5@5 is a daily, food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe.

Editor's Note: Emiliano Lee is the Artisan Market Manager at Farmshop in Los Angeles, California. He also serves as a judge for the American Cheese Society.

One of, if not the most, frequently asked questions I field on the cheese counter is, "What's your favorite?" To which I almost always reply, "Well, that depends."

What's ripe? What's tasting particularly good at any given moment? What am I in the mood for? What's the weather like? What am I drinking? Ah, yes, the age-old pairing question.

In the end, it really does boil down to personal taste, but there are certainly some combinations that work better than others.

Many people want to pair wine and cheese, and while I can dance to that, I'm personally more of the malt and hops persuasion. For me, beer is a more natural choice, and as many others will attest to, it plays tremendously well with cheese.

Looking at my cheese case right now, here are a five wheels that are tasting particularly nice along with some of their best drinking buddies.
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Sink your teeth into today's top stories from around the globe.

• The so-called "Hot Dog Hooker" is out of jail. We'll let you relish in your own puns from here. - NY Post

• Sun, salt and lime sound like the perfect components for a margarita on the beach. In developing countries, they make up a recipe for cleaner drinking water. - NPR

• For a cool $25,000, you can dine among Mickey's most elite friends at Disneyland's exclusive members-only restaurant, Club 33. - LA Times

• Meet Craig Claiborne, the man responsible for America's appetite for restaurant reviews. - New York Times

• The dreaded four-word question: What’s for dinner, mom? - Boston.com

Eight years ago, 52-year-old flight attendant Louise Tremblay thought she had finally found her dream home tucked into the woods in the Quebec countryside. But, as she attempted to draw a relaxing bath her first night in the house, she realized quickly that something was amiss. The tub filled a scant two inches and she realized to her horror that she had poured her entire life's savings into a home with no viable source of water. The house, as it turned out, had been built atop an old garbage dump.

The nearest neighbor was unwilling to work with her to fix the shared, faulty well and city officials would not allow her to dig a new one. Drained of financial resources, she looked around to take stock of her surroundings. "I had my garden to keep me alive," she said. "I had my vegetable garden to keep me healthy."
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While you're frying up some eggs and bacon, we're cooking up something else: a way to celebrate today's food holiday.

Hey, Blondie! You know what May 9 is? It's National Blonde Brownie Day!

Blonde or butterscotch brownies, also known as "blondies," pack the sweetness without the caffeine kick of chocolate.

They are made with a brown sugar base and baked like any dessert bar. If your brownies have ever turned out a little bitter, never fear - the brown sugar will take you away on a wave of sweetness.
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