Cheesy stuff to do in the news

There are two interesting tidbits in the New York Times's Food Calendar:

1.Hudson Valley Sampler

Cheeses, wines and other products from the Hudson Valley will be served at a tasting to benefit Columbia County Bounty, an organization that supports farmers, on Feb. 15 from 2 to 5 p.m. at Deffebach Gallery, 125 Warren Street, Hudson, N.Y., $40 from www.hudsonvalleycheesefestival.com.

2.Cheese and Beer

A class in pairing cheeses with Belgian beers will be held on Feb. 16 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Artisanal Cheese Center, 500 West 37th Street. The fee is $85: www.artisanalcheese.com.

I was particularly interested in the former because work is beginning to pick up on my graduate thesis project, which is related to the locavore movement and supporting farmers directly.

As for the latter, I've been to Artisanal twice (I even organized a client event there!) and had the cheese flights, which are amazing! It's a wonderful restaurant and a classy bar, so it's a great place to stop for an after work nibble of cheese and sip of wine even if you can't commit to an entire flight of cheese.

Alas, Jesse and I are hoping to be in Boston the weekend of these events so we probably won't be able to attend. But we are aiming to be at:

3. Single Malts, Free

A free tasting of single-malt Scotches will be offered on Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. at D.B.A. Brooklyn, 113 North Seventh Street (Berry Street), Williamsburg, Brooklyn. (718) 218-6006.

Of course there are lots other things on the calendar listed so you should check it out, especially the free chocolate tastings at La Maison du Chocolat, and the champagne tasting led by expert from Chrisities! New York Magazine also has a good guide to Valentines Day weekend if you're looking for some ideas.