MODESTO, Calif. — Americans' palates have become sophisticated as of late — particularly when it comes to cheese. Consumers aren't just trying the mainstay American and Italian cheeses. Increasingly, they are looking to try specialty cheeses that are just beginning to be made in the United States or farmstead cheeses that are truly "American originals," produced nowhere else but in America.

Chefs have been a key component in driving this growing interest in cheese because they start trends by showing consumers what's available as well as new and innovative ways to use products that aren't as well known, says Nancy Fletcher, director, communications services, California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB). In addition, chefs do this in a way that can't be considered blatant self-promotion of a product.

"Chefs and food writers using California cheese are a great third-party endorsement for our products," Fletcher says. "They have to like them to use them."

In a strong economy, cheese has been a hit for restaurants. For example, David Leyva, pastry chef at Lapis Restaurant in San Francisco, says cheese has been featured on the dessert menu ever since the restaurant opened in February 2000.

Restaurant patrons are quite knowledgeable about cheese, he says, and the cheese course on the dessert menu, which features imported as well as domestic cheeses, is popular. Also popular is a wine, olive and cheese pairing the restaurant offers.

Lapis Restaurant is one of the many restaurants CMAB has worked with as the producer-funded marketing board has developed relationships with chefs as an avenue for marketing cheese.

"It's really an important one of our goals — to reach chefs, food writers and other people really interested in food," says Fletcher. "We feel these food influentials help create trends."

• Reaching out to the culinary community

CMAB is working to promote cheese to chefs in a number of ways. In mid-2000, CMAB launched a program to educate fine restaurants in California and Phoenix about California cheeses and to promote cheese courses featuring California cheese. CMAB also recently took its California cheese marketing campaign to Utah and as part of that effort has been working with Salt Lake City restaurants, too. The board has now held more than 30 cheese tastings for restaurant chefs to date, with plans for more.

Fletcher takes pride in the fact that California, which some people may still associate with commodity cheeses, now has production of 160 varieties and has eight farmstead cheesemakers. While artisan and farmstead cheeses make up only a small portion of cheese produced in California each year, they are having a big impact.

"We're such a growing industry — chefs are not aware of the new artisanal cheeses we have," she says. "There's a renaissance in California with artisanal cheese."

Because consumers are becoming increasingly interested in good food, many restaurants also are developing cooking schools for consumers — something with which CMAB also is assisting. For example, the Sundance Resort and Stein Erickson, both in Utah, have conducted cooking schools that have included California cheese. There is an especial interest in fine dining in Salt Lake City right now with the Olympics headed there next year, Fletcher adds, which gives these restaurants even greater potential to share the strengths of California's cheese industry far and wide.

CMAB isn't alone in recognizing chefs are a critical element to maximizing cheese's exposure. In fact, the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB), which has long worked with chefs, will be resurrecting its "Chef Showcase" in the coming year. The event, which will be held at a venue in Wisconsin, will feature well-known chefs, says Kenn Olson, vice president, marketing support resources, WMMB, and a panel of experts will pick the winning recipes. Not only does the event generate interest among chefs, WMMB will use the recipes and the showcase for other promotional activities, he says.

Olson agrees with Fletcher that chefs are a good third party endorsement for cheese. Their involvement brings validity and credibility to the use of cheese and the board's programs, which is why WMMB utilizes them in a number of ways throughout the year. For example, at trade shows WMMB often features chefs who give demonstrations on how to use cheese in various dishes.

Chefs also have trade shows, something which marketing organizations like CMAB and WMMB also take advantage of.

WMMB, for example, participates with a booth at the International Association of Culinary Professionals' (IACP) convention as well as at other trade shows for chefs.

CMAB also participates in the IACP convention.

"You get to talk to a lot of professional food people at the IACP show and it reinforces what we're trying to do with our marketing efforts," Fletcher says.

Shows like this are an important tool for reaching not only chefs but also food writers and specialty retailers, Fletcher says. Specialty retailers, Fletcher notes, are another important piece of the puzzle in showcasing specialty cheese for consumers because major grocery chains check out specialty retailers to uncover food trends. In addition, cooking shows and publications, both food and business related, pick up on all of the activity surrounding cheese and provide even more exposure.

Furthermore, working with food professionals' trade organizations is another way to show chefs and other food enthusiasts about the artisanal qualities of cheeses produced in the United States, she adds, noting, for example, that throughout the year CMAB will sponsor California cheese tastings at Slow Food and other events.

• Cheese in the classroom — or online

In addition, CMAB works with food professionals through its involvement in courses at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA).

CMAB was looking for a way to reach chefs and food writers when it uncovered the possibility of working with CIA, a preeminent culinary school, says Fletcher. And providentially, CIA's continuing education campus is in CMAB's home state, which gives CMAB the opportunity to work with chefs already in the marketplace.

CMAB has sponsored several two-day classes on California cheese at CIA-Greystone for the past four years. The course provided helpful information, says Brian Streeter, resident chef, Cakebread Cellars, Rutherford, Calif., who attended the course two years ago. Streeter, who only features domestically-produced cheese — primarily California-produced cheese — in the winery's cheese and wine pairing and cheese board, says he sent another chef on staff to attend the class last year.

Because of the popularity of the cheese course in restaurants, this year CMAB also is revising the class to make it a one-day event focusing on how restaurants can plan and feature California cheese in a cheese course. As a direct outgrowth of its work with chefs and restaurants, CMAB also is in the process of finalizing a brochure on how consumers can prepare cheese courses at home.

In addition, in conjunction with CIA, CMAB has embarked on the somewhat daunting project of developing a continuing education program online.

"There's so much demand on chefs' time — the online course is a whole new opportunity for them," she says.

The program, which will be offered free of charge to chefs and restaurant staff through CIA's ProChef website, is called "The Professional Chef Discovers California Cheese." The six-module class will offer information about cheese handling, storage and preparation in general, and California cheeses in particular. Participants also will be able to view videotapes showing cooking techniques as well as brief visits to eight California specialty cheesemaking operations.

"They can even order a sampler for guided tastings," Fletcher says.

In addition, also opening nearby in Napa this fall is Copia, a center for food, wine and art largely funded by Robert and Margarit Mondavi of Robert Mondavi Winery. The center, which Fletcher says will be one of its kind in celebrating food, wine and art, will even have a restaurant named for Julia Child, who has lent her support for the project. CMAB is helping train docents for the center and also will be involved in other educational efforts, she says.

Encouraging education of chefs and spreading the word about specialty cheeses is good for the industry as a whole, Fletcher says, because the industry is constantly growing and the ongoing interest in fine cheese helps to further encourage that growth.

"Each year in California we are seeing new cows' milk producers starting up who are making wonderful cheeses," she says. "When you look at what's going on across the United States, it's very exciting."

CMN