I find I am drawn to different cheese depending on the time of year. To me cold weather screams for blue cheese and having just gone through the coldest day of the winter so far, I am thinking of the bluest of all blues: Stilton. It is a totally decadent cheese with a very complex flavour. It is versatile to cook with, great in a grilled cheese, tossed with pasta, stuffed into potatoes, lacing a steak, finishing a soup – I could go on and on but really the only thing that can make it better all on it’s own is to have it with a glass of port. Based on this excellent pairing, there is a thing called potted Stilton which takes the already decadent delight and really pushes it over the top. It requires mashing up the Stilton with port and (gasp) butter. If you ever come across this savoury spread, do not fool yourself – it is lethal. But if you have ever had it you know that it is worth eating salad for three days to make up for the goodness of it. Potted Stilton Ingredients 8oz Stilton cheese 3oz butter 2tsp Port wine a pinch of nutmeg a little melted butter to run over the top 1 Mash the stilton with a fork. Beat the butter until very soft, beat in the cheese, nutneg and port. 2 Pack the mixture into an attractive jar or serving dish, smooth over the surface and run a little melted butter over the top as a seal. 3 Keep refrigerated until required. Serve with fresh bread, crackers or sliced pears. Click here to sign up for Christine's Food for Friends e-newsletter!