Black olive tapenade & pesto are two of my favorite spreads to serve with cheese. I have no qualms about spreading either directly onto a slice of warm brie. I also love using tapenade and pesto on a pizza instead of red sauce.

Both spreads keep for several week in the fridge - make a batch and keep it around so you're ready when friends stop by.

At a certain point in my life I was a little snobby about Roucoulons. It seemed a little bit like an imposter, a cheese that was trying to be like Camembert or Reblochon but wasn't. It was made in a large cheesemaking facility, not a cute little farm in the French countryside. But dang, it was good! So good that I soon grew to love this little cheese and recommend it whole-heartedly.

Sadly, the price of Roucoulons has shot up a bit and it's packaged individually, so you've got to buy the whole thing, not just a little slice. On the bright side, it's such a rich and creamy cheese that you won't snarf down the whole thing at once. It can be enjoyed slowly over the course of the week. Unless you love it as much as I do. And eat nearly all of it in one sitting with a baguette for dinner. And a glass of sparkling wine....sigh.

I just can't get enough of Mozzarella this summer. I bought four ingredients - fresh mozzarella, asparagus, tomatoes and black olive tapenade - and quickly realized my appetizer options were endless. Check out the Mozzarella appetizers I came up with, and let me know which is your favorite.

If you're a cheese lover (and I know you are) you've probably been known to bring cheese where others wouldn't.... long car trips, bike rides, hikes or skiing trips in the mountains, camping. And why not? Cheese is the perfect snack and really can travel just about anywhere.

Although, learn from my mistake (don't try to transport Epoisses in a hot cab across town. The cab driver is likely to turn around and yell, "what's that smell!") and learn from my husband's mistake (never try to smuggle Camembert in the overhead compartment of a plane. The flight attendant and other travelers will not be happy with you.) The moral of these stories: soft stinky cheeses aren't meant for long travels.

So what type of cheese travels well out of refrigeration without getting all oozy and smelly? Fromager Daniel Utano from Bar Artisanal in New York is here to help, with his recommendations for cheese that travels well.