• Before you purchase cheese, consider your taste. Bold, strong flavours include aged cheddars, Gruyère, spiced cheeses and blue cheeses. Milder flavours include Colby, mozzarella, young Brie, fresh goat cheese and Havarti.

• Certain cheeses freeze well, such as Camembert, Brie and goat cheese. Simply place them in a sealable bag or a good quality plastic container to freeze. Defrost them in the fridge; they will still taste great for at least two months. Drier cheeses such as cheddar or Parmesan do not freeze as well; some of the flavour and texture is compromised.

• Use dental floss to slice super soft cheeses. Lay the floss under the cheese, pull it up and cross both ends to slice off pieces without squishing the block.

• When making homemade pizza, keep your crust crispy by sprinkling it with cheese before adding sauce.

• Colour cream cheese with liquid food colouring when using the cheese to fill rolled sandwiches. Use a variety of colours for every layer; slice it as you would a jelly roll. • Cream cheese will last longer if you store it upside down to create a secondary seal.

• After slicing a block of cheese, rub the cut end with a layer of butter to prevent it from becoming hard.

• I love making grilled cheese sandwiches, but I don’t like to use my oven and I don’t own a toaster oven. What I do is lay my toaster on its side and then put the toast with the cheese layers in the slots. I have perfectly grilled cheese every time. I also lay a cutting board under the toaster so that my counter is not full of crumbs. Don’t add too much cheese or it will spill over the edges. — Beth

• Most cheese experts agree that storing cheese in plastic wrap is not recommended. Results show that it loses some of its flavour and takes on the flavour of the wrap.

• It is not necessary to store all cheese in the fridge. Hard cheeses can be stored in a cool room with a constant temperature of 8-15 C, while soft and blue cheeses should be refrigerated at a temperature of 5-8 C. About an hour before serving, take the cheese out of the fridge or cool room and let it reach room temperature.

• I don’t own a stove because I live in residence at university. I make grilled cheese sandwiches by wrapping them with foil and pressing them with a warm fabric iron. — Davis Note: Every user assumes all risks of injury or damage resulting from the implementation of any suggestions in this column. Test all products on an inconspicuous area first.

Reena Nerbas is a popular motivational presenter for large and small groups; check out her website at reena.ca. Ask a question or share a tip at reena.ca.

-Reena Nerbas