This delicious cheesecake is part goat
cheese, part cream cheese. Photo by Elvira
Kalviste | THE NIBBLE.

So we’re coasting into the holiday season, giving luscious goat cheese cheesecakes to our favorite cheesecake lovers.

Cheesecake is one of those foods that either excites people or doesn’t interest them in the least. We’re part of the excited group, and are especially excited to have discovered Belle Chevre Goat Cheese Cheesecake.

A mixture of goat cheese and cream cheese, there’s nothing “goaty” about it: just smooth, creamy cheesecake splendor.

A six-inch diameter cake is $29.95.

Cheesecake trivia: Cheesecake isn’t cake: It’s a cheese-flavored custard-like pie.

Read the full review.

Find more of our favorite cheesecakes and cheesecake recipes in our Gourmet Cakes Section.

Regular old cheese popcorn is seasoned with Cheddar or Parmesan cheese powder, made by removing the moisture from the cheese.

But you can use Adapted from a recipe by Giada de Laurentiis for the Asiago P.D.O. Cheese Consortium.

RECIPE: PARMESAN POPCORN WITH HERBES DE PROVENCE

Ingredients

Use popcorn as a soup or salad garnish. Recipe and photo courtesy BettyCrocker.com.

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the butter, garlic and herbes de Provence in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until the butter melts. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let stand while making the popcorn.

2. COMBINE the oil and popcorn in a heavy large pot. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until almost all the kernels pop. Transfer the popcorn to a large bowl.

3. REMOVE the garlic cloves from the butter and discard, if desired.

4. ADD the salt, cheese and butter mixture to the popcorn. Toss until the popcorn is coated. Serve immediately.

MORE WAYS TO USE PARMESAN POPCORN (OR ANY POPCORN)

  
Find more of our favorite popcorn recipes and brand reviews.
  

Today we present the other drink of holiday song, the wassail bowl (pronounced WOSS-ul).

Wassail is an Anglo-Saxon term meaning “good health.” During the holiday season in merrie olde [medieval] England, a host would invite friends over for a celebratory drink. The festivities began when the host held up the bowl and exclaimed, “Wassail!”

Punch was drunk, songs were sung. The tradition began in the 14th century in southern England, where the apple groves produced a lot of cider. The first wassail bowls contained hot mulled cider.

But your wassail bowl can contain whatever type of punch you like, hot or chilled.

While wassail is a spirited drink, you can make a non-alcoholic versions as well.

Here’s a video recipe for wassail.

This non-alcoholic version of a wassail recipe combines apple cider and pineapple juice: certain to be popular with the kids.

Start wassailing!