Honey & Cheese - a match made in Heaven!

A drizzle of honey is the perfect contrast to the saltiness of cheese.

There is a trick to pulling off this combination with perfection. Honey is meant to elevate the flavor of cheese, not smother it, so don't overdo it!. There are some types of cheese that are better with honey than others. Which ones?

Honey pairs well with almost any type of cheese. It is especially good with mild and creamy cheese, with spicy blue-cheese, with aged cheese, or with a tangy, acidic cheese. For example,

• Ricotta drizzled with honey - perfect for breakfast or as a dessert. You can also add fruit like figs, apricots, and berries.

• Brie is to-die-for with a drizzle of honey and walnuts or grapes.

• Blue cheese is heavenly with honey. The sweet honey will mellow out the strong flavor.

• Cheddar or Parmigiano-Reggiano, aged cheeses are delicious with a bit of honey.

• Fresh goat cheese is subtly subdued with a drizzle of honey, cold or even better, warm

• Munster - for the most adventures becomes mellow and deep eaten with honey!

If you want the best of the best, do not use supermarket honey -- it is a blend of honey derived from various geographies, and flower sources, and is pasteurized to prevent crystallization. This type of honey has a mild and bland flavor and might not enhance the cheese to give the experience a memorable, complex flavor.

Better to buy (actually the cheese and the honey) from a gourmet store or farmer's market, where you can ask for the source, and even meet the farmer or the beekeeper!. Look for honey with known origin, and also for cheese when you know the cows live!!. Guaranteed that the experience, and the taste, will be memorable - and enriching!!.

Enjoy, and let me know if the pairing was successful!