My husband, Doug, and I have shared a cheese board most nights of our married life—which is to say, for almost 38 years. It’s rarely elaborate—sometimes it’s just a wedge of cheese—but I’m convinced that the ritual has contributed to the success of our marriage. Sharing a cheese board is an excuse to slow down, pour another glass of wine and tell another story from our day. This Valentine’s Day, if you’re staying at home, you can test my theory. For this appetizer board, I’ve warmed a little goat cheese crottin (Vermont Creamery Bijou) and surrounded it with some favorite savory nibbles.

Bijou (a French tearm of endearment, as it happens) is a tiny little button, only two ounces. You can warm it whole, but I split mine in half horizontally to expose the center. I topped one half with some mixed crushed peppercorns and the other with a dab of tapenade, drizzled a little oil in the ramekins and baked them at 375°F until the cheese just started to quiver—maybe 3 minutes. Don’t go too long or the crottin will melt.

Even people who think they don’t like goat cheese tend to enjoy it when it’s warmed a bit. Serve with crostini, olives, jambon de Bayonne or prosciutto, pistachios, roasted almonds and taralli.

If you’re not familiar with taralli, they’re Puglia’s answer to breadsticks. I’ve never had lighter, crisper taralli, even in Puglia, than the ones made by Danieli. I could eat the whole bag.

On a sadder note, one of the country’s best cheesemakers is ailing and struggling to cover his medical bills. Brad Sinko created the hugely successful Beecher’s Flagship and Flagship Reserve. A few years ago, he moved back to his Oregon hometown to help launch Face Rock Creamery and develop its superb Cheddars. Brad has been battling an aggressive cancer since mid-2021 and his treatment costs exceed his insurance coverage. A GoFundMe account has been set up to assist him.