Twenty instructors from culinary-training programs across the country will further their cheese education when they tour farms, cheese plants and restaurants in Wisconsin, the country’s largest cheese producer.

The following chef/educators will be guests of WMMB:

• Nikki Bodamer, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Dallas
• Debbie Bolger, Renaissance Academy, Virginia Beach, Va.
• Jackie Caudill, Chapmanville Regional High School, Chapmanville, W.Va.
• Susan Callahan, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, Md.
• Valentina Columbo, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Las Vegas
• Collen Engle, The International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh
• Sam Glass, Centennial College, Toronto
• Lois Kessler, North Technical High School, Florissant, Mo.
• Germaine Leonard, Lorenzo Walker Institute of Technology, Naples, Fla.
• Francine Marz, The International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Phoenix
• Chris Olszewski, Polaris Career Center, Cleveland, Ohio
• Anthony Padavan, The International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Tampa
• Lisa Ramsey, The Art Institute of Tennessee-Nashville
• Michael Riggs, Bowling Green Technical College, Bowling Green, Ky.
• Stephan Scaife, Johnson & Wales University, Providence, R.I.
• Frank Terranova, Johnson & Wales University, Providence, R.I.
• Suzanne Vandyck, Worldchefs International, Santa Clara, Calif.
• Helen Woznakewicz, Franklin County Technical School, Turners Falls, Mass.
• Eric Yeager, Baltimore International College
• Cary York, East Jessamine High School, Nicholasville, Ky.

Recipe entries were evaluated on taste and health attributes, taking into account calorie count and inclusion of key nutrients. “We received some amazing recipes featuring Wisconsin cheese as part of an all-natural, healthy diet from chef instructors at high schools and colleges throughout North America,” says Sara Hill, culinary manager for cheese education for WMMB.

One of the entries, for example, was Southwestern Cheddar Soup submitted by Eric Yeager, chef-instructor and assistant director of culinary arts at Baltimore International College. “I went against the conventional idea of a thick cheese soup, and used the cheddar, itself, as a natural thickener instead of adding cream or butter,” says Yeager, who introduced the soup featuring Southwestern seasonings and roasted-vegetable salsa as a menu special at a full-service restaurant, and the soup was soon adopted as a permanent offering. “Not only is my version as hearty as traditional cheese soup, but because it’s lighter, it can be offered year ʾround.”

According to Hill, many Americans assume incorrectly that cheese is difficult to fit into a healthy lifestyle. Current research ranks healthy eating and lifestyles as a key consumer concern and trend, and foodservice educators have tremendous influence on shaping tomorrow’s foodways by educating future chefs and other foodservice personnel on maximizing the flavor of dishes with appropriate amounts of robust, all-natural, domestically produced cheeses.

“We want people making a commitment to eating more healthfully to know that cheese can and should be part of a healthy diet,” Hill says. “It comes down to portion size, the variety of cheese, and eating a moderate total diet.

Also, says Hill, more Americans than ever before want to know where their foods come from and how they’re produced—if they’re made with wholesome, fresh, sustainable ingredients. “One of the reasons we are inviting educators to tour Wisconsin cheesemaking is so they can see for themselves the interdependence between dairy farmers and cheesemakers to produce the highest-quality cheeses,” Hill says. “Chefs and their menus are an integral way by which many consumers experience and appreciate different varieties of cheese, often for the first time, which is one reason WMMB is committed to supporting professional culinary education.”

Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board is a nonprofit organization funded by the dairy farmers of Wisconsin that promotes the consumption of milk and other dairy products. For more information, visit www.eatwisconsincheese.com.

Photo Caption: Eric Yeager’s Southwestern Cheddar Soup is hearty on “on trend,” but lighter than a traditional cheese soup.