{"id":36628,"date":"2019-04-15T07:45:29","date_gmt":"2019-04-15T11:45:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/?p=36628"},"modified":"2021-08-24T14:58:53","modified_gmt":"2021-08-24T18:58:53","slug":"cornerstone-the-latest-american-original","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/cornerstone-the-latest-american-original\/","title":{"rendered":"Cornerstone: The Latest American Original"},"content":{"rendered":"

O<\/span>ff a winding rural route in <\/span>southe<\/span>a<\/span>stern Vermont<\/span> <\/span>stands <\/span>a tiny <\/span>house<\/span> <\/span>with a red door and<\/span> <\/span>sharply peaked roof. Inside, <\/span>rubber <\/span>boots <\/span>line<\/span> a narrow <\/span>passageway to<\/span> another door, which opens <\/span>i<\/span>nto <\/span>a<\/span> single <\/span>subterranean <\/span>room<\/span>, revealing<\/span> <\/span>wooden boards stacked <\/span>high<\/span>. They\u2019re crowded<\/span> <\/span>with <\/span>cheeses<\/span>: some <\/span>fresh and<\/span> naked, others <\/span>with <\/span>downy white<\/span> <\/span>or copper rinds<\/span>,<\/span> still others <\/span>speckled ochre and grey<\/span>. All are different dimensions of r<\/span>ound<\/span>\u2014<\/span>except for one corner filled with distinctive<\/span> <\/span>hefty <\/span>square<\/span>s.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

These cheeses are unique<\/span>, and<\/span> not <\/span>only<\/span> <\/span>within this <\/span>underground <\/span>aging <\/span>c<\/span>ellar<\/span>. They are part of a one-of-a-kind experiment<\/span> <\/span>that\u2019s shifting the<\/span> <\/span>broad<\/span>er<\/span> <\/span>landscape of American cheese. They are Parish Hill Creamery<\/a><\/span>\u2019s<\/span> <\/span>version of <\/span>Cornerstone, <\/span>a<\/span> <\/span>collaborative <\/span>effort to<\/span> develop<\/span> <\/span>a new<\/span> <\/span>\u201c<\/span>American<\/span> <\/span>O<\/span>riginal<\/span>\u201d<\/span> <\/span>recipe that is <\/span>not <\/span>the property of <\/span>a single<\/span> <\/span>cheese<\/span>maker<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cW<\/span>e\u2019re providing a platform<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span>A<\/span>nybody should be able to do it if they start with the same elements<\/span>,\u201d<\/span> <\/span>sa<\/span>ys Peter Dixon<\/a>, Parish Hill\u2019s<\/span> <\/span>co-owner and cheesemaker<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span>\u201c<\/span>It\u2019s t<\/span>he idea of having a common recipe out in the public domain<\/span>,<\/span>\u201d<\/span> <\/span>echoes <\/span>Mark Gillman<\/span> of <\/span>Cato Corner Farm<\/a> in Conne<\/span>c<\/span>ticut<\/span>. Together<\/span> with <\/span>Sue Miller<\/a> of <\/span>Birchrun<\/span> Hills Farm in Pennsylvania<\/span>, <\/span>Dixon and Gillman <\/span>make up the<\/span> inaugural trio of Cornerstone cheesemakers.<\/span> <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\"cornerstone

Cows grazing at Birchrun Hill Farms<\/p><\/div>\n

Encouraging <\/span><\/b>O<\/span><\/b>riginality<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/h3>\n

In its annual competition, the American Cheese Society<\/a> (ACS) <\/span>recognizes <\/span>the best-of-the-best <\/span>among American cheese. The contest includes<\/span> a category called \u201cAmerican Or<\/span>i<\/span>ginals\u201d\u2014cheeses that are described as being \u201cuniquely American in their original forms.\u201d <\/span>Within that <\/span>group<\/span> is a short <\/span>roster<\/span> of<\/span> specific<\/span> <\/span>subcategories<\/span>\u2014brick cheese, brick <\/span>muenster, Colby<\/a>, dry Jack, Monterey Jack<\/span>,<\/span> and <\/span>T<\/span>eleme<\/span><\/a>\u2014<\/span>a list that has<\/span> remained static for decades<\/span>. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019<\/span>s no shortage of inventiveness, artistry<\/span>,<\/span> and technical know-how among the nation\u2019s cheesemakers<\/span>, assures John Greeley, chair emeritus of the society\u2019s Co<\/span>mpetition and Judging Committee;<\/span> <\/span>\u201cp<\/span>eople are making a lot of creative cheese<\/span>.<\/span>\u201d But there\u2019s <\/span>a <\/span>catch<\/span> to establishing a new cheese type<\/span>: <\/span>\u201c<\/span>A<\/span>chieving an American original is tricky because of ownership<\/span>,\u201d he says. In America, new cheeses tend to be created by single cheesemakers using proprietary recipes<\/span>. That\u2019s why the competition organizers created an additional American Original <\/span>Recipe<\/span> subcategory, for <\/span>uniqu<\/span>e<\/span> <\/span>cheeses that don\u2019t fit anywhere else.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

