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Articles written by Susan Axelrod

Susan Sherrill Axelrod is a former editor of Culture. Her love affair with cheese began at age 12, when she bicycled to a gourmet shop to taste an exotic newcomer—French brie. She lives with her partner in midcoast Maine, where she enjoys a well-made cocktail, hiking with their dog, Lucy, and spending as much time as possible on the water.

cheese plate

Vanessa Tilaka Kalb’s Perfect Cheese Pairings


Take a peek and discover Vanessa Tilaka Kalb’s favorite cheeses and accompaniments.

Discover Shabby Shoe: Blakesville Creamery’s Twist on A French Classic


The wrinkly cheese with the funny name has quickly become one of Blakesville Creamery’s most popular offerings.

Refilling the Melting Pot: World Cheese Awards judges on the joy and importance of annual connections


The group of 264 World Cheese Awards judges — Credit Guild of Fine Food (Berre / Haaken Borgen). From a numbers perspective, the World Cheese Awards (WCA) is impressive. The 35 th annual awards in Trondheim, Norway featured 4,502 cheeses—293 from Norway alone—submitted by 954 cheesemaking enterprises, 92.77 percent of which were from outside of […]

Reflections on “Cheese Camp” 2023


The culture team is still on a high from last week’s American Cheese Society Conference in Des Moines, Iowa. The annual event, affectionately dubbed “Cheese Camp” was themed “40 Years of Cheese” in celebration of ACS’ four decades of history. While the announcement of the ACS Judging and Competition winners on Wednesday night was certainly a […]

How to Help Vermont Farmers and Cheesemakers


Following the recent historic floods, Vermont farmers and cheesemakers are hurting. Here’s how to help.

5 Cheesy Main Dishes for When it’s Too Hot to Cook


Try these no-cook recipes on steamy summer evenings.

The 7 Best Things We Ate at the 2023 Summer Fancy Food Show


Last week, the culture crew traveled to New York City to attend the Summer Fancy Food Show, a semi-annual trade show for people in the food industry. We ate our way through aisle after aisle of delicious cheeses, charcuteries, non-alcoholic cocktails, mushroom chips, and truffle-infused everything—basically anything delicious you can imagine! Here are some of […]

Centerfold: Brebirousse d’Argental


Meet Brebirousse d’Argental: With its poofy square shape and pleated tangerine-hued rind, Brebirousse d’Argental is a head turner.

The Hot List: 9 Cheese Stars to Watch


These nine trailblazers whose contributions to the wide world of cheese are already impressive, and we can’t wait to see what they do next.

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