"allison hooper" news and stories

Does someone on your holiday shopping list love cheese? Don't worry about wrapping up something stinky under the tree. Instead, give them one of (or all of) these three new books on cheese. From shopping tips to tasting notes, these encyclopedic tomes cover the gamut of cheese knowledge and should make any foodie drool with joy. And if that foodie happens to be you, then take a look at our summaries below and start adding these moldy titles to your wish list now.

• Despite the popularity of cheap, delicious food in tough economic times, "Street food trucks roll into red tape."
• "Sustainable" food and "green" cuisine may attract conscientious eaters, but their meanings are at best loosely defined -- and may be misleading.
• Allison Hooper of Vermont Butter & Cheese Co. picked up the cheese-making trade as a student in France, and her company now produces 1.5 million pounds of fromage a year. She published a cookbook, "In a Cheesemaker's Kitchen," to celebrate their 25th year in the business.
• Leftover season is upon us -- so find out everything you need to know about freezing food with the "Big Chill."
• Industrious food-industry businessman Payam Tabibiam got his start selling candy bars at double profit to fellow middle school students -- and has finally opened his own restaurant, the successful Z-Burger, which offers initiatives from food-eating contests to a whopping selection of 75 milkshakes to attract customers.
• Recipe highlights: a healthy but hearty Cod in a Fennel-Tomato Broth; Moroccan-inspired Spiced Carrots; an autumnal Fennel, Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad.