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GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2014 www.gourmetnews.com EDITORIAL 9 Within this country's larger specialty food land- scape, it is hard to imag- ine a group of producers that exhibit more passion for their product or a greater attention to detail than America's cheese- makers. From carefully controlling the dairy cows' diet as they graze in the pas- ture to painstakingly developing original recipes to scientifically shaping the par- ticular microbial ecosystem of each cheese's rind, American cheesemakers are without a doubt experts of their craft. And from Point Reyes Farmstead Bay Blue to Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog to Cowgirl Creamery's Red Hawk to Uplands Cheese Co.'s Pleasant Ridge Re- serve, the ardor of these cheesemakers has resulted in the production of an ever- expanding collection of iconic, highly sought after American products that truly stand their own against the best Old World cheeses Europe has to offer. This summer, for the first time, I had the opportunity to attend the American Cheese Society Conference and Compe- tition in Sacramento, California, and it was an enlightening experience being surrounded by the impassioned scions of the American cheese community. Long an aficionado of all things cheese, and a lover of creamy Swiss Gruyère, earthy French brie and sharp Italian Parmi- giano-Reggiano, it was great to see how cheesemakers in this country are hard at work making their own original Ameri- can products that do not necessarily try to compete with these traditional Old World staples, but rather stand alongside them as emerging equals. For me, one thing that became appar- ent at ACS is that American cheesemak- ers are constantly negotiating a particular paradox, and they are doing so in a way that, to them, never seems con- tradictory, but rather natural and appar- ent. That is, these individuals are steadfastly devoted to protecting the tra- ditional cheesemaking practices that have been employed for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Yet, at the same time, they are doing so with a scientific atten- tion to detail that is firmly rooted in the 21st century. At once, cheesemakers are crafting, molding and ripening their products just as their grandparents or great-grandparents might have done a hundred years earlier. Yet the apparent simplicity of the craft is only an illusion. There are a thousand scientific calcula- tions always at play as the cheesemakers work to perfect their recipes and ensure the final products are safe for consump- tion. With the incredible amount of techni- cal and gastronomic expertise exhibited by American cheesemakers today, it is somewhat dumbfounding that regulators within the U.S. government that oversee the industry often seem reluctant to in- clude these individuals at the table, as they create the laws that ultimately de- termine how cheese can be made. In just the past year, several new regulations have emerged, dictating things like the safety of raw milk cheeses, of non-toxi- genic E. coli and of aging cheeses on wooden boards. Each time, there has been an outcry among cheesemakers that their voices are not being heard. Thankfully, this could all be changing, however, as the FDA recently pledged to schedule regular face-to-face meetings with ACS leadership and to consult with cheesemakers when future regulations are written. Let's all hope that this pledge comes to fruition, as I for one cannot wait to see what will be the next Ameri- can original to take its place alongside the fine cheeses of the world. GN — Lucas Witman, Editor 520.721.1300 lucas_w@oser.com WWW.GOURMETNEWS.COM PUBLISHER Lee M. Oser ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS Kim Forrester Paul Harris paul_h@oser.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Lorrie Baumann lorrie_b@oser.com EDITOR Lucas Witman editor@oser.com ASSOCIATE EDITORS David Bernard Amber Gallegos GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Yasmine Brown Vicky Glover ACCOUNT MANAGERS Jules Denton Lynn Hilton Conda Peeler CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER Caitlyn Roach caitlyn_r@oser.com CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Product Wrap-up & Classified Sales Tara Neal tara_n@oser.com CIRCULATION MANAGER Jamie Green jamie_g@oser.com PUBLISHING OFFICE 1877 N. Kolb Road P.O. Box 1056 Tucson, AZ 85715 520.721.1300 Fax 520.721.6300 SUBSCRIBER SERVICES Gourmet News P.O. Box 30520 Tucson, AZ 85751 520.721.1300 G OURMET N EWS ® PRESIDENT Lee M. Oser MEMBER OF: Periodicals postage paid at Tucson, AZ, and ad- ditional mailing office. Gourmet News (ISSN 1052-4630) is published monthly by Oser Com- munications Group, 1877 North Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ 85715; 520.721.1300. Publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited mate- rial or prices quoted in newspaper. Contributors are responsible for proper release of proprietary classified information. ©2014 by Oser Communications Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction, in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher, is expressly prohibited. Back issues, when avail- able, cost $7 each within the past 12 months, $12 each prior to the past 12 months. Back or- ders must be paid in advance either by check or charged to American Express, Visa, or Master Card. Gourmet News is distributed without charge in North America to qualified profession- als in the retail and distribution channels of the specialty foods and hardgoods trade; paid sub- scriptions cost $65 annually to the U.S. and Canada. All foreign subscriptions cost $150 an- nually to cover air delivery. All payments must be made in U.S. funds and drawn on a U.S. bank. For subscriber services, including subscription information, call 520.721.1300. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Gourmet News, 1877 North Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ 85715. FROM THE EDITOR CORRECTION In the June 2014 issue of Gourmet News, in the article titled "Barbecue Sauce, the Ultimate Summertime Condiment, Heads in a Bold New Direction," the author incorrectly states that Stonewall Kitchen won 2014 Scovie Awards for its Anna Mae's Smoky Sweet Chipotle Sauce and Cherry Pomegranate Habanero Sauce. Both of these products are in fact made by Robert Rothschild Farm, not Stonewall Kitchen. We regret any confusion this error may have caused.

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