Gourmet News

House Votes to Ease FDA Menu Labeling Rules for Supermarkets

Published February 12, 2016

Food Marketing Institute (FMI) commended the U.S. House of Representatives for approving on a bipartisan basis (266-144-1) legislation that offers workable solutions to fix flaws contained in the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) final chain restaurant menu labeling regulations that were expanded in 2015 to apply to grocery stores.

FMI President and CEO Leslie G. Sarasin said, “The Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2015 (H.R. 2017) is not about being ‘for’ or ‘against’ the inclusion of nutrition information on menus. Instead, the bill injects some common sense into the rule by avoiding a one-size fits all system and allowing supermarkets to provide this important information to their customers in ways that are most accessible and useful to the customers for whom it is intended.”

She continued, “FMI has fervently pursued legislation because FDA has not been able to resolve through regulation the supermarket industry’s recorded concerns and needed clarification. With the quickly approaching deadline for compliance, FMI members desperately need this helpful bi-partisan legislative resolution.”

Importantly, the bill does not exempt supermarkets or any other retailers from the nutrition information requirement. Instead, it offers practical suggestions for menu labeling regulations in a grocery store setting along with flexible disclosure options. Provisions of the Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of interest to the supermarket industry include:

Allowing use of a menu or menu board in a prepared foods area or next to a salad bar instead of requiring individual labeling of every item;
Preserving local foods or fresh items that may only be sold at one or two store or restaurant locations;
Allowing an establishment to take corrective actions within 90-days prior to federal, state or municipal enforcement and thereby provide some degree of liability protection; and
NOT modifying or weakening FDA’s or state officials’ current oversight/enforcement authority.

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Sarasin commented, “We appreciate the support of such an impressive and diverse group of Members of Congress – they are true champions of solving problems for the 1,225 businesses and 40,000 stores FMI represents.”

Tickets Still Available for California’s Artisan Cheese Festival

Published February 11, 2016

California’s premier cheese event, California’s Artisan Cheese Festival, is celebrating its tenth year, March 18 – 20, 2016, in and around the Sheraton Sonoma County in Petaluma. Representing 10 years of cheese education and appreciation, this year’s festival brings together chefs, artisan cheesemakers, farmers, educators, authors, brewers, winemakers and enthusiastic guests for three days of cheese tasting and celebration. In honor of this exciting milestone, local celebrity chef Joey Altman is emceeing two spirited evening events Under the Big Top: Friday’s lively “Cheesemongers’ Duel – The Best Bite,” and Saturday’s “California Cheesin’ – We Do It Our Whey” 10 Year Celebration.

There are also an array of educational seminars and pairing demonstrations on Saturday morning and afternoon, led by some of the world’s most respected cheese experts. Seminar topics range from pairing cheese with sake to the similarities of making cheese and chocolate, and will take place at the Sheraton Sonoma County and the new Cowgirl Creamery Warehouse in Petaluma. Details about these seminars and the weekend’s festive evening celebrations Under the Big Top are as follows:

Friday, March 18

Cheesemonger’s Duel – The Best Bite
Friday night Under the Big Top at the Sheraton Sonoma County in Petaluma is where California’s top cheesemongers will take center stage in a light-hearted yet energetic competition to see who can create the best bite using local artisan cheese. Local celebrity chef and educator Joey Altman is joining in on the fun as judge and emcee for the evening, and guests are encouraged to vote for their favorite bite while enjoying plenty of artisan wine, cider and beer. A “Fantasy Cheese Table” will also be on display, so guests may taste the wide variety of local and rare cheeses at this not-to-be-missed party to kick off the weekend. Tickets $50; Under the Big Top at the Sheraton Sonoma County, 6 – 9 p.m.

Saturday, March 19

Seminars and Pairing Demonstrations
Bringing attendees face-to-face with the experts who work with and create some of America’s best artisan cheeses, the Saturday seminars and pairing demonstrations tend to sell out early every year. Taking place at both the Sheraton Sonoma County and at Cowgirl Creamery’s new warehouse in Petaluma, industry experts will enlighten guests on a variety of topics, such as:

“Sensory Perception and Understanding Your Palate,” an interactive lesson in why people taste flavors differently with local cheese educator Lynne Devereux and food and flavor scientist Hanne Siversten from UC Davis;
“New CA Cheese and Wine: The Modern Movement,” an enticing session with author Kristin Jackson and Dan Petroski, winemaker for Massican and Larkmead;
“Growing Flavor,” an appetizing lesson about the factors that contribute to a cheese’s constantly evolving flavors, with Peggy Smith and Sue Conley of Cowgirl Creamery;
“Farm to Table, Bean to Bar,” a tasty education about the similarities between chocolate and cheese by local author and educator, Laura Werlin;
“Dubbel Down: Belgian-style Beer and Cheese,” a flavorful lesson in why Belgian beers are at the center of the map for beer aficionados and the local cheeses to pair with them, led by renowned cheese writer and author Janet Fletcher;
and “East Meets West: Pairing Sake and California Cheese,” a surprising and unique lesson about the beautiful ways sake and cheese pair together with Cowgirl Creamery’s Emily Shartin, Master Sommelier Robert Bath, and Chef Ken Tominaga, owner of Hana Japanese Restaurant, Pabu Izakaya and Ramen Bar.

