Today’s Vermont Cheesemakers’ Festival may be sold out, but cheese lovers everywhere can taste the festival’s star cheeses with the Best of the Fest sample package delivered to their doors.

Choose a four ($49) or six ($69) cheese sampler put together by Cheese Traders & Wine Sellers, featuring a varied selection of 4 to 8 ounce cheeses that will include at least one cow, goat and sheep milk cheese, at least one smoked or blue cheese, and, of course, Vermont’s famous aged cheddar.

“Every year, the festival sells out,” said Rachel Schaal, the festival’s event organizer. “The Best of the Fest is a way to expand the experience of the festival beyond just the one day, and a way for people to participate in the celebration of Vermont cheesemakers from their own homes.”

To order a Best of the Fest sampler, go here, and choose a one-time order or a monthly subscription (both samplers ship for free). To find out more about the Vermont Cheesemakers’ Festival, go to www.vtcheesefest.com.

OK, so you have endless gifts to buy for everyone from your best friend to your parents to your boyfriend. It can be a lot of work finding the perfect gift. Lucky for you, we here at Blast have compiled a list of only the best stores in Boston. From the unique to the cheap to the luxurious, this guide will point you to the shop you need. Don’t settle for a gift card, pair of boxers or a bottle of wine. Boston has way more to offer!

Black Ink (Beacon Hill: 101 Charles St. and Harvard Square: 5 Brattle St, Cambridge)

If you’re looking for something truly unique for that impossible-to-buy-for person, Black Ink should be your first stop. Hawking everything from a koi chopstick rest set to a space-agey magazine rack to a charcoal essence infused body towel, you can pick up cool kitchen utensils and old-school toys in the same fun to wander through store.

J. Press (Harvard Square: 82 Mt. Auburn St, Cambridge)

For the boyfriend, brother or even dad who is always dressed to the nines, J. Press in Harvard Square will outfit him perfectly (and, P.S., we’re jealous). They carry a wide range of ties for under $60, as well as classy cufflinks, sweaters, belts and other accessories. Consider it the new J. Crew for guys only.

Looney Tunes Records (1106 Boylston St.)

Those uber-hip Berklee kids duck into Looney Tunes for old LPs and every CD you could wish for. A little bit chaotic, but a music junkie’s dream, Looney Tunes is perfect for that friend who never takes off his headphones. Bonus: a lot of cheap finds are to be had.

Poor Little Rich Girl (Davis Square: 255 Elm St, Somerville and 166 Newbury St.)

This vintage and consignment store is where to go for your best girl friend, your girlfriend, or your eternally cool grandmother. Stocking designer dresses, vintage clothes and accessories from the 1940s-80s, classic apartment furnishings, contemporary stores’ clothing and more, there is no girl who won’t find a treasure here.

Oak (245 Newbury St.)

Consider this your one-stop shop for pretty much everyone on your list. Oak is an eclectic store with goods ranging from classy to crazy. We love the sterling silver scrabble letter necklace and the gin and tonic soap as well as the mix tape pillow and the Apple command key ring. Shop here for your techie boyfriend, glamorous girlfriend, parents, siblings, you name it. You can also find one-of-a-kind gifts for the kiddos in your life, like crocheted hand puppets and make-your-own plush monster kits. Plus, if you somehow don’t find what you need at Oak, you’ve still got the rest of Newbury at your disposal.

Formaggio Kitchen (244 Huron Ave, Cambridge)

If you haven’t been to Formaggio Kitchen yet, you’re so not our friend. Nationally known as a distinctive and delicious gourmet cheese shop, Formaggio is the perfect place to spend afternoon hours or to pick up the perfect gift for your favorite foodie or holiday party hostess. Here you’ll find hundreds of imported cheeses from around the world, as well as local favorites. They sell freshly made (and astoundingly delicious) baked goods as well as crackers, wine, jams, chocolate, produce and more. The shop is small, so try to duck in on a weekday afternoon to avoid the shoulder to shoulder crowds.

Blue Cloud Gallery (Ball Square: 713 Broadway, Somerville)

Looking for something artsy and unique? Blue Cloud has it. Carrying works by over 90 artisans, many local, this shop is perfect for someone like mom, who really deserves something special (especially if you still do your laundry at home). They stock beautiful pieces of pottery and glass blown decorations. Pick up some stunning photo tiles to give as coasters or a piece of handmade jewelry. Either way, pick something up here.

