Dear Food Lover:

In the past few months, we've featured some gorgeous cheeses from various
countries -- France, Italy, Spain -- and they all have the complex array of tastes and textures that we live for. This month, however, we want to take some time to highlight three domestic cheeses made in the artisan tradition and with such panache that we proudly proclaim, "This is American cheese -- and it is good."

The first comes to us from the hills of southwestern Virginia, from Meadow Creek Farm, to be exact. Called "Grayson," this washed rind, cow's milk cheese is garnering quite a bit of respect from fromagers and consumers alike.

Next, we head south to Georgia and Sweet Grass Dairy, where their aged cow's milk cheese is superbly rich and complex. Read the second article to learn more about it.

And finally, we found an excellent cheese on the other side of the country called Beecher's Flagship Reserve. Aged in the tradition of the old world cheese makers, this semi-hard cheese has garnered some attention. Read more in the last article.

Farms like these are changing the way we view American cheese, and we're going to keep bringing them to you!

Stay hungry!
John Coleman