Tag Archives: meeting

Queso Diego July 2025 Meeting Announcement: Star-Spangled Chevre

? Tuesday, July 16 | AleSmith Brewing ?
? 6:30 PM Potluck | 7:00 PM Meeting Starts ⏰

This month, we’re celebrating July with creative red, white, and blue chèvre flavor infusions!

What to Bring

Your Star-Spangled Creation: Bring the chèvre you made (or bought!) dressed up in festive fashion! Think berries, beets, blueberries, or any red, white, and blue ingredients that inspire you. Let your imagination run wild with your most festive fromage!

Include an index card with your name and how you flavored your cheese. As part of our meeting, we’ll sample all the delicious creations you’ve made.

Share Your Masterpiece: Want your creation featured in our slide show? Send your photo to officers@quesodiego.org by Monday, July 14.

Haven’t Started Yet? No worries! You still have time to make your chèvre. Access the step-by-step instructions here: Chevre and More Presentation Slides

? Remember: Bring a dish to share and a folding chair! ?
? Bring a Friend: Guests are invited to attend one meeting for free! So bring a friend and spread the cheese love! ???
? Guests are invited to join for $20 per year for individuals or $30 per household! ?‍?‍?‍?

Queso Diego June 2025 Meeting Announcement

Queso Diego June Meeting Announcement
Date: Tuesday, June 17
Time: 6:30 PM
Location: AleSmith – 9990 AleSmith Ct, San Diego, CA 92126

Ever wanted to make your own cheese? This session is your perfect starting point! We’ll show you just how easy and fun cheesemaking can be, focusing on delicious chèvre—a fresh, creamy goat cheese that you can flavor with herbs like dill, chives, or rosemary, cracked black pepper, honey, or even sweet additions like blueberries or cranberries. Plus, members will receive a free chèvre making kit to continue the fun at home!

Remember: Bring a dish to share and folding chair!
Bring a Friend: Guests are invited to attend one meeting for free. So bring a friend and spread the cheese love!
Join us: Guests are invited to join for $20 per year for individuals or $30 per household.

Social time starts at 6:30, the presentation begins at 7:00 pm.

Queso Diego May Meeting Announcement

Date: Tuesday, May 20
Time: 6:30 PM
Location: AleSmith – 9990 AleSmith Ct, San Diego, CA 92126 – in the 2nd floor Mezzanine.
 
This Tuesday, please join us for an exciting presentation with a few of our own Queso Diego members: “Behind the Rind: Meet the Cheesemakers.”
 
Social time starts at 6:30, the presentation begins at 7:00 pm.
 
(Check the board in the tasting room (or your email) in case of a last-minute room change. It’s also a good idea to keep a camp chair in your car in case of a last-minute change, as not all rooms have seating.)

Queso Diego April 2025 Meeting Announcement – Grilled Cheese

Date: Tuesday, April 15
 Time: 6:30 PM
 Location: AleSmith – 9990 AleSmith Ct, San Diego, CA 92126 – likely in the Barrel Room (check the sign in the tasting room or your email in case of last-minute changes)

Get ready for a night of gooey, crispy, melty goodness at our Grilled Cheese Extravaganza! Bring your best grilled cheese game and come prepared to cook, taste, and share.

 No traditional potluck this time—just all things grilled cheese!

  If you won’t be grillin’, please bring a side that complements grilled cheese.
Plan to make 2-3 sandwiches, cut into bite-sized pieces to share. Work solo or as a team – it’s up to you!
Taste, mingle, cook, and repeat!

Please RSVP BY CLICKING HERE BY FRIDAY, APRIL 11

 Checklist of items

  • Folding tables
  • Non-electric cooking surface (griddle, propane camping stove, chafing dish, etc.)
  • Lighter (if needed)
  • Cooking pan with lid
  • Cooking utensils (spatula, tongs, etc.)
  • Ingredients & equipment to make and share your grilled cheese creations
  • Knife for cutting your bites
  • Cutting board
  • Serving spatula
  • Paper towels
  • Paper plates
  • Printed recipe and/or signage
  • Lawn chair (please bring one for yourself)

April is National Grilled Cheese Month. Every year, Queso Diego celebrates this with a Grilled Cheese Extravaganza. Members bring equipment and ingredients to make and share the most amazing grilled cheese creations imaginable!

We will NOT have our traditional potluck at this meeting.  If you’re not planning to make a grilled cheese, please consider bringing something that might go well with grilled cheese. Additionally, if you have any of the grilled cheese equipment or supplies listed above, please consider bringing them.

Remember, we can bring only homemade alcohol (non-commercial). Better yet, enjoy an AleSmith beer – Queso Diego members get a 10% discount.

