I used to make wedding cakes way back when. The memory of how stressful it was still haunts me whenever I see a pastry bag with a #1 piping tip (the smallest, most exacting one). Given that experience, not to mention my work now as culture’s editrix, you’ll not be surprised when I declare that I’m very much in favor of the trend toward Wedding Cheese Cakes—grand stacked tiers of cheese wheels that are embellished with flowers and fruits, in the style of a traditional nuptial cake. All that’s missing is the sugar. These cheese tiers are a delicious, beautiful, and much less fragile way to create an edible monolith, compared to umpteen layers of cake and butter cream.

And now it’s easier and more fun to plan for a wedding cheese cake, thanks to a clever cheese merchant in England who has launched a new online design service called the “The Cakebuilder.”

For my blog post this time around I was debating either cheese themed super bowl fare (Wisconsin being a cheese mecca and all) or cheese on Valentines Day. Although I am perhaps quick to the punch for Valentines Day, I am not much of a football guy; I have no bias towards any particular team or any cheese producing state for that matter. I hope my masculinity will not be jeopardized.

Everyone associates Valentine’s Day with chocolate but-- what about cheese?!? I like the idea of selecting 3-4 cheeses for you and your valentine to enjoy before, after or even as an alternative to a reservation at that ‘fancy pants’ restaurant. Do a little homework. Pick a few unique and contrasting cheeses with the help of your local cheese monger to wow your taste buds (and your date, of course). Even go as far as reading