But Greeley thinks that it\u2019s high time the number of American Original subcategories expanded. At the society\u2019s 2015 conference, he <\/span>put out a call to makers to create more original recipes<\/span> that could be shared among multiple cheesemakers. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Brian Civitello<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>co-founder <\/span>and cheesemaker at<\/span> Mystic Cheese Company<\/span> in Connecticut<\/span>,<\/span> jumped on <\/span>the<\/span> challenge. Over beers after the conference, he proposed to <\/span>Peter <\/span>Dixon a<\/span>nd Sue Mille<\/span>r <\/span>that <\/span>they <\/span>work together to <\/span>develop a<\/span> new<\/span>,<\/span> unique<\/span>ly<\/span> <\/span>American <\/span>recipe<\/span> <\/span>and<\/span> <\/span>make it available to all. \u201cI thought, <\/span>W<\/span><\/i>hy<\/span><\/i> not take the ego out it?<\/span><\/i>\u201d<\/span> <\/span>Civitello<\/span> recal<\/span>ls<\/span>. \u201cThat seemed to be the missing piece of the puzzle.\u201d <\/span>As the project <\/span>developed<\/span>, <\/span>Civitello <\/span>had to <\/span>prioritize<\/span> <\/span>his own major<\/span> business expansion<\/span> <\/span>and<\/span> suggested <\/span>bringing<\/span> in Cato Corner<\/span> instead. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Taste of Place<\/h3>\n

If<\/span> <\/span>Civitello<\/span> was the <\/span>initial<\/span> <\/span>ring<\/span>leader, <\/span>Dixon is the <\/span>philosophical visionary<\/span>. The<\/span> highly <\/span>regarded cheesemaker, teacher<\/span>,<\/span> and consultant <\/span>started his first cheesemaking operation <\/span>with his family <\/span>in the early \u201980s. <\/span>Dixon<\/span> <\/span>went on to<\/span> work for a who\u2019s<\/span>–<\/span>who list of Vermont cheesemakers including Vermont Shepherd<\/a>, Shelburne Farms<\/a>, Vermont Creamery<\/a><\/span>,<\/span> and Consider Bardwell Farm<\/a>. <\/span>Early in his career, <\/span>he<\/span> <\/span>partnered<\/span> with a French cheesemaking company <\/span>and later<\/span> spent several years <\/span>working <\/span>on and off <\/span>with<\/span> seasonal sheep dairies in Albania and Macedonia<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span>Learning<\/span> <\/span>the art of making native starter cultures <\/span>from Swiss monks in Kentucky<\/span> <\/span>was <\/span>revelatory<\/span>. Since<\/span> he and his wife<\/span>,<\/span> Rachel Fritz<\/a><\/span> <\/span>Schaal<\/span>,<\/span> started Parish Hill Creamery in 2013, they have completely eschewed commercial cultures<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\"cornerstone\"

Parish Hills Creamery Cornerstone<\/p><\/div>\n

On a late fall morning, the day after the last make of <\/span>their<\/span> seasonal production cycle, the couple s<\/span>its <\/span>in armchairs in <\/span>a <\/span>plant-filled living room. Frequently bumping into each other\u2019s sentences, they <\/span>talk about<\/span> Cornerstone and <\/span>its connection<\/span> to<\/span> <\/span>Parish Hill Creamery<\/span>, which they<\/span> run <\/span>and co-own <\/span>with <\/span>Fritz Schaal\u2019s<\/span> <\/span>sister, <\/span>Alex Schaal. <\/span>Smiling <\/span>often <\/span>from behind <\/span>a <\/span>grey-ginger, <\/span>mountain man<\/span>\u2013<\/span>style<\/span> beard<\/span>, Dixon use<\/span>s<\/span> his hands liberally<\/span> <\/span>for<\/span> <\/span>emphasis<\/span>. <\/span>His wife listen<\/span>s <\/span>carefully, jumping in to add or clarify.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

