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"Tips and Ideas" Like selecting and drinking wines and cordials, one’s tastes and preferences usually prevail when making cheese selections. While certain cheeses are used almost exclusively for grating or cooking, or as appetizers, you will be surprised to learn how many cheeses make good "after-dinner" or dessert cheeses. Also, consider cheese as the main course! Call us for ideas and serving suggestions.
· Fresh cut cheese is best. We realize that we live in a "shop-eat-and-go" society, but to realize full flavor, taste, texture, and quality, there is nothing like a piece of fresh-cut cheese. Remember, cheese is a "living" food.
· When planning cheese courses for your guests, the general rule of thumb is plan to serve 3.0 to 3.5 oz. of cheese per person. (Slightly less for small children, but kids often eat more than adults!) Consider the time of day--noon until mid-afternoon is a heavy cheese-eating / snacking time, so perhaps 3.5 to 4.0 oz. per person may work better. Also, consider the size of the meal to be served, and the presence of other appetizers.
· Only cut what you will use and properly store the rest. While it is not necessary to bring all cheese up to room temperature, we do advise to allow the cheese to breathe and give it some time to "not be so cold (refrigerator cold)" prior to serving.
· Regarding storage, we realize that most kitchens do not have bakery paper or cheesecloth readily available for use as wrapping material. Clear plastic wrap will work well. Do try to avoid some of the colored wrappings, because many will leave an odor or "plastic" taste. If the cheese needs to be kept stored for a period of time, it is advisable to uncover and re-wrap the cheese—to help prevent the cheese from suffocating.
· As a general rule of thumb, hard cheeses store longer than soft cheeses, with semi-soft cheeses somewhere in between. However, consult with your cheese shop or distributor regarding shelf and table life.
· Finally, give sheep’s milk and goat’s milk cheeses a chance. There is a whole new world of eating enjoyment given the variety of sheep’s and goat’s milk cheeses available. So enjoy!
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