My Sandra Lee semi-homemade alter ego comes out when I make things like cheese balls. As I squash seasonings into cream cheese, it doesn't look pretty at first. But I know that the result will look as refined as fancy French cheeses, and my peppered cheese ball will be the first snack item to be scraped clean at the party. I mean, who can resist a good cheese ball?
For years, I grew up eating my Aunt Elaine's cheese ball during the holidays, but a cheese ball is appropriate for any sort of gathering. They're seasoned with a ranch dressing packet, and I thought I'd attempt to make a similar cheese ball but with fresh herbs and ingredients.
I opted to stick with the pepper seasoning coating, but beware: this cheese ball is slightly spicy and garlicky (in the best way possible, of course!). This cheese ball is like spreading spicy ranch cream cheese atop crackers. If that's not your thing, coat the cheese ball in dried fruit like cranberries and toasted nuts like pecans or almonds.
We may still be in the throes of wool coat and tights weather, but I'm already eagerly anticipating warmer days for one frivolous but fantastic reason: with Spring weather comes picnic season. Generally, these blissful afternoons spent relaxing in the park are fueled by a stop at my favorite specialty foods shop to pick up some cheese, bread, wine, and fruit, but occasionally I prepare a slightly more involved, less spontaneous spread. Often this centers around a portable, low-fuss, room-temperature-friendly, and — most importantly — delicious dish: the frittata. 
This bulked-up, bacon-studded iteration will be no exception. I can already picture it: me, a few friends, a 
When I was first introduced to fondue as a child by my fromage-fiend mother, I simply didn't get it. Granted, at the time I was in the throes of a regrettable melted-cheese phobia, so when we'd dine on this cheesy delight, I'd sullenly munch on cubes of crusty bread and the other accoutrement. Thankfully, I came to my senses in my teens, and have since dived into fondue-fanaticism full force.
Gooey and rich, this Swiss dish is meant to be lingered over with friends or a loved one, and is especially apropos during the chilly Winter months. Better yet, fondue is one of those seemingly fussy dishes that's extremely easy to re-create at home, provided one has the requisite equipment. Here I'm using a vintage fondue stand and a standard saucepan, but if I were to invest in another set-up it'd be this 
($80) that comes 
Do you consider yourself a big fan of 
In French, raclette means "to scrape" — fitting, as raclette is traditionally prepared by heating a large wedge of the cheese by the fire, scraping off melted bits as they soften.
I try to avoid overarching statements, but I'm confident that if you make these easy yet impressive cheese straws for your next soirée, you will fall hard for store-bought puff pastry. That is, if you're not already on best-friend terms with the genius ingredient. These gloriously flaky cheese straws might seem complex to construct, but really, it's just the butter-filled layers of puff pastry and a kiss of heat from the oven at work. 
Little more than a brush of egg wash, a sprinkling of cheese and herbs, and a few deft (but easy) twirls of the puff pastry strips are required, all in all making for a very low effort-to-reward ratio. So what are you waiting for? 