After Dixon<\/span> arrived at a professional fork in the road<\/span> a few years ago, <\/span>Fritz Schaal recal<\/span>ls<\/span> asking <\/span>him,<\/span> <\/span>\u201c<\/span>I<\/span>f you were king, what would you do?<\/span>\u201d His answer<\/span>? M<\/span>ak<\/span>e<\/span> <\/span>cheese<\/span>s<\/span> from <\/span>the <\/span>raw <\/span>milk of <\/span>a single<\/span> herd cared for by a great farmer. <\/span>Further, <\/span>Fritz Schaal<\/span> continue<\/span>s<\/span>, <\/span>\u201c<\/span>He<\/span> said he<\/span> wanted to make big rugged cheeses with <\/span>his <\/span>own cultures<\/span>. I said, \u2018T<\/span>hat\u2019s fine for <\/span>a <\/span>one-off<\/span>,<\/span> but nobody does th<\/span>at<\/span> for real cheeses<\/span>.<\/span>\u2019\u201d <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

It turned out<\/span>, however,<\/span> that if anybody could do <\/span>it<\/span>, Dixon could<\/span>. <\/span>Working closely with <\/span>Elm Lea Farm in <\/span>nearby <\/span>Putney, Parish Hill <\/span>developed <\/span>a line of <\/span>award-winning<\/span>,<\/span> <\/span>raw<\/span>–<\/span>milk <\/span>cheeses <\/span>made with<\/span> cultures propagated from that same milk<\/span>. <\/span>\u201cAs pure a <\/span>t<\/span>aste of place<\/span> as we can make,\u201d <\/span>Dixon sa<\/span>ys<\/span> with <\/span>satisfaction<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Let the <\/span><\/b>M<\/span><\/b>ilk <\/span><\/b>S<\/span><\/b>hine<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n

When Dixon and fellow cheesemakers <\/span>started <\/span>brainstorming<\/span> the<\/span>ir<\/span> American <\/span>O<\/span>riginal recipe, t<\/span>he <\/span>first challenge <\/span>was to <\/span>grapple with<\/span> <\/span>the category<\/span>. Many <\/span>see<\/span> <\/span>it<\/span> as a <\/span>catch-all <\/span>for cheeses that <\/span>don\u2019t<\/span> <\/span>quite <\/span>fit elsewhere<\/span> and are only slight tweaks on European <\/span>recipes<\/span>. (E<\/span>ven though, Greeley <\/span>notes,<\/span> <\/span>ACS <\/span>uses a<\/span> six-point screening list <\/span>to rate each <\/span>American Original <\/span>Recipe <\/span>category <\/span>entrant <\/span>as<\/span> \u201c<\/span>globally new and unique from all other cheese types<\/span>.\u201d)<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Rather than starting with<\/span> a<\/span> <\/span>style, <\/span>the <\/span>Cornerstone makers <\/span>agreed that<\/span> the project <\/span>would <\/span>be driven by \u201c<\/span>the taste of<\/span> each of<\/span> our<\/span> places<\/span>,<\/span>\u201d<\/span> <\/span>Dixon explain<\/span>s<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span>\u201cIn a sense there is nothing new<\/span>; every cheese has been made<\/span>,\u201d Fritz Schaal <\/span>adds<\/span>. \u201c<\/span>What makes it new is honoring your water, your grass, your land, your animals, the microbes on your hands and in your aging space.\u201d<\/span> <\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n

