First Course: A quartet of distinctive cheeses

I had the good fortune to sample four interesting cheeses from a Whole Foods Market last week.

The first was a Fiscalini Farmstead Cabernet Soaked Cheddar ($9.99 a pound). It comes in a vacuum package and, when opened, it is dripping and moist with cabernet. As you'd expect, it's purple on the outside, but when you cut into it, it's white on the inside. It's quite moist and almost spreadable, with a sharp cheddar flavor that blends wonderfully with the cabernet.

The second was Gouda Saenkanter ($19.99 a pound), imported from Holland. It's expensive, but worth the price when you want something that's impressive and full of flavor. This one is a 3-year-old Dutch Gouda, and it looks as though bubbles were captured in the cheese as it aged. The color is deep amber and the flavor is reminiscent of butterscotch, but not sweet.

The third sample was Cotswold ($14.99 a pound), from Long Clawson Dairy in Eng- land. This is a creamy cheese with flecks of onions and chives and a sharp flavor similar to cheddar. It's great with beer.

I am a big fan of dry Jack, so the fourth we sampled was a dry Jack with peppercorns ($8.99 a pound) made by Rumiano Dairy in Crescent City. Dry Jack has a slightly nutty flavor and a dry, crumbly texture similar to Parmesan. The peppercorns were chewy and peppery, a great complement to the cheese.

Butter up your herb garden

If you have some extra herbs, make flavored butter. It's easy and it's wonderful on steamed vegetables, spread on hot French bread or brushed over roasted or grilled chicken.

One tasty combination: Allow a stick of butter to come to room temperature. When it's nice and soft, blend in about  1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, 2 tablespoons of finely diced shallots, 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme, 2 teaspoons of fresh rosemary, and a little salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste. Depending on how you plan to use the butter, you also might add the grated zest of a lemon, lime or orange. Wrap the butter in plastic wrap and put it back into the refrigerator until it is firm.

If you have any left over, you can store it in the freezer.

Achieving pasta perfection

A friend asked for my favorite pasta salad recipe, then complained that her salad turned out gummy. It wasn't my fault!

The reason pasta turns out gummy is because it is cooked in too little water.

To cook pasta correctly, use a large pot and fill it as full as possible. For 8 ounces of pasta, you need about 4 quarts of water. As the pasta cooks, it releases a lot of starch. Cooking it in lots of water gives it room to bounce around, plus it dilutes the starch.

Bring the water to a full rolling boil, add the pasta and stir to separate the pieces. Some people also add a tablespoon of oil, but that's not necessary. Some cooks also add salt to the water, but we skip it in order to cut down on sodium.

Start timing the pasta when the water returns to a boil and keep it boiling while the pasta cooks. Do not cover the pot. Start testing for doneness a few minutes before the package instructions say it will be done.

When cooked perfectly, it offers a bit of resistance when you bite into it, but it's not brittle. This is what is called "al dente." That's the goal.

Set a large colander in the sink so the water drains quickly. If you are going to serve the pasta hot, do not rinse it. If you are making a chilled dish, rinse it with cold running water.