ACS conference 2009 part 1

This is a long post. Go get a glass of something tasty, a hunk of bread and some cheese.

I've decided to start the ACS posts with what some people say is the best part of the ACS conference. The Festival of Cheese. This is held on the last day of the conference when every cheese, butter, yogurt and spread that was entered into competition is put out for people to sample. This year that meant over 1300 cheeses. This year the set up in the ballroom was confusing. A cheese labyrinth where the tables were organized in a way that not even a mensa member could decipher.

One of the Cheddar tables at the Festival of Cheese.


One of my favorite finds this year was the domestic goat milk Robiola from Reichert's Dairy Air in Iowa. I love this cheese. It was creamy and sharp, tangy, salty and goaty. So good. I also appreciate anyone who puts a pun in the name of their business.


This is Van Goat from Haley Farms Goat Dairy. Lovely acidic little fresh goat cheese round decorated in edible flowers. Yum.


Unknown blue cheese photo. It is pretty though isn't it?


I have no words. Different company, but same review.


There were only two when I got there. When I left there was one.


I was talking to a friend the other day who asked me "why don't they put bacon in cheese? I told him that I'm sure there's someone out there who does. I was right. I didn't try this one because I didn't want my palate smothered by bacon and garlic.


There's not enough real traditional, stinky, washed rind, pliable, buttery, slightly sweet, fruity and beefy Limburger in this country.


The tables were organized in a random haphazard way that had me trying to recruit people to find the Bonne Bouche. I had given up and was about to walk out the door when I saw her. My pressure went down, I smiled took a piece and went on my way.


I didn't actually try this one. I just took the photo for someone special. You know who you are ;)


So, the day after the festival of cheese is the cheese sale. Any big pieces, or whole wheels are sold to the public. Last year my best friend and I went and got enough Cheddar than her son was sitting pretty on grilled cheese sandwiches and macaroni and cheese for quite some time. the thing about the cheese sale is that not everything is labeled, so there's a lot of mystery cheese purchases. It becomes an experience for your mouth, but at only $5/lb totally worth it.

This year was a bit trickier getting the cheese home since I was trying to get from Texas to Chicago via New York. I know this sound like a roundabout way of doing things, but it was a free flight so I took it. I had all the cheese in a box which was inside an insulated tote which was inside a duffle bag. My connecting flight was delayed so I went to the food court and got more ice. It was delayed again. Back to the food court. And once more it was delayed. The food court people were rather testy about giving me more ice. I told them that there was 17# of cheese in the bag and I wasn't going to lose any of it just because my plane was stuck in Virginia. They looked at me like I was a crazy person, but they gave me more ice.

I got home 14 1/2 hours after buying the cheese, and everything was still good and cold. Hurray! I am going to identify the cheeses I can, the others my girlfriend and I just named creatively.

Starting at the top is Grafton 3 yr Cheddar from VT. Working clockwise, the russet rind cheese is Pleasant Ridge Reserve from Uplands Cheese Company a raw milk cheese that won Best in Show the first year it was entered in the competition, and if I'm not mistaken is the only cheese to win it twice. The orange speckled thing is Hook's Cheese Company tomato and basil Cheddar. It's more basil-y than tomato, but it makes a mighty fine addition to a roasted turkey sandwich. The little blue-grey round is Hubbarston Blue at Westfield Farm in MA. Blue on the outside, creamy, mushroomy, goat greatness on the inside.

The big short white round is Blythedale Camembert from VT. Hand-ladeled cheese from VT. Mushroomy, creamy with a little grass and a smidge of bitterness. The speckled cheese laying down is maybe the Tuscan Rubbed Cabot Cheddar. I dunno. The small white round is the Boucheret? from Redwood Hill Farm and Creamery. I will definitely be talking more about this cheese in another post. Easily the favorite of the table. The one standing up is what we call "Southwestern spiced Cheddary thing". The triangle flecked with black is the Marco Polo from Beecher's Handmade Cheese in Seattle. Another favorite. It is sitting on top of the 2yr aged Cheddar from Shelburne Farms in VT.

Have I mentioned the Vermont Cheesemaker's Festival yet today? On August 23rd the first ever VT Cheesemaker's Festival will be taking place at Shelburne Farms. Mmmm Vermont cheese. I finally bought my plane ticket last night after procrastinating for way too long.

And finally, the last cheese standing the orange block with red flecks in it we have named "Chipotle spicy Cheddar that is also a bit smoky and would be good in tacos". It's a bit wordy, but we're a wordy people. Now, I have to confess something to you. There was an entire 1/2 wheel of Pleasant Ridge Reserve when I got back to Chicago. I'm a nice gal though, and shared with some people at work. So this isn't really 17# of cheese. It's more like 15.



When I got home there was a mutant in my kitchen. I've been nurturing a tomato plant all summer long. In the time that I was gone the thing grew at least one foot, and I found a little baby tomato. That means that unless something goes wrong the almost 4ft. tomato plant will yield me at least one tomato this year. I couldn't be happier. I think I may pickle it.


Great video! It's got me pumped up for next year.