Former MasterChef judge Joe Bastianich records a special episode of Cutting the Curd on location at Eataly New York. Tune in to hear Joe's take on cheese in his restaurants, cheese culture in the U.S. versus Italy, and why cheese is an essential part of his diet.

In this episode of Cutting the Curd, host Diane Stemple interviews Charles Wekselbaum, owner of Charlito's Cocina and author of "Cured: Handcrafted Charcuteria & More". In his book, Charles provides instructions for easily constructing your drying and fermentation chamber, putting together the perfect charcuterie board, pairing wines and beers with the finished product, and recipes to implement your favorite dry-cured ingredients.

In Cutting the Curd's annual episode with Jason Hinds – sales director Neal's Yard Dairy and co-founder of the Essex Street Cheese Co. – Greg and Jason discuss what makes an effective cheesemonger, the difference between tasks and work, and how to curate a cheese selection.

Did you know vegetable rennet – a milk coagulant derived from plants – was once used in areas of Italy when animal rennet was unavailable? Today, Fattorie Fiandino in Piedmont, Italy continues to produce a line of cheeses made with vegetable rennet traditional to their area. Tune in to learn about the process of making vegetable rennet and what makes this coagulant so special. Greg Blais hosts, with special guest co-host Michele Buster of Forever Cheese.

Pat Polowsky is a food scientist/cheesemonger living and working in Madison, Wisconsin. He's also the creator of CheeseScience.org - an amazing resource for cheese professionals and enthusiasts. Host Diane Stemple talks to Pat all about his website and career in cheese.

Cheese imports from Europe were up last year, and with that growth comes new challenges for importers. On this episode of Cutting the Curd, Greg speaks with Andrea Berti – Senior Product Manager at Atalanta Corporation and board member of the Cheese Importers Association of America – to learn more about this organization and the hot topics for cheese importers today.

Cascadia Creamery in Trout Lake, Washington produces beautiful raw milk cheese made with USDA certified organic milk. In this episode of Cutting the Curd, Marci and John Shuman discuss the history of cheese-making in this region, the differences in using A2 milk, and the challenges and benefits of going organic.

Anne Saxelby celebrates ten years in business at Saxelby Cheesemongers! A milestone for any small business, Anne's company has changed the landscape of artisan American cheese. Tune in to hear some of the highlights of the last ten years, in addition to reminiscing about her time as Cutting the Curd's full time host.

Cocktails and cheese... the perfect pairing? Madame Fromage (aka Tenaya Darlington) joins host Diane Stemple to talk about her new book – The New Cocktail Hour – and why cocktails and cheese share a perfect synergy.

Milk, cultures, rennet, salt, time, and.... cheese mites? Tune in to hear Debra Dickerson and Matthew Rubiner talk with host Greg Blais about these creepy critters, how to manage them as a cheesemaker or retailer, and why some cheeses need them.