This week on Cutting the Curd, Anne Saxelby and Sophie Slesinger sit and chat with Gabrielle Langholtz and Rachel Wharton, editor and deputy editor of Edible Manhattan, about The Dairy Issue. Hear their thoughts on the recent cheese revolution in the dining world and find out why everybodys got dairy on their minds these days. Find out why they love Steve Jenkins so much and what they have planned for their upcoming Good Dairy event. Also hear the incredible story of Milk Thistle Farm and Momofuku Milk Bar. This program was sponsored by, you guessed it, Fairway Market. Steve Jenkins is the gateway for all of us cheesemongers working now. --Anne Saxelby on Cutting the Curd

Anne Saxelby and Sophie Slesinger are joined by author Paul Kindstedt, whos latest book Cheese and Culture: A History of Cheese and its place in Western Civilization, explores the 11,000 year old history of cheese! Tune in to learn about everything from maritime trade, ancient pottery and religion as they relate to cheese on an especially historical episode of the best Cheese radio show in the world! This program was sponsored by Hearst Ranch. If cheese can help us understand the origin of civilization, it can help us learn who we are as a species. To think that cheese can help inform that process is extraordinary. --Author Paul Kindstedt on Cutting the Curd

This week Cutting The Curd sees another installment of its State of Cheese series and this time hosts Anne Saxelby and Sophie Slesinger are off to the Sooner State, a.k.a. Oklahoma. First they chat with Suzy Thompson and Steve Reynolds of Forward Foods about how they are bringing the gospel of good cheese and local dairy to the communities of Norman and Oklahoma City and how social media fits into their mission. Later on Matthew Burch of Oklahomas Urban Agrarian tells us about his unique position in his states food world as a local food distributor. Go behind the scenes and learn everything from how he uses bio diesel to run his delivery truck to how he plans his routes. This episode is sponsored by Fairway Market. I started working at a bank, and it just wasnt the ideal fit for me...The idea of opening our own business really appealed to me. --Suzy Thompson on Cutting The Curd I didnt come in with a PhD. in local food distribution just a passion. --Matthew Burch on Cutting The Curd

Do you love butter? Then this is the show for you. Tune in to this weeks episode of Cutting the Curd as Anne Saxelby and Sophie Slesinger chat with three incredible guests about the different sides of this dairy delight. First, hear from artist Jim Victor whos incredible butter sculptures have been featured recently at the Pennsylvania Farm Show. Next, food science expert Harold McGee chats about different types of butter and how you can make your own at home. Finally, Diane St Clair gives listeners some great details on her butter making and dairy farming. This program was sponsored by Cain Vineyard andamp; Winery. Theres sweet cream butter and cultured butter. They require different types of handling. All the cream no matter what needs to come from really good milk. Usually when people make butter in the kitchen, its by accident. Theyre usually trying to whip cream. Sadly the best indicator of quality in butter is probably price. --Harold McGee on Cutting the Curd

Upstate New York has become a hot bed for young farmers, organic dairy and delicious products. Tune in to this weeks episode of Cutting the Curd with Anne Saxelby and Sophie Slesinger as they sit down with Dean Sparks of NYFoods. NYFoods offers consumers quality organic dairy products with the goal of saving as many New York family farms as possible. They partner with both milk cooperatives and small family farms to offer the best in milk, eggs, cheese and butter. Learn about butterfat content, milk trains, distribution systems, logistics and the challenges facing small farms and processing facilities trying to get their product to your plate. Whether youre a dairy geek or an aspiring farmer you can learn something new to help you along your path on this episode! This program was sponsored by Whole Foods Market. Weve had a lot of conventional farmers come to us and ask how they can become organic, which is a blessing. Upstate New York is such a bastion for amazing food right now. Its not new to us, but its new to a lot of people. Our vision in 2012 is to get our logistics viable enough to get into bigger markers. Re imagining distribution systems shouldnt be so hard. My farm is 150 miles from here! --Dean Sparks of NYFoods on Cutting the Curd

Ever want to learn about cheese? Heres your chance! Tune into an educational episode of Cutting the Curd with Anne Saxelby and Sophie Slesinger as they chat with Max McCalman, Sasha Anderson and Daphne Zepos. Learn more about the various ways you can educate yourself and learn how to become a better taster such as cheese classes, seminars and plain old tastings. This program was sponsored by Whole Foods Market. The best way to learn about cheese is to put it in your mouth! --Max McCalman on Cutting the Curd Most of the talented young cheesemongers I know are also in a band, or involved in the art world somehow. Then there comes a time when they are no longer a drummer in a band, and have to think of more realistic alternatives to feed themselves. The Certified Cheese Professionalâ„¢ Exam personifies that moment. --Daphne Zepos on Cutting the Curd

The cheese community is one of the strongest in the food world and this week on Cutting the Curd, Anne Saxelby and Sophie Slesinger chat with matchmaker Robert Aguilera, US Account Manager of Fromagex (Cheese Making Products and Packaging Supplies). Robert talks about how his company helps provide milk producers and cheesemakers the tools necessary to create the delicious dairy products we depend on and explains what equipment is needed in the process. Lean more about cheese vats, molds, collaborative cheesemaking efforts and more! This episode was sponsored by Fairway Market. We all love fat and creaminess in cheese. A french cheese called Saint Agur is a great starter blue cheese. Wax paper is a good idea for white mold and washed rinds. --Robert Aguilera on Cutting the Curd

This week on Cutting the Curd, Anne Saxelby looks back on show highlights from 2011. Tune in to hear about how Small Cheese Occupied Big Food, the intersections between art and cheese, Blue Heron Farms heroic efforts in helping out dairy farmers in need after Texas wildfire and more. Later in the show, previous guests Kathleen Cotter of The Bloomy Rind and Lisa Seger of Blue Heron Farm call-in to share their thoughts and discuss the latest cheese news. This episode was sponsored by Cain Vineyard and Winery. [Were seeing] the trend of people caring about the food they eat and where it comes from. --Kathleen Cotter on Cutting The Curd

Sarah Kaufmann, aka The Cheese Lady, is this weeks guest on Cutting the Curd with Anne Saxelby and Sophie Slesinger. Learn about her massive cheese sculptures and the tradition of cheese carving. Sarah has contributed to the largest cheese sculpture in the world according to Guiness, and has also created dairy versions of everybody from Peyton Manning to James Beard! If youve ever wondered how to combine cheese and art, this episode is a must-listen. This episode was sponsored by Hearst Ranch.

This weeks episode of Cutting the Curd focuses on a single seasonal cheese: Rush Creek Reserve. First hear from cheesemaker Andy Hatch of Uplands Cheese Company, who explains how soft cheese can be aged and why its not as easy to do as youd think. Find out what a bark rind is and what makes Rush Creek Reserves flavor profile so unique. Later in the show, Cheese Impresario Barrie Lynn Kirch calls in to give some great drink pairings for this delicious cheese. This episode was sponsored by Whole Foods Market.