An in depth look at the how’s and why’s behind the venerable Park Slope Food Coop. Ever wonder how much this trend-bucking store does in sales each week? Listen to find out! Elena chats with Yuri and Britt, who have worked at the coop for a collective 25 years.

Joe Salonia and Elena do a tasting on air (hint: the cheese is from Switzerland) and strategize on how to prevent one of the world’s oldest traditions from going extinct.

Show favorite Andy Hatch regales Elena in studio with tales of a recent sales trip to Australia. And, don't miss the buried lead: Andy sounds the alarm on the potential for a conglomerate-controlled cheese market in the not-too-distant American future. Fear not! We also discuss what those at each link in the supply chain can do to protect innovation and variety in artisan cheese, and the space for family-sized cheesemaking companies like Uplands Cheese Co.

On today's show Diane interviews Tia Keenan, New York City–based cook, cheese specialist, writer and activist. She is the author of The Art of the Cheese Plate: Pairings, Recipes, Style, Attitude (Rizzoli, 2016) and the forth-coming cookbook Melt, Stretch & Sizzle: The Art of Cooking Cheese (Rizzoli, fall 2018).

Self-proclaimed "cheese legend collector" Peter Gross shares some of his curd-related myths with Greg.

Retailing ain't easy, especially in New York City. Agatha and Clair of Belle Cheese chat with us about staying sane and having fun on the eve of the shop’s one-year anniversary in the DeKalb Market.

Nora Weiser, Executive Director of the American Cheese Society (ACS) and Bill Stephenson, Chair of the ACS Certification Committee chat about the new sensory evaluation TASTE test debuting at the ACS Conference this summer. From big picture industry impact to how on earth the logistics will work, Elena gets a sneak peek of what’s in store for the inaugural exam takers.

Carlos Yescas of the Oldways Cheese Coalition loops us in on the budding Russian cheese movement, the David vs. Goliath war being waged in Normandy and how you can be a part of Raw Milk Cheese Appreciation Day!

Elena chats with Tess McNamara about the twists and turns in her own cheese career. Tess and Elena talk about the specific challenges and financial realities women face in navigating careers in cheese and give a shoutout to Elena’s all-time shero, Madeleine Albright.

Newly published author Hannah Howard joins host Diane Stemple in the studio to talk about her just-released memoir Feast. From hostessing at Picholine to slinging cheese at Fairway, Hannah was already deep in the cheese scene as an undergrad at Columbia University. Her journey navigating NYC's often-brutal restaurant culture while also conquering her own food-related demons is a tale of bravery, passion and a commitment to pursuing what (and who!) you love.