The Ultimate Cheese Course Recipes

CHEESE COURSE

Steps:

• Arrange the cheeses together on 1 very large platter, or separately on small platters. Drizzle the honey around the Gorgonzola cheese. Arrange some of the fresh and dried fruits, nuts, and bread on the large cheese platter. Arrange the rest of the fruit and nuts on another platter. Serve, allowing guests to compose their own assortment of cheese, fruit, nuts, and bread on their plate.

ULTIMATE GRILLED CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the bacon on a baking rack set over a sheet pan in a single layer and roast for 20 to 30 minutes, until nicely browned. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels and cut in 1-inch pieces.
• Meanwhile, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, Parmesan, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Lay 12 slices of bread on a board and spread each one lightly with butter. Flip the slices and spread each one generously with the mayonnaise mixture. Don't neglect the corners!
• Grate the cheeses in a food processor fitted with the largest grating disk and combine. Distribute the bacon evenly on half the slices of bread. Pile 1/3 cup grated cheese evenly on top of the bacon and top with the remaining bread slices, sauce-side down.
• Meanwhile, heat an electric panini press. When the press is hot, cook the sandwiches for 3 to 5 minutes in batches until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted. Allow to cool for 2 minutes. Cut in half and serve warm.

ULTIMATE CHEESE PLATTER

Steps:

• Arrange the fig leaves in a single layer on a 16- to 18-inch diameter round board or platter.
• Place the grapes in the center of the board. Arrange the cheeses on the board around the grapes, cut sides facing out.
• Nestle the strawberries between two of the cheeses to create a block of color. Nestle the apricots between two of the cheeses, also creating a block of color. Transfer the fig jam to a bowl and place it on the board. Arrange the crackers on the board around the cheeses. If using, place the fig ball on the board, cut sides up.

THE ULTIMATE CHEESE COURSE

Steps:

• Lavender Honey drizzled over pungent Stilton or creamy Point Reyes Blue Cheese is surprisingly well-matched.
• The crumbly sweetness of biscotti with big cheeses and red wine is a wonderful flavor combination.
• Serve candied almonds or other candied nuts for an accompaniment with a sweet, salty crunch.
• The most elegant thing you can serve with a cheese course is a bowl full of warm pistachios...to occupy hand and mouth while you're sitting around the table talking with friends and finishing that great bottle of red wine.
• If serving Parmigiano-Reggiano, drizzle with a couple of drops of aged balsamic vinegar to enhance the flavor.
• Set out and arrange cheeses 1 hour before serving, cheeses are best consumed at room temperature.
• Serve cheeses on a round tray or wheel, arranging clockwise from 6:00 from the sweetest to the strongest cheeses.
• Serve sweeter accompaniments, such as figs with the stronger cheeses to get some agre dolce flavor.
• Serve stronger cheeses with lemon and orange wedges to enhance the flavors.
• As a general rule, the cheeses you choose should follow the flavors and intensity of the wine. If you are drinking a big, intense wine, choose a big, intense cheese. For example, if you've chosen Petit Sirah (usually big, deep--colored and full bodied), choose a Gorgonzola, the creamy, classic Italian cow's milk blue cheese that comes in Mountain (aged) and Dolce (sweet) varieties.
• If you are serving a Sauvignon Blanc (which tends to be crisp and light - medium bodied), pair it with goat cheese, light and delightfully tart--even tangy. Also, the more acidic your wine is, the higher the fat content of the cheese needs to be (generally).
• A young, fresh goat cheese, goes well with Robert Mondavi Winery Fume Blanc Reserve or the Luna Pinot Grigio. Or try, St. Paulin (also known as Port Salut), good company for fruit and light wine.
• Buy a well-aged Brie, Camembert or Cambozola for Chardonnay. This wine has the acid to take the creamier, "fatty" cheeses.
• For Reggiano and Blue cheeses try my Old Vine Petit Sirah Zinfandel.
• Of course, contrasting flavors can also guide you toward great cheese course combinations, so from time to time I like to serve a crisp, fruity sparkling wine with Reggiano! What contrast for the mouth!
• With numerous varieties to choose from, cheese's companionship with both sweet and savory ingredients can make serving the ultimate cheese course a creative and colorful celebration every time. Have fun and experiment with your favorite flavors!
• Next to buying good cheese, the single most important element of serving a great cheese course is the temperature of the cheese when you serve it--room temperature! Set the cheese out at least 3 hours before serving time. It really is true that $5 cheese will taste like $20 cheese at the right temperature and $20 cheese will taste like $5 cheese at the wrong temperature. When you offer it to your guests, your Brie should be weeping, your Blue stinking and your Reggiano glistening with a whisper of its oil.
• With cheese and wine, I like to add sweetness and texture and present them together on a memorable serving platter.

THE ULTIMATE GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH

Steps:

• Preheat a griddle or nonstick skillet to medium-low. Spread 2 teaspoons of the butter on one side of a bread slice. Repeat with the remaining butter and bread. Place one of the slices butter-side down and shingle the cheese on top, covering the entire surface. Top with the other slice of bread, butter-side up.
• Place the sandwich on the griddle and cook until the bottom is golden brown and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. If the bread is browning too quickly, shift the griddle off the heat. Flip the sandwich, then cover with a small metal bowl and cook until the bottom is golden brown and the cheese is melted, 3 to 4 minutes. Once golden brown on both sides, toast the edges of the sandwich, if desired. Transfer to a cutting board, cut in half on the bias and serve immediately.