T<\/span>he<\/span> team<\/span> <\/span>tasked<\/span> <\/span>Dixon<\/span> <\/span>with<\/span> develop<\/span>ing<\/span> a set of guidelines and<\/span> <\/span>a recipe based on <\/span>three <\/span>fundamental<\/span> pillars:<\/span> raw milk, native cultures<\/span>,<\/span> and a natural rind. <\/span>E<\/span>ach cheesemaker<\/span> would<\/span> source milk<\/span> from <\/span>their<\/span> own herd or a single nearby herd<\/span> and make their own starter cultures from that milk<\/span> <\/span>according to<\/span> a method specified by <\/span>Dixon<\/span> (<\/span>for more on how this works, <\/span>turn to <\/span>p. <\/span>TK)<\/span>. <\/span>S<\/span>alt <\/span>must be harvested <\/span>from as near <\/span>the cheesemaker <\/span>as possible, <\/span>calf rennet <\/span>is <\/span>used<\/span>,<\/span> and <\/span>only <\/span>turning and flipping<\/span> wheels is permitted during aging (so as not to disturb the natural flora growing on the rind).<\/span> Each maker uses the same stone paver<\/span>\u2013<\/span>shaped form and, ideally, cheeses are aged for <\/span>a minimum of <\/span>five months.<\/span> <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>recipe<\/span> is completely reliant on <\/span>the highest<\/span>-q<\/span>uality<\/span> <\/span>raw material<\/span>. <\/span>\u201cYou <\/span>take what you have and figure out what it does best<\/span> without messing <\/span>too much <\/span>with it<\/span>,\u201d <\/span>Dixon sa<\/span>ys.<\/span> <\/span>\u201cEverything\u2019s kept so elementa<\/span>l\u2014<\/span>it\u2019s about <\/span>letting the milk shine<\/span>.\u201d<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Sue Miller (far left), Peter Dixon, Rachel Fritz Schaal, and Mark Gillman working on the inaugural batch of Cornerstone.<\/p><\/div>\n

From Scratch<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n

In March <\/span>of <\/span>2016, Gillman and Miller traveled to <\/span>Vermont<\/span> so all three could work together on the inaugural batch of Cornerstone. <\/span>Both <\/span>had <\/span>taken cheesemaking courses with<\/span> Dixon and were drawn to the project <\/span>as a learning and collaborative <\/span>opportun<\/span>i<\/span>ty<\/span>. Gillman <\/span>has <\/span>made cheese for two decades <\/span>with<\/span> his mother<\/span>,<\/span> <\/span>Elizabeth Mac<\/span>A<\/span>lister<\/span>, <\/span>on their Colchester, Connecticut <\/span>farm <\/span>with <\/span>the milk of their Jersey herd<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span>While the cheeses have evolved over time, m<\/span>any<\/span> of <\/span>the duo\u2019s initial <\/span>recipes <\/span>were <\/span>inspired by European<\/span> cheeses, <\/span>Gillman<\/span> <\/span>explains; <\/span>Cornerstone<\/span> <\/span>intrigu<\/span>ed<\/span> him <\/span>because \u201cit was <\/span>never intended to replicate something.\u201d<\/span> <\/span>Given the near-universal reliance on European freeze-dried cultures, learning to propagate local cultures feels valuable, he says. <\/span>Gillman sees this<\/span> as a bonus not only for h<\/span>is own professional growth, but\u2014because of the<\/span> <\/span>opportunity to compare different versions of <\/span>Cornerstone<\/span>\u2014<\/span>also of potential benefit to the broader cheesemaking community<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\"cornerstone\"

Birchrun Hills Farm Cornerstone<\/p><\/div>\n

Sue <\/span>Miller and her husband<\/span>,<\/span> <\/span>Ken<\/span>,<\/span> <\/span>have been making<\/span> cheese<\/span> for about a dozen years<\/span> from the raw milk of their <\/span>mostly Holstein <\/span>herd about an hour northwest of Philadelphia. <\/span>Like most small cheesemakers, Birchrun Hills started by \u201ctaking European-style cheese and putting a twist on it,\u201d Miller sa<\/span>ys.<\/span> <\/span>An<\/span> enthusiastic team player<\/span>, she leapt at the chance to be part of Cornerstone<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span>\u201c<\/span>I love working together to take things to a higher level<\/span>,\u201d <\/span>she <\/span>sa<\/span>ys<\/span>. <\/span>\u201cThe beauty of it is that we\u2019re getting to the beginning of the process<\/span>,\u201d <\/span>Miller<\/span> continu<\/span>es<\/span>.<\/span> \u201c<\/span>For me, <\/span>Cornerstone is a<\/span>n <\/span>expression <\/span>of what we do <\/span>at so many levels<\/span>. It<\/span> goes back to how we care for the land, how we care for the cows<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span>It\u2019s an expression of our milk in its purest form<\/span>.\u201d<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span>High ideals aside<\/span>, both Gillman and Miller acknowledge that making starters from scratch <\/span>requires deep commitmen<\/span>t and time<\/span> they don\u2019t always have<\/span>.<\/span> Gillman <\/span>had to <\/span>start fresh<\/span> after his <\/span>first <\/span>Cornerstone <\/span>batch failed<\/span> <\/span>due to <\/span>a <\/span>weak culture. <\/span>\u201cThe biggest pain in the neck is making the cultures<\/span>,<\/span>\u201d <\/span>Miller <\/span>says<\/span>. \u201cIt\u2019s too hard to do it if you don\u2019t believe in it.\u201d <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span>New Model<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>Cornerstone <\/span>project <\/span>is still very young<\/span> i<\/span>n cheese years<\/span>,<\/span> but <\/span>it\u2019s<\/span> already<\/span> earn<\/span>ed<\/span> serious attention<\/span>. <\/span>Last year, <\/span>Bon App\u00e9tit<\/span><\/i> <\/span>magazine <\/span>named it<\/span> one of the<\/span> 25 most important cheeses in<\/span> America<\/span>. \u201cCornerstone promotes a new eco-<\/span>microbio<\/span>-political craftsmanship,\u201d <\/span>wrote cheese expert <\/span>Carlos <\/span>Yescas<\/span> in the feature<\/span>.<\/span> \u201cThe result is a cheese that is connected to the land that produced it and an experiment in the creation of a new American <\/span>O<\/span>riginal.\u201d <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

