Daily Dish the Fork Lift blog
Cheese Please!
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With our simple guide, it couldn’t be easier to make the perfect cheese platter for your holiday entertaining. In fact, it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3, 4! Simply select cheeses from each of these four basic groups to create a well-balanced, decadent cheese platter with a variety of styles, milks, ages and textures everyone will enjoy.
With our simple guide, it couldn’t be easier to make the perfect cheese platter for your holiday entertaining. In fact, it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3, 4! Simply select cheeses and accompaniments from each of these four basic groups to create a well-balanced, decadent cheese platter with a variety of styles, milks, ages and textures everyone will enjoy.
Group 1: Young, mild cheeses like double or triple crèmes. Try La Tur, a mixed milk Italian cheese made with sheep, cow and goat’s milk. The delicate round has a fluffy, creamy texture similar to cheesecake.
Group 2: Soft or semi-firm cheeses like mild cow or aged goat or sheep milk varieties. Try Six Month Manchego, a sheep milk cheese from Spain, with a rich, nutty flavor and semi-firm texture, or Mimolette, a cow’s milk aged gouda from France with a brilliant orange color and sweet, nutty flavor that make it a beautiful addition to any cheese board.
Groups 3: Complex, strong, nutty flavors like washed rinds. Buttery, slightly earthy, complex and engaging, the French washed rind Campaigner, is a good choice with its luscious, smooth texture.
Group 4: Assertive flavors like blue cheese. Stilton, an English cow’s milk blue cheese, is earthy and dense with a fudge-like texture that pairs well with dessert wines. Consider skipping Group 4 for pre-dinner appetizers.
For the accompaniments, select something from each of the following groups for a variety of tasty pairings.
Sweet: Provide sweet treats like dried apricots and cherry fruit paste to complement the selection.
Savory: For a savory spin, try Schaller and Weber Cervelat or Garlic & Pepper German Style Salame.
Acidic: Add tangy bites like acidic Sweety Drops to wake up the taste buds with a pop of flavor.
Texturally Different: Use crunchy carriers like Rustic Bakery Olive Oil & Sel Gris Crackers or Marcona Almonds.
In total, plan on about 1.5-3 ounces of cheese per person. Arrange your cheeses in a progression beside their paired wines and accouterments to lead guests through a delicious tasting experience. Don’t forget the cheese knives!