Tonight’s the night! The winners in the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix will be announced at a Gala of Champions in Toronto this evening.
I’m aiming to provide a live news feed on Twitter starting soon after six o’clock and continuing until the Grand Champion is named.
The reason there’s so much excitement around here about the Grand Prix is that the winners will presented at The Great Canadian Cheese Festival upcoming on June 4-5. It will be the first opportunity for cheese lovers to taste the winning cheeses in one place at one time.
During the Artisan Cheese & Fine Food Fair on Festival Sunday (June 5), Deborah Levy of Dairy Farmers of Canada will lead a tutored tasting of the winners. They’ll also be featured the Cooks & Curds Cheese Gala on Festival Saturday (June 4).
A multi-day, multi-faceted event like The Great Canadian Cheese Festival relies on many volunteers to make it all happen.
We’re issuing a call to culinary students from nearby colleges and people in the community to join the effort. We’ll need a wide range of skills and experience: registration staff, parking attendants, servers, hosts, three cheese-prep teams for the tutored tastings, eight culinary teams to work with chefs, set-up and tear-down crews, groundskeepers and many others.
We need more than 50 worker bees but we’ll also need a handful of take-charge people to lead teams of volunteers.
It will be work and it will be fun—but you won’t go home empty-handed.
The range of benefits for volunteers includes colourful Cheese Festival T-shirts, admission to Festival functions and lunch on Saturday according to hours worked, admission to the Cheese Fair & Artisan Food Market on Sunday and the opportunity to taste more than 100 Canadian artisan and farmstead cheeses as well as sampling artisan food and, for those of the age of majority, fine wine and craft beer. PLUS: Discounted admission to the many attractions listed at Attractions Ontario.
If you have any questions about volunteering, please email info@cheesefestival.ca.
—Georgs Kolesnikovs
Georgs Kolesnikovs is founder and director of The Great Canadian Cheese Festival, the first time ever in Canada when there is one event that cheese lovers can attend to learn, talk, taste—and purchase—Canadian cheeses from coast to coast. More than 100 artisan and farmstead cheeses represented, made from Canadian cow, goat, sheep and buffalo milk.
Fifth Town: An award-winning creamery for award-winning cheese.
Although Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Company has been producing cheese for less than three years, it has built a solid reputation for producing fine, hand-made cheeses using fresh, locally produced goat, sheep and cow’s milk, as well as for a commitment to be environmentally and socially responsible.
Fifth Town has been the recipient of more than 20 awards since opening in July 2008, including several from the American Cheese Society.
You’ll find the sustainable facility in Ontario’s Prince Edward County, located on 20 acres of agricultural land overlooking the St. Lawrence River. To cool, heat and power the dairy processing, retail and educational facility, geo-thermal technology and two renewable sources of energy—wind and solar—are used. The advanced sustainable design won Fifth Town Platinum LEED accreditation in February 2009, making it the first dairy in North America to receive platinum status.
Petra Kassun-Mutch, founder and president of Fifth Town, and Stephanie Diamant, master cheesemaker, didn’t always make cheese.
Petra Kassun-Mutch left her career as a publishing executive in Toronto to pursue her passion for artisan cheesemaking, traveling and studying widely. When it was time build her creamery, she selected the County on account of family connections there and familiarity with the land and resources at hand. Paired with the County’s reputation for being an emerging culinary destination, it seemed a natural fit.
Stephanie Diamant, on the other hand, has a background in medical research and a degree in agriculture. She spent 10 years operating a dairy-sheep farm near Georgian Bay where she began making cheese in her small kitchen. From there, Stephanie decided to head for England where she travelled visiting dairy sheep farms, and completed an apprenticeship. In 2008, an opportunity presented itself and she joined Petra in her new venture.
Petra Kassun-Mutch amid goats that produce milk for Fifth Town.
