Emeril Lagasse turns the classic pairing of blue cheese and pears into a frozen, creamy treat. Served with phyllo cookies, it makes a sophisticated dessert.

In a saucepan, combine the pears, wine, nectar, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the pears are tender and the liquid is reduced by 1/2. Puree in a food processor and transfer to a bowl to cool. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours.

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Smoked cheese lends some extra depth of flavor to this interesting ice cream, and phyllo cups add flair.

Cut the rind off the two cheeses and bring to a boil with the milk and cream. Blend the cream cheese with the sugar then add the eggs, one by one. Strain the milk and cheese mixture, leave to cool a little then pour over the cream cheese, sugar and egg mixture, stirring all the time to prevent the eggs from curdling. Transfer to an ice cream maker, or make the ice cream in the freezer, stirring the mixture once or twice with a fork during the freezing process. Serve balls of ice cream inside the filo pastry flowers, and drizzle with a little honey.

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Photo by Jessica Merz

This creamy dessert is in season for spring and summer!

Tie cinnamon stick, cloves and lemon zest together in a cheesecloth bag. Combine rhubarb, sugar and the spice bag in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has the consistency of applesauce, 6 to 8 minutes. Discard the spice bag. Chill the rhubarb mixture about 1 hour.

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Photo by David

Bacon ice cream? Sure. Bacon and eggs? In ice cream? Wow. Check out this unique recipe that pairs well with caramelized brioche.

Mmmm, bacon. But in ice cream? Surely only a genius or a mad scientist could make that work; fortunately, Heston Blumenthal is a bit of both, and bacon and egg ice cream is a signature dish of his Fat Duck Restaurant. I've never visited nor do I own any of his cookbooks (broad hint to any family members reading this), but he's made the recipe available online, and I thought I'd try it out.

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Photo by Kanko

This super DIY cocktail calls for homemade ham-infused cognac and Manchego tuiles baked in your own oven. Let us know how it tastes if you're feeling ambitious!

For luxe ham cognac: Iberico (Pata Negra) ham leg, 1.5 liters of Hennessey VS Cognac
For honey syrup: 1 quart of wildflower honey, 1/3 cup of water, three large sticks of Caribbean cinnamon
For manchego tuiles: 2 cups manchego cheese, grated
For ham and cheese cocktail: 2 ounces luxe ham cognac, juice of one lime, 1 ounce honey syrup, 1 manchego tuile, rosemary (for garnish)

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Photo by Krista

The American Cheese Society has published a response to the recent CDC study on non-pasteurized milk, which states that the consumption of non-pasteurized dairy products is unsafe under any circumstances. The ACS has pointed out a few key details this study left out, and offered corrections to false facts:

"The Cheese Map" is an innovative graphic design project, pairing high-definition photographs of cheese with the shape of their country of origin. Donations to the artist's kickstarter campaign come with some pretty sweet prizes:

My goal is to create a world map where all countries with a cheese tradition are represented by a cheese they produce. I can't wait to see what this will look like and I really hope to be able to produce it so that I can share it with you as well.

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Photo by Mukumbura

The anonymous, New England-based food critic known as the Phantom Gourmet decides how these cheesy chips (Kettle, Lay's, Pringles and Ruffles) stack up. Which do you think is the best?

Ruffles cheddar and sour cream was Phantom’s least favorite. This brand is famous for its ridges, which make it the ideal chip for dipping, but when it comes to flavor, Phantom was underwhelmed. The bag boasts that these chips are made with real cheddar, but Phantom just wishes they used a little more of it.

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Photo by theimpulsivebuy

Congratulations to Mollie Stone's Markets, Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine, Eli's Manhattan, City Feed Supply and Caviar & Banana for earning NASFT's Outstanding Specialty Retailer award:

The winners range from a neighborhood storefront and café to a 20,000-square-foot gourmet emporium to a nine-store natural and specialty supermarket chain. They were selected by a national panel of specialty food experts including previous honorees, manufacturers, distributors and editors of Specialty Food Magazine.

“This year’s winners share a true commitment to providing premium service, well-edited choices of the latest new products, and a deep connection to their communities that are hallmarks of the specialty food industry,” says NASFT President Ann Daw.

Listen to a chef gives tips on how to tell if a Brie has gone bad in this short, informational video.

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Photo by Brian Uhreen