Culture Magazine

ENTERTAINING 202 3 culturecheesemag.com 7 EDITOR'S LETTER I find this time of year both exciting and exhausting. As a cheese lover, you've probably experienced the same pressure as us culture staffers: being the "resident cheese aficionado" at celebrations. And that, my friends, can be intimidating. I moved to south Alabama over a year ago after a 10-year stint in Boston, so finding specialty cheese is a bit more difficult than a quick jaunt to a local cheese shop. I also have a tendency to over-conceptualize when it comes to assembling a cheese plate or dish that should knock my guests' socks off. So, to keep this season undaunting, I'm embracing a new mantra: Avoid exhaustion at all costs and Keep. It. Simple. I'm excited to cook not-so-standard salad dishes from Sheela Prakash's Salad Seasons: Vegetable-Forward Dishes All Year (p. 48), and recreate our Cheese Plate (p. 32) as it takes the guesswork out of pairings (simple!), particularly sharing the Mitica Wooly Wooly and BRINS Salted Concord grape spread combo—remember that old Welch's grape juice commercial? Purple is the color of things that are very special. Or, bust out a bottle of mezcal and wow my friends with cheese and chocolate pairings recommended by cheese educator Julia Gross, highlighting the Mexican spirit and its origin stories (p. 37). And speaking of drinks, nothing feels as simple (and tasty) as sipping Spanish sidra while nibbling cheese (Drinks with Cheese, p. 10). We also highlight the importance of community with contributor Agela Abdullah's column For the Culture (p. 27), and a cheesemaker profile by Alexandra Jones spotlighting FireFly Farms' commitment to building community within their brand and their hometown (p. 43). Plus, Josie Krogh discusses how social media impacts the cheese industry with soundbites from That Cheese Plate's Marissa Mullen and Cheesetok's @punkrockparmigiano, Emilia D'Albero (p. 64). I suspect my goal to keep it simple could bring me more joy than fussing over opulence, helping me savor and appreciate experiences (with cheese!) versus going over the top. I mean, I don't think I'll ever lose the title "resident cheese aficionado" (to clarify, I am absolutely no expert, but to my friends, I'm a cheese queen ), but I will try my best to rein in the self-imposed pressure to go all out. Cheers! Mallory Scyphers, Executive Content Director Party Ready

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