Breeze through Friendsgiving with a perfectly presented plate of everyone’s favorite party treat.
by Jamie Hausman
This post is sponsored by The Cheeses of Europe.
There’s no use trying to mess with a family’s Thanksgiving menu. I always get excited about trying a new sweet potato recipe or, heaven forbid, a kale salad, but my family only ever lets me work with appetizers. Thus, I’ve made it my mission to perfect the art of the cheese plate. This keeps my sisters and I out of the kitchen and nibbling until mealtime. Here’s a great guide to achieving cheese plate perfection.
Step One: Choose your cheese wisely.
Rachel Perez, cheese ambassador for the French Cheese Club, suggests shopping one week ahead of time to avoid crowds and find the best selection. If there’s a good cheese shop in your town, go there instead of your local grocery store, as the staff might speak more knowledgeably about the available cheeses. The key to a well-rounded cheese plate is contrast and progression; start with soft cheeses that are mild and move to semi-soft, hard and, finally, a strong blue cheese. This ensures that there’s something for everyone’s taste buds. A good rule is to purchase four to six ounces of cheese per person, so split that amount among the types. Here are some great examples from each category.
Soft:
- Brie
- Camembert
Semi-Soft:
- Raclette
- Emmental
Hard:
- Comte
- Mimolette
Blue:
- Fourme D’Ambert
- Roquefort
- Gorgonzola
[slider navigation_style=”both” custom_slider_transition=”move”]
[slide]
[/slide]
[slide]
[/slide]
[slide]
[/slide]
[slide]
[/slide]
[/slider]
Step Two: Pair cheeses with food
Embrace all flavors of fall and the holiday season by adding fruit, nuts, bread or crackers. Use ripe fruits and plain crackers to ensure the cheese remains the shining star of the plate. Honey (or honeycomb) is perfect for pungent cheeses such as epoisse or blue varieties. Here are some examples:
Fruit:
- Apples
- Pears
- Dried apricots
- Golden raisins
- Fresh or dried figs
- Vines of grapes
Nuts:
- Roasted or raw almonds
- Plain walnuts
- Pecans
- Unsalted pistachios
(photo courtesy of Cheeses of Europe)
Step Three: Pair cheeses with wine
Cheese or any dairy product leaves a film in your mouth that can block out other tastes. To cleanse your palate, choose sparkling wines or hard ciders, as the carbonation clears away the film between each taste. My favorite sparkling wine is La Marca prosecco ($14.99). The same rule of pairing is true with cheese as it is with food. Follow this simple guide for pairing wine with cheese:
Light wines, such as pinot grigio or pinot noir with camembert or brie:
- 2013 Ocean View Pinot Noir, $14
- 2012 La Crema Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, $34.99
- 2013 Elk Cove Vineyards Pinot Gris, $19
- 2011 Anne de K Riesling Schlossberg Grand Cru, $24.99
Bolder wines, such as cabernet sauvignon, pair well with blue cheese or bold flavors:
- 2011 Hall Cabernet Napa Valley, $45.99
- 2012 The Prisoner Red Blend California $39.99
- 2011 Chateau de Nages Joseph Torres Rouge $19.99
- 2010 Courtney Benham Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, $11.99
Step Four: Serve
Arrange it on the plate in order from mildest to strongest. Arrange the accompaniments in the middle and remove the plate from the fridge one hour before serving to bring it to room temperature. Now, kick back, relax and learn how to the pronounce the names of each cheese you’ve chosen with this handy guide.
[hr style=”striped”]
Jamie Hausman writes our Whisk ‘Til Combined column. She’s a Chicago native, Mizzou graduate and a resident of Atlanta, Ga. She adores her adopted home and spends her time writing, editing and pitching stories to local and national online publications, as well as exploring new neighborhoods and restaurants. Check her out on Twitter @jamiehausman.
