The Lady adores Allison Hooper and every time their paths cross, The Lady comes home to The Manse energized with a renewed and even bigger cheese love… if that’s possible.
The first time The Lady met Allison was in the fall of 2008 at a DPI Cheese 101 that included Allison, David Gremmels, Lio Giraud and Andy Lax. The Lady and I had just begun our cheese journey and hanging out with those Cheese Swells was her favorite Cheese day at that point… who knew it would only get better and better… At that first meeting, Allison introduced the group to four of her cheeses. These were some of the first goat cheeses that The Lady and I liked…
A few months later, Allison visited The Lady at her Cheese Counter and brought more cheese and her lovely butter for The Lady to sample.
Their paths crossed again at the 2010 American Cheese Society Conference in Seattle where Ally autographed our copy of her In the Cheesemaker’s Kitchen (which you can buy if you click on the icon at the end of this posting).
In 2011, our cheese journey set out on the Murray’s Cheese path and once more The Lady ran into Ally; this time in Denver, where Ally was once again spreading her cheese love to the Murray’s CheeseMongers and customers across the street from the home of the American Cheese Society… aka American Cheese Mecca.
Then The Lady really got cheese lucky and spent a few days with the Creme de la Creme of the Cheese Swells at the 2011 Bra Cheese Festival: Ally and her VBCC Partner, Bob Reese were slinging their Cremont, which was a hit along with the fine cheeses of Mary Keehn, showcasing her Humboldt Fog; David Gremmels and Cary Bryant, introducing the Italians to their Caveman and Rogue River Blue; Andy Hatch slinging his three times ACS Best of Show Pleasant Ridge Reserve, Peggy Smith and Sue Conley, featuring their Red Hawk; Mateo Kehler, treating the Italians to his Cabot Clothbound Cheddar…what a special cheese adventure for The Lady…
Do you see the pattern here??? The Lady is always out there gallivanting, rubbing elbows with the Cheese Swells and here I sit, alone, in my Pacific Northwest office… doing all the heavy lifting… something is wrong here… Hello, Ally… when are you coming to see moi? My door is always open for you… but I digress…
Last month The Lady headed south to the Oregon Cheese Festival… and yep… there she was… Ally, this time with her twins… exciting the good people of Southern Oregon with her lovely cheeses and sharing that passion that never wavers. The Lady returned home and flaunted her weekend…I’m telling you… it’s just plain wrong…
And two days later, Ally spent the morning treating us to her passion and her cheeses…
The Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery tasting started with their Creme Fraiche and Fromage Blanc. From those two lovlies, Ally delighted the group with her Creamy Goat Cheese Spreads, the Original flavor and the Red Pepper Spread. After the spreads, the CheeseMongers tasted her aged babies, Cremont and Bonne Bouche. Ally then introduced the group to her new Goat Cheese Salad Sprinkles in three flavors: Italian, Mediterranean and New England. The tasting ended with VBCC’s Feta… wow… what a tasting… The Lady said every bite was “to die for good”.
And I wasn’t there… but I’m not bitter… well, maybe just a little bit…
Check out Ally’s 2015 Q&A here on the website.
Interviews with All Cheese Professionals: Cheesemakers and Cheese Professionals
Interviews will continue throughout 2015… sometimes, they will be “stand-alone” and sometimes they will be presented as round-table discussions with several Cheese Professionals answering the same question. Those participating includeCheesemakers, ACS CCPs™, Cheesemongers and Cheese Professionals and Experts who contribute to this Wonderful World we call “Cheese”.
List of all Interviews from 2013: Cheesemakers, Cheesemongers.
List of 2015 Cheese Professionals.
List of all Cheese Professionals Bios.
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Taking the 2015 Exam? Please see my page on Tips for Studying for the Exam. Want support? Come join our 2015 Cheese Study Group.
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