We know, we know, the cheese is the real star in this show, but we think our enthusiastic and accomplished instructors are yet another reason to attend classes at The Cheese Course. Not sure which class to book? Maybe taking a look at our instructor bios may help you make the tough choice. Like the cheeses we carry in our shop, each instructor brings different delights to the table. Whether you prefer aged, nuanced, and complex or young, fresh and earthy, we are sure that you’ll find a few instructors that will satisfy your cravings. Check out some of the seasoned professionals that we have had in the classroom recently.

• Rob Kaufelt
• Liz Thorpe
• Mark Bello
• Taylor Cocalis
• Zoe Brickley
• Laure Dubouloz
• Diane Flynt
• Mark Gillman
• Jessica Kesselman
• Chris Munsey
• Marissa Ryan
• Jonathan Schwartz
• Cynthia Sin-Yi Cheng
• Amy Sisti-Baum
• Susan Page Sturman

Primary Instructors

Rob Kaufelt
Murray's fearless leader and co-author of The Murray's Cheese Handbook, Rob is also the founder of The Cheese Course. Under Rob's ownership, Murray's has seen unprecedented growth, earning the shop such accolades as first place in the 2006 Zagat's Gourmet Marketplace guide and and ''World's Best Cheese Shop'' in Forbes magazine. To Rob's credit, Time Out Magazine named him Cheesemonger of the Year in 2005. As primary instructor for Cheese U, Murray's first cheese certification program, Rob continues to break new ground in the field of cheese education.

Liz Thorpe
Co-author of The Murray's Cheese Handbook and Murray's Wholesale Director, Liz has in recent years emerged as one of the cheese world's best. She left the corporate world in April of 2002 to join Murray's and hasn't looked back since. Although she is more than well suited to teach such obscure classes as "The Rough Guide to Spain," "Weird Cheeses," and "The Dirty Truth: Beyond Organic," Liz's favorite class to teach is Cheese 101, because it "empowers folks to walk out into the world of cheese and know what they're going to like (or what they're going to want to avoid)."

Mark Bello
A pro at everything from antipasto to zabaglione, Mark has been our consigliere for Italian cuisine since February of 2006. Born with a rolling pin in hand, his love of gastronomy was carefully cultivated by his parents and then left to ferment for several years while he developed his MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. After a period of intense and sophisticated aging in Italy, studying, living, and cooking, Mark's expertise reached its pungent peak when he founds Pizza A Casa, a performance- style pizza catering company where he is currently chef/owner/instructor. Cultured, piquant, and wonderfully nutty, Mark's full flavors are best complimented by ''Pizza: The Master Class'' or ''Pasta: The Master Class''.

Taylor Cocalis
Introduced in February of 2007, Taylor is one of our freshest instructors!  (Though we think she shows excellent aging potential.) You'll also find her under the label "Classroom Coordinator."  Taylor's road to Murray's started with a degree in Hospitality, then took a trip across the Atlantic to the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Parma, Italy where she spent two years developing her sharp, yeasty knowledge and earning a masters in Food Culture.  An equal-opportunity eater, she loves all aspects of cuisine, but her true passion is researching the culture and traditions behind food. Like Parmagiano-Reggiano with a drizzle of honey, Taylor is sweet, and a little nutty.  She pairs especially well with an historical approach to gastronomy; try her with "Forget the Red: Late Harvest German Wines & Cheese", "Italy: Off the Beaten Path", or “Chocolate & Cheese”. 

Zoe Brickley
Zoe Brickley, Murray's own cave maven, imparts on us her knowledge and enthusiasm for affinage. Zoe started working behind the Murray's counter in Winter 2006, as an extra curricular during her tenure at the French Culinary Institute, but her affinity for mastering the art of cheese led her down to our caves, where she trained under a French affineur. Now Zoe spends her days keeping track of the hundreds of cheeses that come in and out of Murray's and her nights teaching many classes and private events, including The Cheese Course favorite: Mystery of the Caves. And if you still can't get enough of Zoe, check out her cheese blog on the Murray's Cheese website.