Currently producing a variety of fresh, washed-rind, soft ripened, hard and limited edition cheeses, Fifth Town gets fresh milk from six local, environmentally conscious, partnering farms. Frozen milk or curd is never used in their cheese making, and the milk is hormone and antibiotic free. No modified milk ingredients are used.
“We are not receiving our milk from a co-op,” Kassun-Mutch explains. “We are actually picking it up ourselves. We go out each day to selected farms, bringing it (milk) back by 10:30 in the morning, and start to make cheese right away.”
Fifth Town’s fresh cheeses have a creamy, moist texture with no artificial additives. They include flavours like Garlic and Chives, Dill Weed and Lemon, and Lavender. The washed-rind varieties range from slightly salty, with complex aggressive flavours, to refined nutty, almost sweet lactic flavours. Washed-rind Cape Vessey is the top-selling cheese.
Lighthall Tomme, one of the hard varieties, was awarded first place in the Hard Aged Goat Cheese Category by the American Cheese Society in 2009. It offers a pleasant, light, almost nutty flavour, with a smooth, firm texture and a mild saltiness.
Last month, Fifth Town introduced County Quark, its newest cheese, in the retail shop at the creamery. County Quark is available in two flavours: Original and Maple. Quark is a type of fresh cheese made from cow’s milk, and is similar to cottage cheese. It is soft, white, unsalted and un-aged.
4309 County Road #8, Picton, Ontario K0K 2T0 Telephone 613.476.5755
About 20 minutes east of Picton, 8 minutes east of Waupoos Winery
Fifth Town cheese can be purchased year-round from the retail store in the plant and at Black River Cheese and Sobeys in Prince Edward County, as well as at more 50 other locations throughout Ontario.
A graduate of the post-graduate public relations program at Loyalist College, Colleen Vickers-Kleywegt is interning with the City of Quinte West. She loves to cook and bake and spend time with family, friends and her dog Bruiser.
Major Craig's great-great-grandson: Andrew Craig. Photo by Wayne Cuddington/Ottawa Citizen.
Have you ever had a favourite family recipe that your friends and family just couldn’t get enough of? That’s what happened to Andrew Craig of Ottawa with a chutney recipe that has a long family history.
For Christmas 2008, Andrew decided to gift his family and friends jars of the chutney they all loved and always asked for. He made three chutneys from the old family recipe called 1884 North India, Pomegranate Fig and a Date With Cranberry.
The gifts went over so well, he decided to put his 18 years in the food and beverage industry to good use. With the backing of his wife, and the urging from his father, Andrew named the chutneys after his great great-grandfather and put them on the market.
Major James Craig was a commissioned officer for the Indian Army in the late 1800s and worked for the East India Trading Company. While in India, he created the family favorite recipe which was handed down over the next 125 years on an old recipe card.
Major Craig’s Chutney is made with locally grown produce. With an ingredient list that includes apples, onions, cranberries, squash and hot peppers all grown in Ontario, it is a tasty addition to the menu of those committed to the 100-mile diet.
Major Craig’s Chutney can be purchased online from OGourmet. They are also available from more than 30 stores in the Ottawa area as well as selected shops in Toronto and other Ontario locations. The Frazer Café in Ottawa features the chutneys on its menu.
Last month, the chutneys received the 2011 LIVERight Award, a distinction by the Canadian Liver Association to recognize food products that are healthy for the liver.
Gloria Fletcher has completed a post-grad Public Relations program at Loyalist College and currently is interning at Campbellford Memorial Hospital Foundation. She blogs about PR and other matters at Fletchgirl’s Blog.
Steve Beauchesne with his father, Tim, at Beau’s All-Natural Brewing Company east of Ottawa.
The company logo says a great deal about the ethos of Beau’s All-Natural Brewing Company with the old-fashioned tractor symbolizing the hard work of Eastern Ontario’s farmers and the close family ties that strengthen their businesses.
