Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1521157
THE HOT LIS T 2024 culturecheesemag.com 7 FROM THE EDITOR O f all seasons, I find summer to be the most polarizing. For some, summer is a glorious time to defrost and get outdoors. For others, it's the pinnacle of discomfort—you know those sayings, "You can only take so much off," etc. etc. Summer is also the time of year when grilling outdoors becomes a weekly ritual, finding a source of water to cool off is essential, and the American Cheese Society's Annual Conference brings all walks of the cheese industry together under one air-conditioned roof to learn and network. The months leading up to the gathering are filled with "are you going to ACS?" and googling 'what to do in [insert conference city].' We cheese folks look forward to this summer shindig because we can connect with our people. In that spirit, culture launched a Hot List roundup in last year's summer issue to spotlight trailblazers in our industry. This year, we upped the amount of Hot Listers from nine to 20 and elicited nominations from our readers to amplify our scope. The result is a curation of 20 talented individuals dedicated to their craft (Hot Stuff, p. 36). Assistant digital editor Ashia Aubourg expanded on this sense of collaboration in Cutting Down Silos in Cheese (p. 52), which explores a variety of partnerships that are growing our industry. Josie Krogh chatted with innovator Jessica Sennett (Voicings, p. 19) about the ins and outs of launching a revolutionary cheese storage product, and Kristine Hansen touched base with season 21 Top Chef chef-testant Dan Jacobs, who shares his recipe for homemade cottage cheese (Chef 's Dish, p. 23). There's also a tinned fish cheese plate for hot girl summer (Make a Splash, p. 32), the science behind annatto (Orange Crush, p.14), and orange wine pairings to keep in theme with fiery summer tones (Sunset-Hued Sips, p.10). Hopefully, you can find time to unwind, sip on something refreshing, and leisurely enjoy this issue on a slow summer day. And if the summer heat's just not your jam, I'm sending good vibes à la the late Jimmy Buffett for lots of summer breezes and French wines and cheeses to put your ambitions at bay ;). Mallory Scyphers, Executive Content Director JUNE Pine Island Cheese Festival May 31–June 2 Pine Island, Minn. pineislandcheesefestival. com Cheese Capital Festival June 7–8 Plymouth, Wis. plymouthwisconsin.com/ events/cheese-derby-day- and-music-festival Beer, Bacon, and Cheese Festival | June 8 New Glarus, Wis. facebook.com/ newglarusbeerbaconcheese Cheese Fest | June 8 Suttons Bay, Mich. leelanaucheese.com/pages/ cheese-fest Cheese Curd Festival June 21–22 Ellsworth, Wis. cheesecurdfestival.com JULY American Cheese Society Annual Conference July 10–13 Buffalo, NY cheesesociety.org/ conference Atlanta Ice Cream Festival July 27 Atlanta, Ga. atlantaicecreamfestival. com AUGUST The Macaroni and Cheese Festival | August 24 Avila Beach, Calif. themacandcheesefest.com The Macaroni and Cheese Festival | August 24 Albuquerque, NM themacandcheesefest.com Mark Your Calendars