Only in its second year, the 2011 Cheesemonger Invitational, scheduled for this Friday, has sold out to the public and drawn 40 professional cheesemongers from the U.S. and beyond. The event is the brainchild of Adam Moskowitz, general manager of Larkin Cold Storage in Rhode Island, and will take place in Long Island City, New York.
One of these 40 participants is Alexander Kast, resident cheesemonger of A Southern Season. Besides being the store's cheese buyer and merchandiser, Kast also hosts a monthly class called "Just Say Cheese" at the gourmet market, where he teaches students how to cook with and pair cheeses.
An American, Kast grew up visiting his sister in London, where his brother-in-law worked in a cheese shop.
“I grew up visiting with him and smelling the smells of all these beautiful English cheeses,” says Kast. “It was always a part of my being. And it finally got to the age where I had to work, and I just seemed suited for that field.”
In the late 2000s, Kast moved to Brooklyn and got his first fromage gig at The Best of Cheese Shop.
"There I learned a lot about French cheeses, Italian cheeses and just really, really fine stuff," says Kast. "And then, somehow, I found myself in North Carolina."
At this year's Cheesemonger Invitational, Kast will have to participate in four different challenges. The first will test each cheesemonger's social interaction and stage presence – and cannot take more than 30 seconds. The second challenge is a blind tasting, where contestants will have to determine a number of facts about six small pieces of cheese. The third round will test the accuracy of each cheesemonger's cutting and wrapping ability. The final round will call on the competitors to create a mind-blowing and unexpected cheese slate and buffet from the items provided by the sponsors. The cheesemongers will also have the option to bring two of their own items to help them win.
It sounds daunting, but Kast isn't too worried.
"The best way to get cheese when you come into A Southern Season is to talk to the monger and say 'Can I have this cut?'" says Kast. "We do a lot of pre-packaged, but the best way to get the freshest cheese is to ask the cheesemonger to cut to order. We do all the wrapping, all of the dialogue –every component that will be tested at the invitational – on a daily basis."
Still, Kast has been going the extra distance to weigh his orders by hand instead of using a scale for an extra edge at the competition. He says that challenge will be the most difficult, although he is looking forward to everything, especially the final pairing challenge.
"You know, people ask you all the time for pairings. People ask you, if they want to drink a bottle of wine afterward, what would make a good pairing," says Kast. "It's all part of the job."
Check back here next week to learn how Kast fared at the invitational.
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