Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting the team behind Artisanal Cheese based in New York City. From Daniel Dowe the CEO to Denis Cotin (Director of Affinage) to Max McCalman (Director of Curriculum) the entire group is pleasant, interesting and passionate about their amazing product and company. (You can buy Max's books including The Cheese Plate on Amazon.com)

Max provided a tour of the company operations including a visit to the "cheese caves." We had to don hair nets, shoe coverings and lab coats to ensure we didn't disrupt the ecosystem that is built up with these living breathing organisms. As Max told us, he likes to make the case for cheese being the planet's most perfect food. 60 seconds with Denis and Max and you realize this is not the land of Velveeta and Kraft singles.

As a coffee and wine amateur aficionado, the complexities and wonderful stories built into the cheese world were quickly obvious. Artisanal Cheese imports extraordinary from all over the world...the largest percentage of which are cow-produced but plenty of examples of sheep, goat and others.

Artisanal Cheese is available at select delis and restaurants but you can learn more about them and order directly off their web site www.artisanalcheese.com.