Know of any other great places to find holiday gifts? Comment below with your favorites and help other Blasties navigate the holiday minefield!

You don’t need a fancy panini press to make the famous flat Italian sandwich that’s been sweeping every restaurant, frozen food section and Food Network show over the last few years.

I use a George Foreman Grill. Every college student has one. It’s cheap. It works.

You need good bread, firm tomatoes and fresh mozzarella to make it work. You also need fresh basil, but dried basil will work in a pinch. The result, which is perfect for those meat-free days.

Dish #9 — Tomato and mozzarella panini

About 20 minutes — About $10 — Serves 1

You start with the right bread. Here in Boston, we have Iggy’s. It’s the best. High-end restaurants use it instead of baking their own loaves.

Iggy's of Cambridge is the best bread in New England

Cut the bread at an angle using a serrated knife. Cutting it at an angle gives you more surface area for your other ingredients.

Using a brush or the reverse side of a teaspoon, spread some extra virgin (dark colored!) olive oil over the surface of the bread. Don’t overdo it. Just a little.

Shake some coarse salt, black pepper, oregano, basil and — if you want — some crushed red pepper over each side.

Cut some tomato slices. Half to 3/4-inch wide are fine. Lay them on the bread. Do the same with the fresh mozzarella. Fresh mozzarella is available in any grocery store cheese section. If you’re at a nice store or specialty cheese shop, buy the store made or “loose” stuff. Whole Foods sells good fresh mozzarella in containers. If you’re at a “regular” grocery store, I’d stick with a brand name like Bel Gioioso, which makes a very good cheese.

Fresh basil leaves are recommended for this dish. It can be an added expense, especially if you’re just cooking for one, but it’s a flavor that you won’t regret having.

Drizzle about a teaspoon of olive oil between the tomatoes and the cheese. Close the sandwich and brush on more olive oil on each side of the sandwich. This helps it cook in the grill. More salt, pepper and herbs on each side.

Don't overdo it with the olive oil, and make sure you use the good stuff!

What I like to do here is plan ahead. Nine times out of 10, I just want to eat the panini right away, but the panini cooks better if you wrap it in foil and put it in the fridge for a day. Seriously. Maybe you should prepare two sandwiches, make one now and save one. I like it.

Either way, when you’re ready to cook, preheat the Foreman Grill for a few minutes. Plop the sandwich on there, and make sure nothing slides off as you firmly close the top over the panini. I find that a wooden spoon (just don’t leave it still for too long) will help balance the sandwich without burning your hand.

Let it cook and sizzle and toast for about 10 minutes, applying some firm pressure every now and then. If you did it right, the sandwich comes out browned, slightly flattened, and everything is still inside, hot and ready to eat.

This is a delicious sandwich that’s healthier than most things you’ll find at a restaurant, and it certainly beats cold cuts in that department.

Oh, and one thing I forgot to mention that a friend reminded me of — the sandwich also tastes great cold! You don’t even need to grill it.

Dear EarthTalk: My body doesn’t tolerate cheese well. Are there dairy-free cheeses that will be easier on my constitution and better for the environment, too? — Steve Sullivan, Seattle, WA

With some 30 to 50 million Americans suffering from various degrees of lactose intolerance, and an estimated three million of us now eating animal-free (vegan) diets for humane, environmental and/or health reasons, the production of alternatives to dairy products has started to become big business.

But while substitutes for milks and ice creams abound, mostly soy- or rice-based blends that have come a long way since they first appeared on grocery shelves, finding satisfactory alternatives to the many varieties of cheese can be a challenge. But the choices are expanding rapidly.

The first place to look might just be your regular supermarket’s produce section-that’s often where you’ll find Galaxy Foods’ Veggie line of non-dairy cheeses. After all, they are made from soy, a crop. Galaxy’s offerings come shredded, grated, in slices and in hunks. Fans swear they taste just like the real thing. And they are all excellent sources of calcium without cholesterol, saturated/trans-fats or lactose.

Galaxy also offers cheeses made from rice. And while some of both the Rice Brand and Veggie line contain small amounts of cultured milk salt, dried skim milk protein and trace amounts of lactose, Galaxy also make two purely vegan varieties, usually found in the dairy sections of grocery or health food stores.

A few other popular brands made with rice include Rice Slices and Lifetime Low Fat Jalapeno Jack Rice Cheese. Check the shelves of your local organic or natural food market to find one or more to sample.

Another leading producer of dairy-free cheeses is Scotland’s Bute Island Foods. The company began making its own vegan hard cheese alternatives (sold under the Sheese brand name) in 1988, and has since expanded into cream cheese alternatives (Creamy Sheese) as well. From pizzas to sauces to sandwiches to spreads, Bute Island has vegan and lactose-intolerant cheese lovers covered.

Some other soy-based choices that get good reviews include Good Slice Cheddar Style Cheese Alternative (great for sandwiches), vegan-friendly Tofutti Soy Cheese Slices, Follow Your Heart’s Vegan Gourmet (pizza, anyone?), and Teese (it melts with the best of them), among others.

Do-it-yourselfers might want to experiment with making their own non-dairy cheese using ingredients such as tofu and yeast. A quick web search will yield many recipes for making cheese and for using non-dairy cheeses in favorite dishes. Many of the best are collected in Joanne Stepaniak’s The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook, available in some bookstores as well as from Amazon.com and other online vendors.

With so many good choices, not to mention recipes for home cooked varieties, many a vegetarian may just make the leap into full-fledged vegan eating. And existing vegans can rejoice: French Onion Soup (dairy-free, of course) is back on the menu.

CONTACTS: Galaxy Foods, www.galaxyfoods.com; Bute Island Foods, www.buteisland.com; Follow Your Heart, www.followyourheart.com.

Dear EarthTalk: Can those energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs that are popular now cause headaches because of the flickering they do? I converted my whole house over last fall and both my kids were complaining of headaches on and off. – Sandy, Eugene, OR

With a switch to energy efficient compact fluorescent (CFL) light bulbs already in full swing in the U.S. and elsewhere-Australia has banned incandescents, Britain will soon, and the U.S. begins a phase-out of incandescents in 2012-more and more complaints have arisen about the new bulbs causing headaches.

Many experts say that the issue is being overblown, however, that there is no scientific evidence that the bulbs cause headaches and that a kind of hysteria has grown out of a small number of anecdotal reports.

Industry experts acknowledge that day-to-day exposure to older, magnetically ballasted long tube fluorescent bulbs found mostly in industrial and institutional settings could cause headaches due to their noticeable flicker rate. The human brain can detect the 60 cycles per second such older bulbs need to refresh themselves to keep putting out light.

However, modern, electronically ballasted CFLs refresh themselves at between 10,000 and 40,000 cycles per second, rates too fast for the human eye or brain to detect. “As far as I’m aware there is no association between headaches and the use of compact fluorescent lamps,” says Phil Scarbro of Energy Federation Incorporated (EFI), a leading distributor of energy efficiency-related products-including many CFLs.

But Magda Havas, an Environmental & Resource Studies Ph.D. at Canada’s Trent University, says that some CFLs emit radio frequency radiation that can cause fatigue, dizziness, ringing in the ears, eyestrain, even migraines. You can test to see if CFLs in your home give off such radiation, she says, by putting a portable AM radio near one that’s on and listening for extra static the closer you get. She says that such electromagnetic interference should also be of concern to people using cell phones and wireless computers.

Sometimes headaches are due to eyestrain from inadequate lighting. When replacing an incandescent bulb with a CFL, pay attention to the lumens, which indicate the amount of light a bulb gives out (watts measure the energy use of a bulb, not the light generated). A 40-watt incandescent bulb can be replaced by an 11-14 watt CFL because the lumen ouput is approximately the same (490); a 100-watt incandescent can be replaced by a 26-29 watt CFL, both providing about 1,750 lumens. If you’re still skeptical, replace a 40-watt incandescent with a 60-watt equivalent 15-19 watt CFL, which will boost lumens to 900.

Another consideration is color temperature (measured in degrees “Kelvin”). CFLs rated at 2,700 Kelvin give off light in the more pleasing red/yellow end of the color spectrum, closer to that of most incandescents. Bulbs rated at 5,000 Kelvin and above (usually older ones) give off a less pleasing white/blue light.

The Environmental Defense website provides a handy chart comparing the watts and lumens of incandescents versus CFLs, along with further discussion about color temperature.

CONTACTS: EFI, www.efi.org; Environmental Defense, www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagid=630.

GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek/, or e-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php