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The ticket prices for the seminars include a catered lunch by Petaluma Market from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. During the lunch break and after the afternoon seminars, several local cheese authors will be available for book signings in the lobby of the Sheraton Sonoma County and books will be available for purchase by Copperfield’s Books.
Seminars and Pairing Demonstrations to take place at the Sheraton Sonoma County and Cowgirl Creamery Warehouse; 10 – 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 – 3 p.m.; Tickets $75; More seminar details may be found at http://artisancheesefestival.com/schedule-of-events/saturday-evening-grand-tasting/

California Cheesin’ — We Do It Our Whey!
In celebration of a decade of California’s Artisan Cheese Festival, guests are invited to taste their way around this evening celebration of California cheese, Under the Big Top at the Sheraton Sonoma County in Petaluma. Guests will sample cheese-infused dishes from some of the Bay Area’s best chefs and restaurants, including Backyard (Forestville), the girl and the fig (Sonoma), and Nick’s Cove and Cottages (Marshall). Attendees will then cast their vote for their favorite dish and the winner will be announced by the evening’s emcee and local celebrity chef, Joey Altman. Artisan wines, beers and ciders will be on hand to complement each dish, and live music, a “Whey Cool Bubbles Lounge,” and a special tribute to some of the icons of California’s artisan cheese industry will round out this festive gastronomic showdown.
Saturday, March 19, 2016; Under the Big Top at the Sheraton Sonoma County, 6 – 9 p.m. Tickets $75.

Throughout the weekend, guests will have the opportunity to experience new, limited-production and rare artisan cheeses while supporting California farmers and cheesemakers in their ongoing effort to advance sustainability. Tickets to most of the festival’s events are still available, including two days of farm tours exploring northern California farms from Marin County to Sacramento; Sunday’s Bubbles and Brunch with visionary chef John Ash; and the grand finale: Sunday’s Artisan Cheese Tasting and Marketplace. Tickets for all events may be purchased at www.artisancheesefestival.com.

Community Enhances Cheese Experience for Marieke Gouda

Published February 11, 2016

By Lorrie Baumann

As the market for quality cheeses grows, cheesemakers like Marieke Penterman of Marieke Gouda depend on professional cheesemongers to continue educating their customers about the products in their cases. That’s particularly important if, as some cheesemakers say, the cheese market is not driven so much by a definition of “local” that depends solely on geography as it is by a definition of “local” that connotes a community of like-minded people who share a cultural context. It’s cheesemongers who tell the stories that communicate that cultural context to their customers, Penterman observes. “It’s fun to see the cheesemonger community grow and develop a passion for the cheeses. It’s a kind of community,” she says. “Those people are so essential to the food industry. They represent us in the stores, and they talk about us, and they pass on that passion for cheese. It’s just phenomenal.”

Penterman herself experiences that sense of community among those who appreciate fine cheeses, she says. “When you go to a food show, it’s always fun to see people enjoy it, and it’s so rewarding and encouraging in what you’re doing.”

The awards that Penterman has won at many of those food shows are permanent symbols of how much her cheeses are enjoyed. Since she started making cheese in 2006, Penterman’s company, Holland’s Family Cheese, has won more than 100 national and international awards, including awards for all of its Marieke Gouda varieties. She has recently added Marieke Gouda Honey Clover, Marieke Gouda Cranberry (seasonal) and Marieke Gouda Jalapeno to her line. Marieke Gouda Bacon is the very latest flavor in the line, made in collaboration with Nolechek’s Meats, a butcher that’s local to Marieke Gouda’s home in Thorp, Wisconsin.

“They have been phenomenal. They put our Gouda in their brats and their hot dogs, so we thought we’d put their bacon in our Gouda,” Penterman says. “Bacon Gouda is really phenomenal!”

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“It was so smelly in the house. I cooked the herbs in those days in our home kitchen,” she recalls. The simmering fenugreek smelled so bad that she changed her mind about adding it to her cheese, but then her husband, Rolf, suggested that she go ahead, give it a try and see how it turned out. “He doesn’t like to waste things,” Penterman says.

The cheese was aging when Penterman got a call from the Dairy Business Innovation Center to alert her to a 2007 competition. She picked a cheese to enter, and she asked one of her team members to pick a cheese. Rolf picked a third cheese, the Marieke Gouda Foenegreek. “Rolf picked the Foenegreek, and right away it won a gold award at the 2007 championship, so it was pretty cool,” Penterman says.

American consumers’ enthusiasm for Marieke Gouda and for Gouda cheeses in general is elevating both the availability and the quality of fine cheeses in the marketplace as cheesemakers improve their products to meet consumers’ expectations, Penterman says. “You can see the consumer starting to realize what good cheese is. Consumers are willing to spend a little extra to taste good cheese and to support local farmstead cheesemakers,” she says. “Overall cheese quality has improved. Flavor profiles are getting better. People are traveling and tasting cheeses and returning passionate about cheeses. I think that in general the quality for sure made a big jump in the last 10 years.”