East Hampton - Lucy Kazickas, owner of Lucy's Whey (80 North Main Street, East Hampton, 631-324-4428, diagonal to Della Femina) has just returned from Seattle where she attended the 26th Annual American Cheese Society Conference and Competition, one of the largest competitions for American-made cheeses.

The five-day event included over 100 American cheesemakers featuring more than 1400 cheeses. Lucy and Amy Thompson, manager of Lucy's Whey at Chelsea Market, met with cheesemakers, authors, fellow cheesemongers and enthusiasts from throughout the U.S. They tasted lots of new cheeses that were introduced over the weekend, heard from James Beard Award winner Michael Pollan, took seminars on topics ranging from "The Enthusiast's Guide to Cheese Science" to "Tasting: Pacific Northwest Wines and Cheeses," and have brought back the Competition's Best Cheese of 2010 to East Hampton and Chelsea Market.

They've returned with lots of new ideas for the fall season so be sure to stop by to hear more and get a sneak preview of some new cheeses for the fall.

For more information on Lucy's Whey go to www.lucyswhey.com.