While our world might seem upside down in tons of ways right now, some things about life remain the same. Birthdays and Mother’s Day for example. Birthdays are going to come, Covid-19 or not! And birthdays call for celebrations like happy hour with your girlfriends or maybe a meal with special food and gathering your family and other loved ones.

All pizzas are flatbreads, but not all flatbreads are pizza. Capiche? However, it is really just a game of semantics. Whether you decide that putting ingredients on a baked “flat bread” or “crust” is called a pizza or a flatbread, topping individual flatbreads with sauces, meats, vegetables, and cheeses is a great way to cook with others and for everyone to be creative and try new combinations of flavors. An added bonus is that it’s something fun to do with the kids during these times of quarantine, and I think we all are looking for new ways to spice up our days.

If you’ve lived in Texas (or are lucky enough to have a grandmother from Moravia) you may be familiar with the kolache (pronounced ko-LAH-chee), the Czech pastry made of yeasted dough and traditionally filled with fruit, poppy seeds, or sweet cheese. These delicious treats have a European heritage, but they have a very American following deep in the heart of Texas—and lately, kolaches have become trendy all over the U.S.A

Is there anything better than a good schmear? Whether it’s as simple as butter or margarine on a piece of toast or a delicious bagel with cream cheese spread on it: we love a good schmear. We also love one food stuffed with another. Mushrooms, meats, and many different vegetables lend themselves to being stuffed with a rich, creamy filling. Bellisari’s Blue Cheese, Honey, and Shallot spread deliciously fits the bill for all of these uses.

Cheese is wonderful on its own, but like pairing the right wine with the right food, cheese pairings can bring out unique aspects of both the cheese and the item paired with it. Like wine pairings, many things are taken into account when deciding what item taste best with which cheeses. For example, one could pair Italian items with Italian cheeses, or try to balance out the saltiness of an aged Parmigiano-Reggiano with the tart sweetness of a marmalade. Items paired can elevate the flavor of a cheese by contrasting its saltiness with some sugar: bringing out unexpected notes like grassiness or nuttiness and adding textural complexity to each mouthful. They can help cut a cheese’s richness with acidity or spice, or balance earthiness with a touch of sweetness.