You probably know that parmesan rinds give excellent flavor to soups. Take this concept one step further by boosting your chicken or vegetable stocks with the flavor of parm, too. With the addition of rinds, you'll get an incredible base for soups and stews that's entirely unique from any standard stock.

A couple of years ago I developed a recipe for a nacho cheese sauce that I now use as a template for many an extrapolation on a theme, subbing in different spices and add-ins for variation. It is so, so good.

But first, you have to understand that great nachos begin with an even better cheese sauce. This one starts with a bechamel and combines two cheeses, plus spices, fresh tomatoes, and beer. Herein, find not only the recipe, but numerous options to customize this ultimate nacho topper to your taste.

Uplands Cheese Company, located in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, has been making one single cheese for just over ten years: the highly-celebrated Pleasant Ridge Reserve. It's unequivocally delicious, and is the only cheese to have won "Best in Show" three times at the American Cheese Society's annual competition. Both on paper and in your mouth, it's near-perfect.

But now, Uplands has something new. If you've never geeked out on cheese, now's a great time to start.

Even though we've covered the topic of macaroni and cheese many, many times, the subject is somehow never overdone. (It's just that tasty.)

Two evenings ago, I came across the best I've had in recent memory, and it is numbered now among some of the most standout versions I've ever tasted. This particular incarnation had three unique elements that could make a difference in the way that you make your mac n' cheese.

At the end of last year, I got some inside info from my local cheesemonger about some great standby holiday cheeses. The holidays are over, but I still trust my small little shop for all the new news on cheese. I decided to have a more in-depth meeting with the shop's cheese buyer, and while I walked away with a long list of new cheeses on my "To Do" list, what I really left with was a better sense of how a small cheese counter works.

Some things make you realize that it's just not that hard to fall in love.

This week, while visiting San Francisco, I happened upon a new favorite place, which makes me all the more proud to be a native of the city.

This week, I'm trying something new. I've asked a cheesemonger from my neighborhood cheese shop for a handful of current favorites for holiday tables. Forget what I like for once. And since I haven't worked in an actual cheese shop in over four years, I realized that it might be nice to get some hot tips from the front lines.

But some things never change.

I've been off of membrillo and honey for awhile now. They're great for cheese because they're downright tasty, but it's been awhile since I've actually served them. I'm not a big dresser-upper of my cheese anyway, and often think that anything more than an excellent bread is extraneous. But if the condiment is a true cheese enhancer, I can be easily convinced otherwise.

Consider me the ideal candidate to receive a gift of a jam like this. The ultimate in enhancing. Given with a small wedge of cheese, this jam would make any cheese lover swoon. Or forget the gift-giving altogether and make it just for you. (Or me.)

My very, very favorite kind of bread to pair with cheese is one that's studded with dried fruit and nuts. There's something about the sweet-savory combination of elements in a loaf of this variety that's versatile enough to match any type of cheese. And match it well, to boot.

But so often, a good fruit and nut bread is either hard to find, or just not that great.

So I figured it was about time to start making my own.

Yep, these are mashed potatoes. They look nearly fondue-like, no? Tomorrow, with one quick addition to the pot, you can transform your potatoes to pizzazz.