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.

Have you ever had that happen where you’ve never even heard of something, and then once you do hear of it, you start seeing it everywhere? You see something once in a dish, and then, all of a sudden, we can’t stop coming across it on menus. This is the case with Urfa Biber (commonly referred to as Urfa pepper), a Turkish chile pepper that’s distinctive for its dark burgundy color, irregularly sized flakes, and intriguing salty-sweet-smoky-sour flavor. It’s quickly becoming a go-to ingredient for chefs across the country.

Schools are closed, and we are all responsibly practicing social distancing, right? Whether you’re trying to keep your kids occupied or trying to continue their education at home, cooking with your kids offers a wide variety of opportunities to learn and grow. Stirring, measuring, rolling out -- these cooking tasks help kids develop necessary academic, cognitive, and motor skills. And let’s face it, it might make cooking messier, but it’s just plain fun! While you’re just having fun, you are also preparing them for success in school and in life. Cooking with kids helps with many things including the following: