Foods in New Haven, CT. Regardless, Jason's cheese-related projects keep growing and growing, making this chef and cheese expert a force to be reckoned with.
Jason is known as the owner and founder of Caseus Fromagerie Bistro in New Haven, CT, an award-winning restaurant/cheese shop now in its fifth year. He also hosts The Big Cheese on The Cooking Channel, a series devoted to all things cheese.
Jason also owns The Cheese Truck (in its third year), a food truck specializing in grilled cheese sandwiches; he recently opened Ordinary, a bar that serves cheese and charcuterie, with his brother, a manager from Caseus, and another restaurateur in the area; and he has partnered on Mystic Cheese Co., a venture with cheesemaker Brian Civitello. In addition, Jason has paired up with local pizza and beer bar BAR to bring specialty cheeses to great pizza. He says, "It's been a blast putting Rogue Smokey Blue on a Buffalo Chicken pizza or Bucheron with local heirloom tomatoes on a pie. People have been really digging it, too." And if that's not enough, Jason and his wife have 2-month old and 2-year old sons.
In between his myriad projects, Jason answered some of our questions on American cheese, cooking with cheese, and where the industry is headed.
- What is it that you love most about American cheeses? "The potential. The growth. The pioneering spirit. It's been really great watching over the past couple years as the American market has improved and grown and become more accessible...[continue reading]
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Connect to ACS
Stay connected to ACS no matter where you are! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter (@CheeseSociety), Tumblr, or
LinkedIn. Get the latest updates from the cheese community, connect with fellow cheesemakers, retailers and enthusiasts, and tell us what's happening in your world.
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