On this week's episode of Let's Eat In, Cathy Erway is talking with Ted D'Cruz-Young, founder of Mealku. Mealku is network of home cooks that prepare meals for each other based on the ideas of cooperation and reciprocity. Essentially, Mealku is a food cooperative for cooking and eating enthusiasts. But Ted's inspirations are not purely culinary; tune in to hear about how the industrial food system fueled the idea for Mealku, and how Ted hopes that food cooperatives put soul back into food. Learn why Mealku might be a good option for people who suffer from gluten intolerance or food allergies. Hear how one goes about joining Mealku, and why food safety is of utmost importance to the business. Of course, hear Cathy and Ted discuss date meals, as well as topics such as Italian peasant cooking and restaurant trends. This program has been sponsored by Hearst Ranch.

"I'm inspired by a lot of things, but I'm frustrated by more. I think the reality is that we have a system that is completely unsustainable. We can't all consume and buy everything that we want."

"Is price really the point we should be measuring nutrition?"

-- Ted D'Cruz-Young on Let's Eat In

John and his wife Amanda are new farmers who run a raw milk dairy which also produces ice cream, yogurt and cheese. John & Amanda Place along with their two children, Mia & Mason, own and operate Keepsake Farm & Dairy. John and Amanda met while attending the University of Delaware where they studied animal science. Amanda went on to attend veterinary college at the University of Georgia and is now a veterinarian at a local animal hospital. This episode has been sponsored by Hearst Ranch.

"I don't think we've even begun to meet demands of the market... We have a group of consumers that are practically begging for more on-farm, organic products." [8:30]

"Preventative health is better than putting a Band-Aid on it, and all of that begins with nutrition." [15:00]

-- John Place on Greenhorn Radio

Diane Stemple's guest on today's Cutting the Curd is Max McCalman, the Dean of Curriculum at Artisanal. Listen in to hear Max recount some of his first childhood cheese memories, and his goal to dispel nutrition misconceptions about cheese. Hear about Max's initial cheese education at Picholine, and how it influenced the idea to begin Artisanal. Diane and Max speak to their cheese tastes, and the differences between raw milk production and pasteurization. Learn more about the American Cheese Society Certification Exam! This program has been sponsored by Hearst Ranch.

"I think Picholine is partially responsible for this 'cheese wave' in the United States- that cheese can be a stand-alone food." [4:20]

"People used to look at cheese like it was poisonous, indulgent- and that it was fattening!" [10:00]

"During my short career, I've seen some cheeses become extinct. They're not ever coming back." [18:40]

-- Max McCalman on Cutting the Curd