When Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery first opened, they relied on local farms to supply them with enough quality goat's milk to craft their now-famous cheese. But goat dairies are hard to come by in the Green Mountain State, so Allison Hooper and the rest of the VBCC crew thought up a solution crazy enough to work -- open their own dairy.

Under the current milk pricing system, many dairy farmers aren't seeing profits, and some are even losing money. But the road to change is a long and hard one, especially with farmers and processors unable to come to an agreement on a new price formula.

The drought and high input costs are making it difficult to turn a profit, but if dairymen were being paid the price of the milk they're producing, they at least wouldn't be losing money, he added.

"There's certainly no need for the four-class system anymore," Wailes said. "Forty years ago, it certainly made sense; different dairymen were producing different quality of milk.

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Cold cuts, olives, oil, and provolone have had a serious relationship since the dawn of time. Why not warm them up between two slices of buttered, crusty bread? Seriously though...why not?

I don't get it. Why wouldn't you want to add cold cuts and spicy olive salad to the middle of your grilled cheese sandwich?

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Photo by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

If you love craft beer, you've likely heard of the Black IPA lately. So, what the heck is it, and is it an oxymoron? Read on to find out.

But there is an American original, the Black IPA, which has been showing up on beer lists much more frequently. East Coast and West Coast brew houses are even quarreling over the style’s birthplace and the inevitable bragging rights over its provenance. I recently spoke with John Thompson, Minister of Propaganda at Smuttynose Brewing in New Hampshire, who told me, “I know that people from the West Coast want to lay claim to the beer style, but at the logs at the Vermont Pub and Brewery they’ve got a recipe that dates back to 1994. So, we have documentary evidence that it is a New England original.”

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Photo by Jeff Soyk for Boston Magazine

Jill of turophile blog Cheese and Champagne really loves a good Gouda. Recently, she's been enamored with award-winning Marieke Gouda Mature and Nylander Gouda.

Made from pure Jersey milk from a farm in northern Holland, which Benjamin got to visit on his last trip there (lucky duck), Nylander is bursting with bright grassy notes and sweet, buttery undertones. Though the texture is semi-firm, it has the addictive, candy-like quality of much older, crystal-filled goudas. If there were a high school comprised of goudas, Nylander would be the head cheerleader, full of cheesy spirit and ready to explode with enthusiasm. It’s too special to blend into a dish – enjoy on its own and savor every bite.

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The collapse of the Swiss Cheese Union ten years ago has allowed many traditional cheesemakers to branch out and create new Swiss styles. One of these is Scharfe Maxx, semi-firm like its mountain cousins, but much creamier and sharper. Look for it at your favorite cheese shop if you're an alpine fan.

f you can find it, do. It tastes of caramel and nut and fudge. It's slightly funky, in that toasty, melty, cheesy kind of way. The finish is long and sharp, nearly tickling the tongue. And if you're not stuffing artichokes with a soufflé made of the stuff, find a round, full-bodied white to wash it down with.

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Photo by Di Bruno Bros.

We've seen quite the variety of grilled cheese fillings. Cured meats, pickles, jams, fresh veggies, herbs...but none are as hotly (pun intended) debated as avocado/guacamole. Some feel avocado should never be warmed. But others insist upon the glory of guacamole in grilled cheese. Where do you stand?

My hedonism knows few bounds, but buttering cheese might be one of them. As we all know, avocados are the butter of the plant kingdom, so this sandwich is the next best thing. And it's easy for us to fool ourselves into even believing it's healthy, what with its greenness and good fats and all. Right?

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Photo by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Whether you're a local or a tourist, scope out this list of Nashville watering holes curated by Serious Eats. Who knows, you just might find your new local joint. Have a favorite that's not on the list? Let us know below.

With outmoded state laws, like the legal split between high- and low-gravity beers (a demarcation at 5% alcohol by weight, or 6.3% by volume) and the "franchise laws" of the wholesale distribution system, Nashville once seemed destined to remain a craft beer backwater. But luckily for the locals, breweries have been popping up like a game of whack-a-mole—just you try and keep up.

See the list

Photo by W.S. Lyon

Love the suds? Take a beer-cation by visiting one of these fun, interactive breweries across America.

These trips might not be Robert Parker-approved, but will rank highly on any culinary traveler’s radar. Depending on where you visit, you can take a tour, frequent nearby food trucks, catch a concert, play a game of pool, or take home a few liquid souvenirs. Many offer family friendly visits, too. So, leave your passport at home. We’re headed on a coast-to-coast tour of America’s best craft beer scenes.

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Photo by Flickr/Smitten with Kittens

Compound herb butters can take any dish from drab to fab. The best part? They're super easy to make, and can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the freezer. So what are you waiting for? Get in the kitchen and make one of these butters!

As vehicles for fresh herbs and aromatics like garlic and citrus zest, compound butters can brighten up simply cooked fish, meat, and vegetables, even baked potatoes. Mixed, rolled into logs, and wrapped in plastic film or waxed paper, herb butters keep well in the freezer. That makes it easy to have a variety on hand to slice as needed.

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Photo by Chris Rochelle / CHOW.com