The response to our V-day contest has been tremendous: thanks to everyone who sent in their verse. We've read the entries, and it was a tough choice selecting the winners of the Capriole Farmstead Bourbon Chocolate Hearts.

Limericks dominated the field: Kira Jefferson's cheese mite ditty recalled John Donne's classic "The Flea", while bridgette submitted an autobiographical verse which somehow seems universal.

Just came across a new entry in the annals of dairy crime: a murderous folie-a-deux in Sicily on the lines of the old Roald Dahl story "Lamb to the Slaughter".

In this particular case, though, the weapon was butter:

A Sicilian couple thought they had the perfect weapon to get rid of her ex-husband -- a slab of butter which would melt after they asphyxiated him, the Corriere della Sera newspaper reported Saturday.

In honor of V-day, we are holding a contest for the best cheese-related love poetry in America.

Use any meter or verse you wish—sonnet or limerick or free-verse, and employ any muse, be it a fair lad, lass, monger, or succulent cheese—but your masterpiece must include both l'amour and le fromage.

Prizes will be awarded to the three best versifiers: a trio of Bourbon Chocolate Hearts ♥ ♥ ♥ from Capriole Farmstead Goat Cheeses.

Alright, as if there were any doubt who we're backing this year, here's a clue:

Just a sampling of the folks (cheesemakers and fans) who showed up at the recent Terroir Exchange event down in Napa. Held at Taste at Oxbow, it brought together a dozen or so American and French cheeses and cheesemakers. You don't often have this much concentrated cheese-power in one room!

I don't know how many of you were in the 4H club growing up, but for those who weren't, there were modern alternatives.

Keyword: "pretend milk"

Some of you may have heard about the Museum of Modern Art's recent show on modern kitchen design. It's a lovely show, with several interesting and important objects like architect Margarete Schuette-Lihotzky's Frankfurt Kitchen.

I ran across it by accident this weekend, and of course, I had to stop in and check on the cheese. Naively, I thought there'd be a lot of it on display.

Tenaya, aka Madame Fromage, has graciously allowed us to re-post her inaugural episode. We're looking forward to more Cheese TV in the future!

Read more from Mme. Fromage over at her blog, http://madamefromage.blogspot.com/

Ask anyone who will admit to knowing me: I'm an enthusiastic omnivore. But I'm also an enthusiastic host, with a lot of vegetarians on my roster. This has necessitated some off-the-cuff veggie cooking in the past, especially around ThanksG., when I'm apt to drag various castaways over to my folks' place for dinner. Mom and Dad seem to enjoy the company, but it falls to me to feed the meatless masses.

This has proven to be pretty easy, actually; the holiday is a good excuse to go over the top with rich and savory flavors, especially if you're looking for a main dish to replace turkey*. Pies work really well for this purpose.

We have a winner for the annual Scary Dairy contest!

First prize goes to Anonymous for her horrifying "cheese pockets" fantasia.

Anonymous wins the full sack of treats, generously donated by BelGioioso: A wedge of their Parmesan, which took 1st place at the 2010 World Cheese Contest, a piece of blue veined Gorgonzola, and a pack of Fresh Mozzarella Pearls—

"Each ball is 2.5g and is perfect for a healthy snack, topping pizza, salads and pasta. This convenient package has no water mess and additional shelf life."