Father and son team Tim and Steve Beauchesne founded Beau’s All-Natural Brewery on July 1, 2006. The family-run brewery also employs members of the immediate Beauchesne clan, in-laws, and close friends who have become like family.
When Tim and Steve started Beau’s, the pair had no professional background brewing beer; Tim ran a textile manufacturing company, while Steve worked for the provincial government. The idea of starting a family brewery was born over a pint in 2004. By 2006 Steve had moved home and the pair opened their craft brewery in Vankleek Hill, Ontario, an hour’s drive east of Ottawa.
“The idea of starting a brewery with my Dad just seemed like too much fun to pass up,” Steve admits.
The team noticed a void in the craft brewing business in Eastern Ontario, compared to the oversaturated Toronto-area market. They decided to brew a beer that reflected the Eastern Ontario geography and culture, because, as Tim said, “Eastern Ontario needs a beer to call its own.”
The Beauchesne’s secured Matt O’Hara as the Beau’s brewmaster. Matt has previously worked for Canadian beer makers McAuslan Brewing in Montreal and Upper Canada Brewing Company in Guelph, Ontario.
They focused on using local, natural ingredients to craft their suds. Their beers are made with certified organic malts and hops, and local spring water. There are no chemicals or fillers, and Beau’s beers are unpasteurized to ensure their flavour is pure.
“There are many, many reasons for this: supporting our community, stewardship of the environment, caring for the health of our customers,” Steve says. “But when it comes down it, for me, the most important reason is that I believe that organic ingredients make a superior beer.”
The Beau’s company also prides itself on being “totally D.I.Y.” – they brew, bottle, sell, market, and deliver their own products.
For the Beauchesne family, being a locally focused brewery means contributing to the community. Since April 2010, Beau’s All Natural Brewery has raised over $104,000 toward charitable works, community building, and independent arts, surpassing their goal of raising $100,000 in one year.
Beau's brewmaster Matt O'Hara. Photo by Pat McGrath, The Ottawa Citizen.
Beau’s All Natural Brewery began with a single beer, Lug Tread Lagered Ale, the company’s award winning, signature brew. In 2010, Lug Tread won Gold in the Kolsch category at the Canadian Brewing Awards. Along with Lug Tread, Beau’s also offers a line of seasonal beers and their Wild Oats line – an experimental, limited-release series geared toward true beer fanatics.
“The idea of drinking only one beer every day just seems wrong to me and so it also seemed wrong to only brew one,” Steve said.
The Beau’s collection features:
Lug Tread Lagered Ale: The signature Beau’s beer, and its most popular brew. Crisp and golden-coloured, Lug Tread is top fermented like an ale, then cold-aged like a lager. Lug Tread tastes of malt and hop with delicate fruit flavours.
Beaver River I.P.Eh?: This Spring seasonal offering is the Beau’s take on an India Pale Ale, combining European and North American brewing styles. It’s a hoppy, strong beer (at 5.5 per cent alc./vol.) tasting of citrus and earth.
Festivale Alt Beer: The Summer seasonal beer celebrates the Eastern Ontario festival season, and was first crafted for the Ottawa Jazz Festival. Alt is a German-style beer, and this interpretation is crisp and light tasting, with caramel flavours.
Night Marzen Oktoberfest Lager: Beau’s Fall beer, Night Marzen is a traditional harvest brew, with bready malt flavours and noticeable hops. It was created in 2008 to celebrate Oktoberfest and the Eastern Ontario harvest season.
Bog Water Gruit Ale: Bog Water, Beau’s Winter seasonal beverage, was inspired by the Alfred Bog, an Eastern Ontario landmark. The beer features a truly unique hop replacement: bog myrtle, an herb commonly used in brewing during the 16th century. Bog Water is a malty beer that tastes of an earthy bitterness with notes of plum.
Dan Sullivan: founder, viticulturalist and winemaker at Rosehall Vineyards. Photo by Rick VanSickle of Wines in Niagara.
