Photo From Gastro Obscura: Clockwise from left: Brent Hofacker/Almay; Wagner Pizza Bus; Erika Nusser/Almay; Lancaster314.

Have you ever heard of pizza topped with American cheese? What about finished with frozen cheese, or no cheese at all?! While it might sound like we’re making them up, these styles of pizza are in fact regional delicacies from Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Rhode Island. Dying to know more? Gastro Obscura breaks down the most obscure pizza styles you’ve never heard of. 

• The Tillamook Partnership for Creamier Ice Cream is back! They’ve teamed up with actress Jenny Slate to share creamier ice cream with the people. As a part of the promotion, you can enter to win a trip for two to visit the Tillamook Creamery. The grand prize includes two nights at a lux cabin in the woods and a personal tour and tasting at the creamery. As if we needed another reason to eat more ice cream!
• There’s still time to get your tickets to the 2022 Vermont Cheese Summit. The event takes place August 13 and 14 and focuses on connecting buyers and other wholesale/cheese/food industry professionals to Vermont cheesemakers through creamery visits, educational programs, and sampling sessions designed to provide time for one-on-one conversations and interactions with cheese producers in Vermont.
• If you’ll be at the American Cheese Society Conference in Portland, OR, you’re invited to join the Daphne Zepos Teaching Endowment to celebrate its 10th year of supporting cheese education. Mingle with past recipients and all your cheese friends at Upright Brewing on Wed. July 20 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 and all proceeds go directly to the Daphne Zepos Teaching Endowment. Register here.
• If you mess with the queen bee prepare to be stung! The Queen is reportedly considering removing the royal coat of arms from her favorite cheddar cheese. The reason for such drastic action? Dairy Crest, who makes Davidstow cheddar, was fined £1.5m for wastewater violations going back to 2016 that killed hundreds of fish and fouled the air around its creamery. Read more from The Cut here.
• France is the first EU country to ban the use of words such as “steak” and “sausage” in labeling of plant-based proteins. 
• In an effort to remove itself from the controversy over selling Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in occupied Palestinian territories Unilever has sold its Ben & Jerry’s business in Israel to American Quality Products. 
• Audrey Hitchcock of Ramini Mozzarella in Tomales, CA, is in search of a location for her water buffalo herd and cheesemaking operation before her current lease expires on Oct. 31. Hitchcock and her husband, Craig Ramini, who died of cancer in 2015, founded the business 12 years ago; she’s looking for 200 acres and venture capital to keep it going. Read more here. 
• Tulip Tree Creamery now offers private classes where you can learn how to make your own cheese, starting with entry-level mozzarella and progressing up to gouda and advanced-level cheddar. Learn more about their classes here.
• At the International Cheese and Dairy Awards held June 30-July 2 in the UK, Wisconsin’s Carr Valley Cheese Company won Best US Cheese for Gran Canaria, a sheep’s, goat’s, and cow’s milk cheese. See the full results here. 
• The French food safety agency, ANSES, has confirmed a link between nitrates in charcuterie and colon cancer, a finding that supports 2015 research by the World Health Organization. Nitrates are added to cured meats to limit the development of bacteria that can cause food poisoning. ANSES suggests that the risk can be controlled by other means, and advises the consumption of no more than 5 1/3 oz. of charcuterie a week.
• Olga Dominguez, who built Zabar’s impressive cheese department, has retired after 50 years with the New York City retailer. Dominguez, who started at Zabar’s shortly after she emigrated from the Dominican Republic, has judged the ACS Judging & Competition and is one of a few American inducted into the prestigious La Guilde Internationale des Fromagers. Read more here. 

Josie Krogh

Josie Krogh is culture's Digital Strategy Lead. She earned her master's degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics from The University of Georgia. Josie developed a love of food while working at farmstands in the D.C. area as a young adult, and discovered her love of cheese while living and working on a dairy farm on Martha's Vineyard. She is passionate about the food supply chain, fresh stone fruit, and dogs. Josie currently lives in Catskill, NY.