John <\/span>Greeley<\/span> <\/span>is gratified by the collaborative<\/span> and inclusive<\/span> <\/span>approach<\/span>. \u201cIt is very promising, <\/span>especially<\/span> the fact that they\u2019re willing to share and popularize it,\u201d he s<\/span>a<\/span>ys<\/span>. <\/span>Whether or not Cornerstone does succeed in <\/span>becoming one of the new <\/span>American <\/span>O<\/span>riginal<\/span> <\/span>sub<\/span>categor<\/span>ies Greeley envisioned<\/span>, <\/span>it\u2019s <\/span>likely <\/span>going to yield<\/span> <\/span>insight into microbial terroir that will resonate throughout<\/span> the <\/span>cheese<\/span> community<\/span>. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\"cornerstone\"

Cato Corner Farm Cornerstone<\/p><\/div>\n

At the <\/span>University of Connecticut<\/span>, f<\/span>ood microbiology <\/span>assistant professor <\/span>Dennis D\u2019Amico<\/span> sees Cornerstone as <\/span>an unprecedented opportunity to study how a \u201cfarm- and cheesemaker-specific selection of microbes\u201d <\/span>impacts a cheese. His lab is taking cheese samples from each <\/span>maker<\/span> <\/span>through<\/span>out<\/span> the<\/span> <\/span>production<\/span> <\/span>process. <\/span>Some c<\/span>heeses <\/span>have been<\/span> moved to a different <\/span>aging cave in Vermont to mature<\/span> <\/span>side-by-side<\/span>. <\/span>In addition, microbiological analysis <\/span>will be done on samples collected from <\/span>each environment<\/span>\u2014including swabs from<\/span> <\/span>surrounding surfaces and<\/span> people<\/span>. A<\/span>n expert panel<\/span> <\/span>will <\/span>also <\/span>conduct descriptive sensory analysis of cheeses after <\/span>six<\/span> months of aging<\/span>. \u201cWe hope to be able to track compounds <\/span>in each cheese,\u201d D\u2019Amico <\/span>explain<\/span>s<\/span>, \u201cand start to identify unique microbes that are responsible for unique flavors.\u201d<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span>Open-Source Cheese<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n

Three years <\/span>after <\/span>th<\/span>at<\/span> initial challenge<\/span> was posed, <\/span>the <\/span>Cornerstone<\/span> cheesemakers present<\/span>ed a panel and tasting session<\/span> <\/span>at last summer\u2019s ACS<\/span> conference<\/span>. <\/span>T<\/span>he<\/span>ir<\/span> cheeses differed in some significant way<\/span>s\u2014<\/span>but <\/span>the makers believe there <\/span>i<\/span>s<\/span> a common<\/span> underlying<\/span> thread. <\/span>Brie Hurd, cheese buyer and manager<\/span> <\/span>at<\/span> The Cheese Shop of Salem<\/span> in Massachusetts<\/span>,<\/span> has been able to offer Cato Corner and Parish Hill Creamery Cornerstone side by side<\/span> at her counter<\/span>. \u201cThere were definite <\/span>distinctions<\/span>, <\/span>but <\/span>they were <\/span>similar in ways that had an obvious link<\/span>,\u201d she sa<\/span>ys<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span>\u201cThey<\/span> shared a <\/span>round nuttiness in flavor<\/span>,<\/span> although Parish Hill had <\/span>more of <\/span>a <\/span>bright, lactic tang<\/span> and <\/span>Cato <\/span>Corner a <\/span>more brothy finish<\/span>.<\/span>\u201d<\/span> <\/span>Overall, Hurd <\/span>enthuse<\/span>s<\/span>, <\/span>\u201cI love the idea of setting really careful limits, maintaining that core integrity.\u201d <\/span>Many of her<\/span> customers<\/span>, <\/span>the monger<\/span> <\/span>adds<\/span>, <\/span>\u201c<\/span>appreciate when we explain <\/span>this cool thing we\u2019ve been privileged to be a part of<\/span>. <\/span>It\u2019s <\/span>like a backstage pass<\/span>.<\/span>\u201d<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Left to right: Cato Corner Farm Cornerstone, Parish Hill Creamery Cornerstone, Birchrun Hills Farm Cornerstone<\/p><\/div>\n