In 2000, Dan Sullivan, his partner, Lynn Sullivan, and their brother-in-law Cam Reston, purchased a 150-acre farm in Hillier, Ontario, in the heart of what was then just the beginning of the Prince Edward County wine region.
The vineyard was planted in 2001, first harvest followed three years later, and in 2006, Rosehall Run Vineyards, named for the nearby hamlet of Rosehall, opened to the public with its first offerings. Since then, accolades and awards have followed, and Rosehall Run has become widely known—as much for its fine artisan wines as for the efforts of the Sullivans to raise the profile of the wine and local food communities.
Dan Sullivan is the vineyard manager, viticulturalist and winemaker, overseeing every facet of Rosehall Run’s operations.
Prior to founding Rosehall Run, Dan spent 15 years honing his craft as a home winemaker, being named Grand Master Winemaker by the provincial association. Since that time he has certainly upped his game, now producing 6,000 cases a year, yet he still maintains a hands-on approach to managing the vineyard. He monitors the weather and its effects and uses gentle, environmentally-sound grape farming techniques to extract optimum results from the unique Prince Edward County terroir, which is clay soil on a limestone base.
Planting of the vineyard began in 2001, with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay occupying the majority of the 23 acres now in production. In addition to using their estate grapes, fruit is also sourced from other Prince Edward County and Niagara region vineyards.
Great view of the vineyards from the tasting deck at Rosehall Run in Hillier. Photo by Rick VanSickle of Wines in Niagara.
Rosehall Run’s wine is produced on-site in stainless steel tanks and aged in French, Hungarian and some Canadian oak. With a range of award-winning wines to sample, complimentary tours and a new tasting room in the works, Rosehall Run is definitely worth a visit on any County wine tour. Here are tasting notes on three of the most popular vintages.
TASTING NOTES
2008 Sullyzwicker White: With a bright straw colour, the Sullyzwicker White is a satisfying blend of Riesling, Chardonnay, Musqué, Ehrenfelser, Pinto Gris and Muscat Ottonel. It is a light-bodied, summery blend with floral notes and a mineral finish.
2007 Cold Creek Cabernet Franc: Aged in French oak, this wine has an abundant bouquet, and tantalizes the palate with rich tones of smoky blackberry and a long, dry finish.
2008 Chardonnay Rosehall Vineyard: Creamy and sweet, this Chardonnay is produced exclusively from estate grapes. It has a rich nose and pleasing aspects of vanilla and ripe peach.
WINE LIST
RED:
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon – a full-bodied wine made from Niagara grapes
2007 Cold Creek Cabernet Franc – made exclusively from County grapes, it was Gold Medal Winner at Finger Lakes International Wine Competition 2011
2007 Cuvée County Cabernet Franc – an easy-to-drink, casual wine, perfect for every day
2008 Cuvée County Gamay – made from 100% County grapes, this was Rosehall Run’s first Gamay
2008 Cuvée County Pinot Noir – a robust Pinot, it was a Gold Medal winner at ArteVino 2010
2007 Pinot Noir Jamie Kennedy – a collaborative creation with renowned chef Jamie Kennedy; 2007 was a superb year for reds
2008 Pinot Noir Rosehall Vineyard – made from estate grapes, it was a Gold Medal winner at ArteVino 2010
2008 Sullyzwicker Red – a blend of Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Pinot Noir and Syrah
WHITE:
2006 Chardonnay – oak barrel fermented for 10 months
2007 Chardonnay Jamie Kennedy – another collaborative creation with Chef Jamie Kennedy, sourced exclusively from estate grapes
2009 Chardonnay Musqué – this unoaked estate wine was Rosehall Run’s first Musqué
2008 Chardonnay Rosehall Vineyard – barrel fermented and aged sur lie for eleven months, it was a Gold Medal winner at Finger Lakes International Wine Competition 2011
2009 Chardonnay Sur Lie – lightly oaked, this wine contains both Prince Edward County and Niagara region fruit
2007 Cuvée County Chardonnay – contains 25% Chardonnay Musqué
2008 Cuvée County Chardonnay – Gold Medal winner at ArteVino 2010
2008 Fieldstone Vineyard Riesling – a dry wine with fruit sourced from a neighbouring vineyard
2008 Sullyzwicker White – a custom blend of six Prince Edward County grapes
ROSÉ:
Sullyzwicker Rosé – a blend of Gamay (90%) and Pinot Noir (10%)
Pinot Noir grapes fresh from harvesting at Rosehall Run. Photo by Toronto Tasting Notes.
