I just returned from the American Cheese Society annual meeting in Seattle. I love being around cheesemakers, tasting cheese, and learning more about the world of artisanal cheesemaking in our hemispere, but by far my favorite part of the conference is the Sunday cheese selloff. The quality of the cheese is phenomenal and it is only exceeded by the price--which is $5.00 per large piece--better deals on smaller pieces, and we managed to stow quite a bit of it into our checked luggage (we were given three styrofoam boxes that were used to transport cheese to the meeting, and the sale organizers were only too eager to allow us to take them away). The hard cheeses can be at room temperature for a day, and we stowed the softer cheeses in our room refridgerator, so it came through more or less unscathed.
The sale is a bit of a free for all. There is plenty of cheese, enough for everyone, at least at the front end of the sale, and so it is not like a Filene's Basement sale. No blood is shed, no one is knocked to the ground. The cheese is not altogether well marked, so there is some guess work in figuring out more or less what you are buying, but in the end, the cheese is fabulous and the deals are great. You really can't go wrong. So, will I be in Montreal in 2011? Wonderful city, with a rich cheese heritage. I will try my best--but the first priority will be the cheese sell off on Sunday August 7th. In the meantime, I look forward to sharing this year's bounty with friends and family over the next several weeks!
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