riya's cheese plate

Riya’s Cheese Plate

It’s my Playboy's B Day.. So, I managed to invite a few of his mates for a cosy chat at my place before taking off for dinner at a fancy restaurant.

To host a brief party of 4-6 people, a cheese platter seems to be a perfect choice. My Partner doesn’t like much of eating but he loves dairy products - especially, cheese ; hence a treat of a small cheese plate with a few of decent bottles of champagne.

Too bad that I couldn't find decent blue (stilton) at any supermarkets – Normally, I always have “blue” cheese in my plate. (seems to me that Brit loves "stilton")

Find below a few tips and tricks, you'll be surprised how quick and easy it is to put together a fancy cheese platter



Cheese
Try to serve a variety of textures and flavors in one plate. Most cheese belongs to one of four basic categories: aged, soft, firm, or blue. For a good variety, choose at least one from each group. Below are some examples.

Aged: Aged Cheddar, Aged Provolone, Comte, Goat Gouda
Soft: Constant Bliss, Camembert, (Double-Cream) Brie or Brie de Meaux, Brillat-Savarin
Firm: Manchego, Mimolette, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Fontina, L’Emmental
Blue: Gorgonzola Dolce, Valdeón, Danish Blue, Stilton

Note : You can also try selecting cheeses by the type of milk used (cow, goat, sheep

Tip: Always make sure the cheese is brought to room temperature - remove the cheese from the refrigerator at least an hour before serving.



Accompaniments
Besides Cheese, Try to offer variety of accompaniments on the plate

Fresh Herbs: Use some fresh herbs, such as thyme or rosemary, to finish off the garnish.
Fresh Fruit: Figs, Pear, Green Apple, Strawberries, Gooseberries, Green & Red Grape (seedless is highly recommended)- try "caviar grapes" a bit pricey but very cute & adorable!
Dried Fruit: Dried Cranberries, Dried Apricots
Roasted Nuts: Almonds, Pistachios
Bread & Crackers: Get Raisin bread, nut bread, sunflower seed loaf, sourdough bread or French baguette, bread with herbs and then get very thin, crispy, salted crackers for soft cheese.

Jarred condiments and vegetables are conveniently to get from any decent supermarkets or good deli-s. Try sweet (fruit) preserves, honey, chutneys, & artichoke’s heart.

Serve : 4