Moving forward, the <\/span>cheesemaker<\/span>s are<\/span> working on <\/span>ensuring <\/span>consistency within <\/span>their<\/span> own <\/span>batches<\/span> and on standardizing<\/span> the recipe before <\/span>shar<\/span>ing it<\/span> with others. <\/span>Some key pieces need<\/span> to be worked out before the Cornerstone community expands<\/span>: <\/span>T<\/span>here will be a maximum production quantity for each cheesemaker<\/span>,<\/span> and the<\/span> current <\/span>handshake <\/span>agr<\/span>eement will be <\/span>formalized<\/span>. <\/span>It<\/span>\u2019<\/span>s a balance between making the code open<\/span>–<\/span>source, so to speak,<\/span> while assuring that<\/span> standards <\/span>are<\/span> met. <\/span>\u201cIf we <\/span>want<\/span> to create a category, <\/span>we do <\/span>need to standardize<\/span>,<\/span> establish some kind of protocol,\u201d <\/span>Gillman<\/span> acknowledge<\/span>s,<\/span> <\/span>\u201c<\/span>b<\/span>ut part of the point is to democratize it.\u201d<\/span> <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

While some have compared Cornerstone to a geographical indication, such as a PDO\u2014Europe\u2019s system of <\/span>codifying<\/span> <\/span>names and recipes for <\/span>certain <\/span>regional <\/span>foods and beverages<\/span>\u2014<\/span>Dixon <\/span>and Fritz <\/span>Schaal<\/span> <\/span>clarif<\/span>y<\/span> that <\/span>Cornerstone\u2019s <\/span>mission has never been to create <\/span>such a designation.<\/span> <\/span>\u201cHomogeneity is not a goal<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span>W<\/span>e don\u2019t want yours to taste like ours<\/span>,\u201d<\/span> <\/span>s<\/span>ays<\/span> Fritz Schaal. <\/span>The measure of success<\/span>, the<\/span> couple<\/span> <\/span>reiterate<\/span>s<\/span>,<\/span> is that Cornerstone cheeses are all deliciously different, represent<\/span>ing<\/span> what is unique to <\/span>a particular<\/span> milk and maker<\/span> within the constraints of <\/span>a<\/span> basic <\/span>recipe<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span>At the end of the day, Dixon hopes <\/span>that Cornerstone<\/span> w<\/span>ill <\/span>build<\/span> <\/span>cheesemaker <\/span>interest in<\/span> <\/span>native cultures<\/span> and provide<\/span> <\/span>a jumping-off point<\/span> <\/span>for<\/span> more American <\/span>O<\/span>riginals<\/span>.<\/span> \u201cUltimately,<\/span>\u201d he sa<\/span>ys<\/span>,<\/span> <\/span>\u201c<\/span>the goal is <\/span>that <\/span>once they try it, they will be inspired to do their own.\u201d<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There’s no shortage of “American Originals”: Colby, Teleme, Monterey Jack. Come along as we visit three farms creating the latest addition to the roster. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":36639,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[26354],"tags":[1389,6247,11441,1995,10413,11577,11442,10416,11440,1105,10414,10415,6252],"coauthors":[1031],"class_list":["post-36628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-american-cheese","tag-birchrun-hills-farm","tag-brian-civitello","tag-cato-corner-farm","tag-cornerstone","tag-cornerstone-cheese","tag-john-greeley","tag-mark-gillman","tag-original-cheese","tag-parish-hill-creamery","tag-peter-dixon","tag-rachel-fritz-schaal","tag-sue-miller"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMeet Cornerstone, the Newest All-American Cheese<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There's no shortage of "American Originals": Colby, Teleme, Monterey Jack. 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