Rosehall Run wines can be purchased at their retail store and through their website. Also available at some LCBO, LCBO Vintages, WineryToHome and select Ontario restaurants.
Rosehall Run Vineyards will be a Featured Winery at The Great Canadian Cheese Festival taking place June 4-5 at Crystal Palace in Picton, in the heart of Prince Edward County, Ontario’s newest wine region and fastest-growing culinary destination. Rosehall Run wines will be available for tasting at Cooks & Curds Cheese Gala on Saturday and during Cheese & Artisan Food Fair on Sunday.
The Guernsey girls of Upper Canada Cheese on the shores of Lake Ontario.
Forget about Jersey. It’s really all about Guernsey, and these Guernsey Girls are taking it from farm to table.
On the fair-weather shores of Lake Ontario, there lives a Guernsey herd of cows. These girls delight in their surroundings—basking in the lakefront sun, fresh air and fertile soil of land protected by Ontario’s Greenbelt at St. Anns, nestled in the bountiful Twenty Valley. Their blissful disposition on the family owned Comfort Farm assists in producing celebrated, uniquely golden-shaded, flavourful milk with distinct, local characteristics: ideal for premium cheesemaking.
It must be true, happy cows make superior milk.
And that makes Upper Canada Cheese Company’s founding partner Wayne Philbrick very happy as well. His creamery has committed since 2005 to using the exceptional Guernsey milk from this herd of about one hundred, one of only a half-dozen Guernsey herds in Canada, relying on their rich milk to create his select, artisanal cheeses: Comfort Cream and Niagara Gold.
After growing up in the Niagara Peninsula on a family-run fruit farm, Philbrick experimented with tandem passions for wine- and cheese-making, eventually getting hooked on the craft cheeses of Quebec during trips to the region. In developing the “first generation” of his two top-sellers, he chose Guernsey milk for the truly special features it afforded: enriched health benefits, quality, colour and, of course, creamy taste.
The breed originally hails from the island of Guernsey in the English Channel, but its adaptable temperament and unparalleled characteristics make it a clear winner for boundless gourmet-cheese production. Guernsey milk contains 12% more protein, 30% more cream, 33% more vitamin D, 25% more vitamin A and 15% more calcium than the average Holstein milk. Along with its uncommonly high yield of beta carotene, a great source of vitamin A which has been recently touted to help reduce the risk of certain cancers, the milk also has 5% butterfat and a notable 3.7 % protein content.
Working closely with the Dairy Farmers of Ontario, Upper Canada Cheese has a rare arrangement with the DFO to deliver their Guernsey milk first in the morning before the truck picks up any other milk; allowing only the purest, freshest ingredients available to merge with the talents of their cheesemakers. The creamery also retains a license and the exclusive rights to create products using this particular local herd. Building these relationships required the ongoing persistence, perseverance and patience of Philbrick to ensure their specialty cheeses would always uphold an extraordinary and unique profile.
Upper Canada Cheese is located in Jordan Station, Ontario.
Now, in the first new Niagara creamery in generations, Upper Canada Cheese Company handcrafts and ages premium artisanal cheeses on-site at their Jordan Station location which also houses a cheese boutique that caters to the “culinary enthusiast.” Together with selected gourmet products, the epicurean store integrates Upper Canada’s make room and cellaring facility into a traditional train station building design; suggesting a historic return to the time-honored craft of cheesemaking itself.
