Cheese Guy on the TeeVee, Sigh.

Cheese Guy was on the television yesterday.
I think he was marvelous. Really, fantastic.
Yes, I know I am biased.
I get that privilege.
I heart my Cheese Guy. Others out there have told me they do the same. I don't mind at all.

CGG

I'm Gonna Be on the TV Again!

While attending the American Cheese Society Conference in Austin Texas, I was contacted by one of our local television stations to appear on a show I've been on three times previously.

I must say, I love appearing on this show because it's always six and a half minutes of good, clean cheese-related fun. And those six-plus minutes go by so fast you really don't have time to get nervous.

So, here I sit on a Wednesday morning not going frantically about my morning but, enjoying some good strong coffee that I brewed and have sorely missed for the last ten-plus days I've been out of town. Rarely do I get coffee as good as mine. Now let's take a look in the fridge to see if we have any aged Gruyere types or, a potent cheddar that would go so well with an equally potent cup of coffee!

(We only brought home about 35 lbs. of cheese in 31 different types!)

(Oh, and some butters too!)

So, if you're local to the Twin Cities you'll find me on "Twin Cities Live" today at 3:00 pm.

(If you're not local, then keep an eye out for the segment to be "streamed in perpetuity" on You Tube in the very near future!)

One more thing, I've been working on "Best Lists" for a website called BestCovery.com (Discover the Best of Everything, is their tagline) and have had one published concerning finding a good Brie variety.

Look for more of my Lists coming soon!

CG

The "Conference"

Greetings from Des Moines, IA.!

CGG and I are on our way home from yet another fabulous American Cheese Society Conference. This year found us in Austin, TX where I discovered that Shiner Bock has some serious appeal and the BBQ at Stubbs was pretty tasty.

All in all another great Conference. A little different in that this year, since I needed to be in Oklahoma City the weekend prior to the Conference, I arrived in Austin well in advance.

So, this year I volunteered in the "Competition and Judging" arena. For three days I spent 8-10 hours moving cheeses from one cooler to another, tempering prior to judgement and finally returning cheeses that had been judged to coolers awaiting their chance at glory.

On Wednesday the first-place winners from their respective categories were judged for the coveted "Best in Show" title. After that final round of judgement, the cheeses were handed off to the "Festival of Cheese" Committee Volunteers and they went to work.

The competition was over and we were done!

One of the things I learned last year when I was an Aesthetic Judge for the 2008 Conference was that it is incredibly difficult to know who won and not be able to tell anyone!

On Wednesday night, CGG and I were invited to dinner with the Faribault Dairy and Grafton group, (the ones responsible for "Duet", a Huntsman like cheese with a layer of St. Pete's Blue sandwiched between two slabs of Grafton Cheddar) and the "Atlas of American Cheese" author Jeff Roberts.

To sit there, amongst that group and not be able to tell them that their Duet had won first place and was up for "Best in Show" made me want to bust!

Incidentally, it was a blue produced by Rogue River Creamery that won "Best in Show." It can be a little difficult to find in the Twin Cities but it is a complex and truly delightful blue cheese.


Smooth and supple, wrapped with grape leaves that have been soaked in Oregon Pear Brandy giving it a slightly higher moisture content, making it just bit creamier than your average blue.

Go find some and savor the very best cheese made in the USA!

CG

Rogue River Creamery Wins Best in Show!

A gigantic congratulations to Rogue River Creamery on winning Best in Show at this year's American Cheese Society with their cheese Rogue River Blue.

Run, don't walk, to get this cheese. It's fantastic!

CGG

PS- A personal congrats to Jeff Jirik and Faribault Dairy on winning 1st place in their category with Duet, a layered marriage of Grafton Cheddar and St. Pete's Select. We heart you, Jeff!!!