February 6 is Super Bowl Sunday and many of you will be either having parties or attending one (or two). Here are some new ideas to get it started. Stock up on your cheddars and your heavenly Swiss cheeses. Start by hunting down some classic English cheddars. Keen's and Montgomery's Farmhouse cheddars are of the worlds best cheeses. Made on the farm in Somerset, southern England, these raw milk cheeses have an incredible earthiness and contrasting sweetness that reminds you of farm-fresh milk and grass. These cheeses have been bound in cloth to keep their shape but more importantly, attract the characteristic flora that is, and of itself, the English countryside.

Serve the cheeses with a light, fruity red wine that will pair nicely with the distant fruitiness and cream of the Keen's and Montgomery's. Have dried fruits such as apricots, cherries and figs on hand for snacking as well as some warm, crusty bread. You should always have some Alpine Swiss cheeses on hand such as Appenzeller (the scrumptious cow's milk cheese from the North Eastern canton of Appenzell), which is one of the best cheeses I would recommend for fondue, or Raclette. This famous cheese is originally from Valais in the South Western mountains of Switzerland. Potatoes Raclette is perfect for the big, winter football game. Slice a few bakers potatoes, yellow onions and garlic. Par-boil the spuds for 5 minutes or until the edges start to get soft. Transfer to cast-iron pan (or any heavy-duty pan you might have) and sauté with onions and garlic, briefly. Generously spread softened Raclette over pan. Put in oven until cheese starts to turn brown. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

How can we forget about Valentine's Day? You better not!!

This is a day (Feb. 14) where we show our love and affection to each other with gifts, flowers and, of course, that other four-letter word: FOOD! Valentine's Day is a day where reservations are full and babysitters are nowhere to be found. So if you're thinking about staying home this year, here are few tips on making it a delicious night. Start out by accompanying your favorite glass of Champagne with some bloomy-rind, triple crème cheese.

My favorites are the French classics like Brillat-Savarin, Soumaintrain and St. Agur, the lush Bleu cheese from the Auvergne region of France. Brillat-Savarin is an ultra-creamy cheese from Normandy. It is usually raw but some decent pasteurized versions can be found. This cheese has hot cream added to the curd to increase its fat content through the roof, but why should we care, it's Valentine's Day! Soumaintrain is another washed-rind, triple-crème cheese with an unmistakably rich feel and a grassy, yet, light mineral aftertaste. Try this one with a nice refreshing Cava from outside Barcelona to complete the offering. Hard to find but worth it. If blue cheese is what you're in the mood for, look no further than St. Agur. This cheese is a heavy-on-the-tongue masterpiece. Slightly spicy and full of cream, serve this one with a medium- to heavy-bodied red wine and the sweetest fruits you can find, such as peaches, strawberries and even some more tropical fruits like guava and papaya. Some light crispy crackers would complement these suggestions well.

You wouldn't think that President's Day (Feb. 21) could be a day of culinary celebrations, but why not? Some of the very best American artisan cheeses have been and are still being made a few miles from past presidents birthplaces.

Sweetgrass Dairy's Lumiere and Green Hill cheeses are made in Thomasville, Georgia, a few miles down the road from Plains, Georgia, and the birthplace of President Jimmy Carter. This dairy produces, in my opinion, the very best in American cheesemaking. Their goats and cows run free and are grazed rotationally throughout the year to maintain the utmost quality of the milk and for the grasses and vegetation to regrow naturally during the seasons. The Lumiere is their wonderful heart-shaped, goat's cheese with an ash covered rind. Smooth and layered, this is an award-winning gem from deep in the South that you will want to get when fully ripe and sinful. The Green Hill is their double-crème cow's milk cheese, with a full, sweet and milky combination to challenge any other cheese of its type. A must have! We travel up north for our two other President's Day selections. Great Hill Blue from Marion, Massachusetts near Buzzards Bay is a 50 mile ride south of Quincy, which is the birthplace of President John Adams and his son President John Quincy Adams. Great Hill Blue is a hand-made, dryer and tangier blue made with raw cow's milk from the farm's herd of Guernsey cows. It is an excellent choice for salads but eating it alone with a light red wine, maybe a Napa Pinot Noir, and some raw vegetables is always a treat.

A little more up the road we come to Major Farms in Putney, Vermont, about a four hour drive south of Fairfield, Vermont, the birthplace of our 21st President, Chester A. Arthur. Cynthia and David Major have about taken all control of the sheep's milk cheeses here in the U.S. Their prized Putney Tomme is made with raw sheep's milk and a whole lot of love. This cheese is made in the style of the Spanish and French Pyrenees Brebis(local term for sheep's milk cheese), and is incredibly nutty, aromatic and has a slightly oily texture. These cheeses pair nicely with a big red wine or some dark beer, such as Saranac, the Upstate New York classic Lagers.

On that note I leave you with this little bit of info: In 1802, during President Thomas Jefferson's first term, a local cheese maker, who obviously needed some free marketing, sent the executive a 1,200 pound wheel of cheese as a gift. The astonished staff and nearby citizens came up with a term for both the gift and its recipient: The Big Cheese! And it has been used as a term for a person of importance ever since.

Happy Eating and see you in March