“Each day, fresh, pure Guernsey cow milk is transformed into cheeses of uncommon taste and texture, revealing a subtle range of flavours influenced by the seasons, forage and feed,” Philbrick says. “Then, our cheeses are ideally aged in our own cellars until they’re ready for you. This is the whole food, farm to table idea; a minimum of food processing intervention to produce the purest cheeses possible.”
So, while this Guernsey herd might not “gym, tan and laundry” exactly like their counterparts on the shores of Jersey, these girls are thankfully proving to be a lot more tasteful.
TASTING NOTES
Comfort Cream – A camembert-style soft, white bloomy rind cheese with a silky, creamy, golden interior. Rich flavours of fresh truffles prevail with an intense, buttery palate and a long, tangy finish. This delicate and luscious artisanal cheese is hand-salted, hand-turned and hand-wrapped. Comfort Cream is stored in temperature and humidity-controlled cellars for at least four weeks before sale, with an additional few weeks of aging seeing the cheese ripen and mature in flavour, texture and colour.
Niagara Gold – An Oka-style, semi-soft, washed rind cheese fashioned after recipes developed by the Trappist monks of the Loire Valley. This is a cheese with nutty, earthy overtones and mellow, buttery flavours. A luscious cheese that is delicately mild and sweet when young and gains pungency and piquant qualities with age. The rind may be eaten or trimmed depending on your taste. It is sold after five months of careful aging in cellars and, under good conditions, it ages well for months and continues to develop unique flavours over time.
Also available:
Guernsey GirlGrilling Cheese, Guernsey Curds and Guernsey Gold RicottaCheese
If you can’t drop by, check out the Where To Buy page, or order by phone or email.
Wayne Philbrick, Founding Partner, Vivian Szebeny, Managing Partner
4159 Jordan Road, Jordan Station, ON L0R 1S0
Telephone 905.562.9730
Upper Canada Cheese Company will be a featured cheesemaker at The Great Canadian Cheese Festival taking place June 4-5 at Crystal Palace in Picton, in the heart of Prince Edward County, Ontario’s hot new wine region and fastest-growing culinary destination.
—Christine Darragh
Based in the Garden City of St. Catharines, Ontario, freelance writer Christine Darragh specializes in food and wine and other attractions of the Niagara Peninsula.
We take you to the Eastern Townships of Québec to visit Fromagerie La Station de Compton, an organic farmstead cheese producer best known for its award-winning Alfred Le Fermier. The clip is a tad promotional at the beginning but it does provides a nice introduction to the fourth generation of the Bolduc family, their 170-hectare farm, their 70 Holstein cows and their delicious cheeses.
That's the slogan of Dairy Farmers of Canada, Diamond Sponsor of The Great Canadian Cheese Festival.
Historic Crystal Palace and the Picton Fairgrounds all around it will make for quite a mouth-watering scene on June 4-5.
That’s when the first-ever Great Canadian Cheese Festival takes place, bringing together the country’s leading cheesemakers from coast-to-coast so cheese lovers can meet to learn, talk, taste and buy the best in artisan, farmstead and specialty cheese—and sample fine wine, craft beer, cider and artisanal foods.
The two-day Festival features:
On Saturday, June 4, a keynote presentation to kick off proceedings, a full day of cheese-tasting seminars, pairing cheese with wine, beer and cider, a buffet lunch and, in the evening, outstanding chefs using cheese to create tasting dishes for the Cooks & Curds Cheese Gala.
Think cheesemaker Ruth Klahsen, cheese educator Julia Rogers and sommelier Andrew Laliberté among the tasting presenters. Think Jamie Kennedy, Michael Blackie and Anthony Rose among the renowned chefs.
