Seattle Cheese Festival - Educational Seminars

10:00-11:30am - From Curds to Consumer
Moderator: Hsiao-Ching Chou

Panelists: Matt Day of Mt. Townsend Creamery; Laure Dubouloz, Herve Mons Affineur Company; Bill Stephenson, cheese purchaser for DPI Northwest; Connie Rizzo, cheese buyer for DeLaurenti Specialty Food & Wine

A cheesemaker's job is not done after a cheese has been made. During this panel, moderator, Hsiao-Ching Chou, who is a consultant at Suzuki + Chou Communimedia and the former food editor at the Seattle P-I, will lead a discussion about the process of sending a cheese from a farm, such as Mt. Townsend Creamery, through the chain of affinage to wholesaler or retailer, and, ultimately, to the consumer. Seminar includes specifically paired wines.
$40

12:00-1:30pm - Do You Taste What I Taste?
Speaker: Peggy Smith

Can a cheese taste like wet dog and dirt or fruit and butterscotch? Just like wines, cheeses invite tasters to speak a new language. Peggy Smith, who has played guitar with Mary Chapin Carpenter, worked alongside Robert Mondavi and was chef at Chez Panisse Café before trading in her toque for a cowgirl hat to be a co-owner of Cowgirl Creamery, will identify the various flavors in cheeses in order to facilitate a better understanding of the descriptors. Seminar includes specifically paired wines.
$40

2:00-3:30pm - French Washed Rind Cheeses
Speaker: Laurent Mons

Laurent Mons is a renowned affineur and cheese retailer in France. He manages two cheese shops, teaches culinary students and cheese professionals, and works at the Training Center for Dairy Products in his native France. Mons will focus on washed rind cheeses and discuss how diverse the cheeses in one category can be. Seminar includes specifically paired wines.
$40