Again: Please RSVP BY CLICKING HERE by FRIDAY, APRIL 11

For further details, please see here: April-2025-Queso Diego Grilled Cheese Extravaganza

Pro Tips:

  • Prep/cook/chop/cut/shred/mix/marinate in advance.  Do anything you can in advance.
  • Think outside the box – get creative about flavor combinations and even consider dessert grilled cheeses.
  • When you leave your home to come to the meeting, don’t worry about putting your cheese in a cooler. You’ll want your cheese at room temp for grilling.
  • Butter (or mayo) the outsides of your bread, not the insides.
  • Cook at a low-med or medium heat, so you don’t burn the bread while waiting for the cheese to melt (a lid on your pan helps trap heat and melt the cheese).
  • You may remove the rind if using something like a Brie.
  • Use a cheese that melts well. Avoid high moisture, low/no fat, or too acidic cheeses. Cheeses that won’t melt include Halloumi, Feta, Cotija, Ricotta, Paneer, Queso Fresco.

 Further resources:

Check out these resources to get the creative juices flowing:

Queso Diego March 2025 Meeting Announcement

Say Cheese!

Our March Queso Diego Meeting will be on March 18, 6:30 PM at AleSmith Brewery (9990 AleSmith Ct., San Diego, CA 92126)

The March meeting topic is Irish cheese 

We are scheduled to meet upstairs in the Mezzanine. Please take the stairs or elevator from the tasting room to the Mezzanine. (Note: Consider keeping a camp chair in your car as a backup in case of a last-minute change of rooms. The Mezzanine has chairs we can use, but other rooms do not.)

The potluck and socialization begin at 6:30, and the meeting starts at 7:00. Please bring a dish to share. Homemade cheese and homemade brew are encouraged. (No outside commercial alcohol, please.) Please consider supporting AleSmith, one of our club sponsors, by ordering beer in the tasting room. Also, check the refrigerator in the AleSmith gift shop for the latest cheeses from CheeseSmith.

Announcements

We are saddened to share that Don Rutherford, a longtime member and former officer of Queso Diego, recently passed away. Our thoughts are with Carol Rutherford and their loved ones. Don will be missed.

Join us for the Cheese & Libation Expo 2025 from May 16th to May 18th at The Brick in Liberty Station. Meet the finest cheese & libation artisans while enjoying unlimited cheese, bottomless drinks, and curated bites from Dinner Bell SD. Plus, snag a tote bag packed with goodies, shop at our pop-up boutique, and enjoy exclusive pairings & collaborations. Sign up early with code ‘quesodiego’ for $15 off! Buy tickets here: Cheese & Libation Expo

If you need anything from the Library of Cheesemaking, please make a request in advance to arrange delivery at the meeting. Please check the list of offerings and send an email to QD-Library-Request@googlegroups.com.

April meeting: April 15 at 6:30. The very popular grilled cheese meeting.

Queso Diego January 2025 Meeting Announcement

Please join us at our January Meeting this Tuesday, January 21 at 6:30pm at AleSmith (9990 AleSmith Ct, San Diego, Ca 92126)! We will be meeting in the MEZZANINE

(upstairs). 

OPENING PRESENTATION

Curt Wittenberg will give a short presentation on cheeses of Tasmania.

MAIN PRESENTATION

Vice President Lisa Gonzalez will take us on a virtual tour of the California Cheese Trail. https://www.cheesetrail.org/

LIBRARY OF CHEESEMAKING

Queso Diego has a collection of cheesemaking equipment and supplies for most of your cheesemaking needs. To make a request from the library, find what you need on the Library of Cheesemaking Google doc then e-mail <qd-library-request@googlegroups.com> with your request.  Note: only paid members have access to the library.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PAPER PLATES, NAPKINS OR UTENSILS?

Do you have any paper plates, napkins or plasticware at your place?  If you have anything that’s just sitting around and taking up space, you’re welcome to bring it to the meeting to donate to Queso Diego. We’ll put it to good use!

MEETING LOGISTICS 

  • We’re meeting in the MEZZANINE area (walk in the main entrance, past the main bar and gift shop towards the Barrel Room.  Before the Barrel Room, use the stairs or elevator to go UPSTAIRS to the Mezzanine). (While the Mezzanine has seating, it’s not a bad idea to keep a camping chair in your car as a backup in case of a last-minute change of room.)
  • Upon arrival, please check-in at the check-in table.
  • Please set up your potluck item ON THE TABLES. Any beverages you bring can be set up on the top of the bar. We have labels and label stands, grab a sharpie and label what you bought.
  • Members are encouraged to bring homemade cheese, acpotluck item, or a beverage. If bringing alcohol, only homemade alcohol is allowed (NO COMMERICAL ALCOHOL). Better yet, enjoy some of AleSmith’s tasty beverages!
  • Potluck/socializing begins at 6:30pm. The meeting starts at 7 pm.

We look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday!