But when it comes to cheese platters, it can get very overwhelming standing in the cheese isle of a grocery store not knowing what to grab at...ever wonder how to put them together? What cheeses complement each other best? Room temperature or cold cheese? Well I came across this blog at work the other day and thought I'd share with you!
The Perfect Cheese Plater courtesy of A Cup of Jo
I was helping a friend prepare for his New Year's party a few months back and when it came down to the cheese platter I was pretty clueless. Wish I had this then...The next time you plan on serving a cheese platter at your next party, follow these helpful tips!
* When you invite friends over, buy one ounce per person per cheese; and stick to five to six cheeses total.
* Choose a fun variety of cheeses: different textures, countries, and all three milk types (goat, sheep, cow).
* Pair cheeses with: Dried cherries, walnuts, marcona almonds (I love these!), fresh grapes, crackers and French bread.
* Serve all the cheeses on one big board. You want your guests to start with the mildest and work up to the strongest, so place the cheeses in "clock order"--12 o'clock being the mildest and 11 o'clock being the strongest.
* Take the cheese out of the fridge at least an hour before serving. Cheese should be eaten at room temperature, when it's at its full flavor and texture.
* Put out a few different knives. Goat and blue cheeses crumble if you use a regular knife, so cheese wires are the best thing to use--if you don't have one, you can use dental floss! Softer cheeses work best with a butter knife. Harder cheeses, like parmesan, are good with a triangle-shaped knife. Cut circular cheeses in wedges, like a pizza.
* If you have leftovers, don't store the cheese in Saran Wrap, which will make the cheese sweat and leave a plastic-y taste. Cheese is living and needs to breathe, so wrap it in parchment or wax paper, and keep it in the most humid part of the fridge (usually the vegetable drawer).
* Typically it's OK to eat the rind of any cheese, as long as you can handle the stronger flavor (exceptions, of course, are cloth-bound or wax rinds).
If you want to read the entire post and a description on all the cheeses pictured, read it here and for you adventurous cheese lovers read this one here
So who's up for some grapes, cheese, and vino?!
Love,
B + D
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