Laure Dubouloz
From the land of a thousand cheeses comes our amour Laure, our most treasured import.  Like so many spectacular products, this instructor comes to Murray's by way of Hervé Mons, one of France's most celebrated affineurs for whom she works as US Export Manager.  A classic example of artisan production, Laure spent her earliest years absorbing the sharp, aromatic skills of her affineur father.  Next, her expertise ripened at agriculture school where she studied farming, and finally, a solid pressing at a dairy school provided the firmness of her grasp of the food industry and business.  Delicate, earthy, and sweet, this affinage ace is a true chef-d'oeuvre.  Give her a try with "A Tale of Two Cheeses" or “The (A.)O.C.” 

Diane Flynt
Johnny Appleseed's got nothing on this instructor.  President and Cidermaker at Foggy Ridge Cider, Diane's mastery of the Forbidden Fruit is deep, nuanced and complex--everything from heirloom apple agriculture to producing and deciphering hard ciders.  It took 25 years of gentle fermentation in corporate America for her gastronomic passions to develop.  Next, she acquired a fruity complexity with the cultivation of her apple trees, and when fully ripe, produced her first batch of artisanal cider in 2006.  Like a fine English farmhouse Cheddar, Diane is hardworking, wholesome, and while seemingly simple, she never fails to astonish.  For a true match made in heaven, try her with "The Cider Class Rules" or "Cider, Cheese & the Pursuit of Happiness." 

Mark Gillman
From the majestic countryside of Colchester, Connecticut comes this sturdy, sharply talented cheese crafter and owner of Cato Corner Farm.  Mark's cheese making skills developed naturally with an early exposure to his mother's homemade cheeses.  When she began making cheese commercially in 1997, his deftness coagulated readily, and reached its custardy solidity two years later when he joins her in the production.  His expertise matured further with classes at University of Vermont's Institute for Artisan Cheese and gained a deep complexity and rich texture under the instruction of renowned cheese makers Margaret Morris, Kathy Bliss, and Peter Dixon.  Decidedly earthy with a bit of a barnyardy undertone, Mark has found that making cheese is a wonderful way to maintain a small, sustainable farm.  We're certainly grateful for his discovery!  A long-time cheese supplier to Murray's, this instructor began sharing his knowledge with us as well in 2007.  For the ultimate in pairing perfection, try with “Cheese U”. 

Jessica Kesselman
Like a fresh goat's milk cheese (she's very much the definition of a Capricorn), this former school teacher can be recognized by her bright flavor, chalky texture, and distinctive woodsy scent--like freshly sharpened pencils.  The process for producing Jessica is intricate and unexpected.  First a bit of lactic culture was added at her teenage job in a local cheese shop which kicked off the gentle coagulation of her fervor for fermentation.  This stage lasted until after the birth of her child, during which time she worked as a teacher and an education consultant in the fascinating (and stressful) world of education reform.  Next, an online search for part-time work brought her to her final stage (where better than at Murray's?), where she developed her sharp sense of cheese know-how.  She's currently available, ripened to perfection, behind the cheese counter at Murray's Grand Central.  For a superlative pairing, give this instructor a whirl with "Cheese 101" or other regional cheese classes. 

Chris Munsey
One of Murray's own, this worldly instructor is a perfect example of our special variety "Wholesale Manager."  At a very early stage, Chris was inoculated with a pungent interest in gastronomy by a cook-happy family and a catering mother.  His passion was left to ferment for several years while he studied Political Science and European History at Vassar (you can detect lingering notes of the latter in his historical approach to teaching).  Next, Chris developed nuanced flavors and crunchy grains of wisdom as he traveled around the world, exulting in exploring exotic cuisines at the source.  His cheese know-how gets its sharp bite from a summer in the Italian Alps learning to make traditional mountain cheeses with a local cheesemaker.  A pairing prodigy, Chris specializes in coupling beers with cheeses, and exploring the cultural and historical background behind pairings. This instructor's versatility gives you a range of options!  He's great with anything from "Cheese 101" to "Beer & Cheese Basics". To read his latest favorite pairings, check his blog, THE PAIRING ZONE.

