In the San Francisco and Napa and Sonoma Counties, for example, two out of three restaurants feature a cheese course on the menu, according to the California Milk Advisory Board.

The return of the cheese course is great news for those who enjoy entertaining at home because the concept is sophisticated and easy.

There are three categories of cheeses: cow's milk, sheep's milk, and goat's milk. Some foodies say that cow's milk makes the best butter, goat's milk makes the best drinking milk and sheep's milk makes the best cheese. Those rules are great for understanding the principles, but sometimes breaking the rules is what great dining is all about.

What the home cook needs to know

Serve cheese from the mildest to the strongest flavor.

A big cheese needs a big wine? True in some cases, false in others. A full-bodied Bordeaux can overpower an intense cheese, such as a Boucher Family Farm Vermont Blue, and an intense cheese can destroy the integrity of a fine wine. If you're having only one wine with your cheese course, consider an uncomplicated white such as a pinot blanc or a Vouvray.

Take cheeses out of the refrigerator, unwrap them and let them come to room temperature before serving.

For a casual outing, set one cheese board in the middle of the table, allowing guests to make their own selections.

Use a marble or granite board. If that's not available, use a simple wood cutting block or board.

For more formal occasions, serve each guest a single plate containing individual samples of cheese.

You'll also need knives: Sharp-edge for hard cheese and rounded-edge for softer varieties.

Aim for variety in texture, taste and appearance. Contrast creamy with firm. Please the eye with different colors and shapes.

Limit selection to three or four cheeses. The palates of your guests will have a difficult time after that.

Skip crackers in favor of bread, preferably a sliced baguette.

Offer cheeses from a variety of milk sources -- a cow's-milk, a goat's-milk and a sheep's-milk cheese. But it also can be enlightening to compare similar cheeses from different countries (English and American Cheddars, for instance), or cheeses of varying age (a fresh goat cheese with an aged goat's-milk crottin).

Consider offering guests one perfect cheese with a complementary accompaniment -- perhaps Vermont Cheddar with chutney or goat cheese with toasted walnuts and honey.

Grapes, pears and apples are natural companions in fall and winter. Serve apricots and cherries in late spring, figs in summer.

Where to get More information on line:
www.stiltoncheese.com
www.ilovecheese.com
www.cheese.com
www.cheesesociety.org

A winner in the the International Association of Culinary Professionals' (IACP) cookbook awards in American category, Werlin focuses on domestic cheesemakers. The author teaches courses about cooking with cheese and pairing American cheeses and works closely with the California Milk Advisory Board developing recipes.

Paula Lambert is a godsend to cheese lovers everywhere. She so yearned for delicious cheese that she built her own factory, the Mozzarella Company, in Dallas, Texas. The Cheese Lover's Cookbook and Guide is her indispensable resource on buying, storing, cooking, and serving cheese, and even making your own cheese at home. In more than 150 recipes, Lambert presents a down-to-earth approach to cooking with many varieties, whether it's Gruyhre, Camembert, or just tried-and-true Cheddar.

The author includes more than 40 recipes for salads, breads, sweets. Try something simple, such as prunes macerated in red wine served with a buttery Explorateur, or tiny, glazed cipolline onions served with a sharp, farmhouse Cheddar. Or prepare something slightly more complex, such as a pistachio-currant biscotti to pair with peaches and fresh ricotta, or a young pecorino marinated with orange peel and herbs in olive oil. The book includes great tips for selecting, storing and serving cheeses, as well as drink suggestions and etiquette hints.

This is a comprehensive guide to cheeses from around the world. Ridgeway has compiled a work that is entertaining and very informative at the same time. There are photos of the cheeses, descriptions, anecdotes, wine recommendations and occasionally a recipes. The size of the book is small enough that you can take it to your local cheese shop and use it as a reference.

Jenkins has lead the way in upgrading the quality of cheese sold at fine food stores in the United States. He covers cheesemaking at the commercial as well as the artistic level. Punctuated with maps and photos, the book includes historical and other relevant information. His passion for the subject makes it easy to take on the 548 pages of the book even if you have even the smallest interest in cheese. The pronunciation guide is extremely helpful.

Stilton, Apple and Toasted Sesame Salad

• 7 ounces Stilton cheese, rind removed
• 4 Granny Smith apples, sliced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 bag mixed green salad, washed
• 4 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 twisted sesame loaf (if unavailable, any medium loaf with sesame seed will do)

• 5 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon cider or white-wine vinegar

1. To prepare dressing, combine oils, mustard and vinegar.
2. Heat broiler. Cut off crusts with sesame seeds to a thickness of about 1/2 inch and then cut these into strips. Discard rest of loaf. Toast sesame crusts until crisp.
3. Place apple, celery and salad greens into a bowl, toss with dressing and distribute among four large plates.
4. Crumble the Stilton over salad, scatter with toasted sesame seeds and finish with toasted sesame crusts. Drizzle with dressing and toss.

Asiago and Cheddar Soft Pretzels Makes 12 servings
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 16-18 minutes

• 1 package (16 ounces) dry hot roll mix, plus ingredients to prepare mix
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Asiago cheese, evenly divided
• Flour
• 1 egg, well beaten
• Optional toppings: fresh cracked black pepper, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, mustard

1. Heat oven to 375F. Prepare dry hot roll mix according to package directions, adding Cheddar and 1/4 cup of Asiago cheese.
2. Divide dough equally into 12 pieces; roll each piece with hands on a lightly floured countertop to form 15-inch ropes. Form each rope into pretzel or other desired shape and place three inches apart on two nonstick cookie sheets. Brush pretzels with beaten egg. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Asiago cheese and optional toppings, if desired, over pretzels.
3. Bake until golden brown, about 16-18 minutes. Immediately transfer pretzels to a wire cooling rack.
4. Serve warm or at room temperature with mustard, if desired. Pretzels may be stored in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for up to four days.