On Sunday, June 5, a Cheese Fair & Artisan Food Market featuring more than 30 Canadian cheesemakers, more than 100 artisan and farmstead cheeses to sample and purchase, winemakers and craft brewers offering tastings, too, plus a host of artisan food producers, with a tutored tasting of Canadian Cheese Grand Prix winners, a cheesemaking demonstration and whey more.
Think Fromagerie du Presbytère from Québec, Glengarry Fine Cheese from Ontario and Cows Creamery from P.E.I. among the represented cheesemakers from across Canada. Think Harwood Estate Vineyards and Wineries among the wineries, Mill Street Brewery among the craft brewers, and Major Craig’s Chutney among the artisan food producers.
Plus: A six-hour, guided tour of local cheese plants and dairy farms on Friday or Saturday.
Bonus: On Friday, the Festival eve, cheese-themed dinners at County restaurants such as Angéline’s Restaurant & Inn featuring acclaimed chef Michael Potters.
The bad news is the Festival is still almost three months away. The good news is earlybird ticket sales have started—which means money saved on admission can be spent on cheese!
For cheese lovers, culinary tourists and foodies, come the first weekend in June, all roads will lead to Picton in the heart of Prince Edward County, Ontario’s fastest growing culinary destination.
Crystal Palace was built in 1890 on the Picton Fairgrounds in Picton, in the heart of Ontario's Prince Edward County.
Be the first to correctly identify the three cheeses pictured on the cover of Canadian Cheese: A Pocket Guide, by Kathy Guidi, and you’ll win a three-day VIP pass to The Great Canadian Cheese Festival worth $400.
Enter the contest by posting your answer in the Leave-a-Comment form below this post.*
Click on the image for a better view of the three cheeses.
The Great Canadian Cheese Festival will take place June 4-5 in Picton, in the heart of Prince Edward County, Ontario’s fastest-growing culinary destination. Click here for complete information.
The VIP pass includes admission to every single event during the Cheese Festival:
All-Day Cheese Tour on Friday, June 3 – $85
All-Day Tasting Seminar Program, Saturday, June 4 – $175
Canadian Cheese: A Pocket Guide is an outstanding reference to some of the newest, best and most popular cheese made in Canada. It includes concise tasting information for 180 cheeses from coast to coast, with emphasis on artisan varieties, while providing enchanting author and cheesemaker anecdotes, useful information on buying and serving, as well as author insights on popular cheese topics like raw milk cheese, discerning quality, whether to eat the rind (or not), cheesemaking and ingredients.
Chapters:
• Fresh, unripened – versatile, indigenous cheeses
• Soft, Ripened – fragile, runny and unctuous
• Soft Washed Rind – called ‘the stinkers’
• Semi-soft – mild, yet diverse
• Semi-soft Washed Rind – Canada’s new cheese heritage
• Firm – substantial, dependable classics
• Hard – maturity with benefits
• Blues – love ‘em or hate ‘em, they’re anything but ordinary
Kathy Guidi is founder of Cheese Education Guild, a school dedicated to advancement of cheese knowledge and appreciation among food professionals and cheese lovers. She is also president of Artisan Cheese Marketing, a unique cheese public relations and business development company.
With more than 35 years of experience working as a consultant and maitre fromager (cheese master) with cheesemongers, trade organizations and producers, Kathy continues to influence and lead domestic and international cheese circles through her passionate training sessions and public speaking engagements. Born and raised in Milwaukee before moving to Chicago for school and career, Kathy has called Toronto home for 25 years.
Canadian Cheese: A Pocket Guide, published by McArthur & Company of Toronto, is available through Amazon.ca or Indigo.ca and in book stores, cheese shops, select wineries as well as Costco and supermarket book sections across Canada.
* Employees and associates of McArthur & Company, associates and students of Cheese Education Guild and Artisan Cheese Marketing, associates of Cheese Lover Productions, producers of The Great Canadian Cheese Festival, and cheese professionals are ineligible. The contest is open exclusively to consumers and not the trade.