Marissa Ryan
Interested in turning up the heat on your cheese knowledge?  Check out this culinary hotshot!  After letting her passions coagulate and ferment early in life, Marissa got her unique caramelly notes from the additional step of cooking--first earning her Culinary Arts degree at Colorado Mountain College, then four years working in two of the top restaurants in Vail, followed by an internship in Murray's caves, and finally as an overnight baker at Amy's Bread.  Fully ripe and bursting with bold attitude, sharp perception, and an unashamedly nutty charm, Marissa is currently available in the form of Executive Chef of Made by Murray's.  With her extensive knowledge of cooking, cheese pairings, and just plain ol' food in general, this instructor matches splendidly with "Grilled Cheese". 

Jonathan Schwartz
A paragon of haute cuisine, this elegant, refined instructor is positively bursting with knowledge!  (But like a classy kind of bursting.)  Jonathan started off with a soupçon of cuisine curiosity introduced via watching cooking programs as an adolescent. His gastronomic literacy gains depth and richness at Cornell's University's School of Hotel Administration, and intensified further with ten years working in restaurants.  That extra spicy kick of fine dining dexterity came from a two-year aging process at Per Se, working as a food runner, expeditor, captain and sommelier.  These days you can find this wine whiz kid at Michael Skurnik Wines where he is the Portfolio Manager of Terry Theise Estate Selections.  Jonathan specializes in the wines of Austria, Germany, and Champagne, so he's a sure bet with " Forget the Red: Late Harvest German Wines & Cheese". 

Cynthia Sin-Yi Cheng
An international undertaking, four countries play a part in the production of this fascinating instructor.  It's a long journey from her bright, fresh days growing up in Taiwan to the mature, complex Wine Editor for Cravings that we have today.  The process began with an early inoculation of Gastronomicum, a special strain of food passion that comes from the open markets in Taiwan.  Next, Cynthia was washed in a brine of wines from Parisian vintners which lent a certain delicateness to her palate and a pungent understanding of wine.  For an extra layer of interest, she then spent time ripening in Kyoto, learning about tea ceremony and Japanese home-style cooking.  Degrees from Smith College and Columbia University, as well as an Advanced Certificate from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, all contribute to her sharp, peppery wisdom.  An expert of sparkling wines and Champagne, Cynthia makes a stunning match with "Champagne & Cheese" or "Prosecco: Popped!" 

Amy Sisti-Baum
A fixture at Murray's since 2002, Amy (or as we lovingly call her, our Mail Order Manager) has been teaching cheese classes since the days before the Murray's Classroom even existed!  Raised on Velveeta, this all-American instructor's tastes and gastronomic finesse took years of careful aging to mature to the complex, rustic, and pungent cheese maestro we have today.  Her college studies in Food and Nutrition in Business, with a focus on Agribusiness, lend a distinctive puddingy richness to her wisdom, while stints at New York restaurants and on cheese-making farms in Italy, France, and Vermont impart a vibrant zestiness to her skills.  Versatile and crowd-pleasing, Amy's overtones of general cheese know-how provide many pairing possibilities, but for a special treat look toward classes with an emphasis on American cheeses.  Enjoy with "Cheese 101" or "Gone Local." 

Susan Page Sturman
Bold, sharp, and intensely intelligent, this spicy instructor is not for the timid!  Susan is raw, bluntly honest, and can sometimes be downright craggy.  But beneath that strong rind lies a core that's pure caramelly sweetness with a velvety rich commitment to true hospitality.  Her complex and well-rounded knowledge base developed through a traditional process that combined both formal education and real-world work experience--the first lends structure, the second a definite earthy quality (no dirty-hands phobia here!).  After earning a degree in Public Relations from Boston University, Sue was inoculated with culinary skills at the Ecole Gastronomie Française Ritz-Escoffier in Paris.  Her professional talents solidified with catering stints (four years working in Boston, then owning her own company in Paris) and two and a half years as Assistant Director at her alma mater the Ecole Ritz-Escoffier.  Ripe, mature, and with a yeasty eagerness, Sue opened Epicurean in 2002 which offers custom-designed cooking classes for small groups in their own homes.  This vibrantly dedicated foodie is also a member of the Cheese Education Coalition as well as Slow Food's American Cheese Society.  Sue's widespread gastronomic know-how makes her a versatile choice.  Sample with "The Great Debate" or "Cliffhangers: the Best Mountain Cheese."