Cheese BoardsThe cheese platter/board

The type of restaurant, it's menu and executive chef, as well as the desires of the guests, determine if a nd what kind of cheese is offered also how wide a selection of domestic and imported cheeses the platter should contain. The cheeses should be served at room temperature, app 65 – 68 degrees.

How to Make a Cheese PlateWhen you're designing a cheese plate, you're looking to create a balance of flavors and textures. You can go all-goat, all-sheep, or all-cow if you'd like, but unless your guests/menu has highly specific tastes, you're best off aiming for variety.Think about an ounce per cheese per person for appetizers or after dinner; a little more if you're serving less than 5 cheeses.There are 5 major styles of cheese: Fresh, washed-rind, bloomy, pressed, and blue. You will want an assortment of these, as well as some palate-cleansers/accompaniments:olives, pickles, fruits, nuts, breads, crackers etc... and flavor-enhancers honey, quince paste, fruit preserves, compotes or even an aged balsamic vinegarCheese classifications:extra hard hard semi hardsemisoft soft sour-milkfresh

When choosing from cheese classifications you normally will choose a variety, for example:hard, semi soft, soft or extra hard, hard, semi soft etc...Cheese types:Fresh cheeses are soft, mild-tasting and creamy: Anything without a distinct rind is considered a fresh cheese. They range in flavor and texture from fresh mozzarella, ricotta, or goat cheese to salty brined feta.Washed-rind cheeses are the funky ones: They're bathed in liquid, whether beer, wine, or water to encourage the development of helpful bacteria that add tons of complex flavor. Meunster's the most common washed-rind cheese available here; you might also see Taleggio or Raclette in your store. They're generally runny inside with semi-firm outsides. Bloomy cheeses are rich and intense, with creamy insides and a semi-firm, edible white rind. Brie, traditionally made with raw milk (though, sadly, not in the USA), is a member of this family. Other favorites are Brillat-Savarin, Pierre Robert, or the super-runny St. Marcellin. Pressed cheeses are firmer, with harder rinds. Most hard and semi-hard cheeses fall into this category, from Parmigiano-Reggiano, Romano, and Asiago, to Cheddar, Gouda, and Gruyere. (Gruyere is also washed with brine, but not to the same degree as the washed-rind cheeses) Their flavors are all over the map — Parmigiano-Reggiano is deep and nutty; aged Gouda is butterscotchy and young is creamy; and Cheddar can taste like anything, depending on its age. Blue cheeses are funkily intense, shot through with veins of penicillin. They're usually creamy, sometimes with a salty crunch in spots. Stilton and Maytag Blue are classics, as is Roquefort, but check out Cabrales for truly complex flavor or mellow, nutty Fourme d'Ambert.

Simple Cheese Plate Tips1. Choose your cheeses in odd numbers. Usually, three to five varieties is a good number—any more than that, and it's just overwhelming for your guests. If this is going to be the starter or dessert course, budget about 1 to 3 ounces of cheese per person.

2. Think about varying your milk types, by serving cheese made from goat's, sheep's, and cow's milk.3. Serve cheese at room temperature. Take your cheese out of the refrigerator at least an hour before you serve it. Place it on your cheeseboard and gently cover with a tea towel.4. Arrange the cheeses on the serving dish in order from the mildest flavor to the strongest.5. Cheese, like many other things in the culinary world have specific ways they are meant to be cut. It's worth the research to find out.Cheese can compliment and be complimented Some common cheese combinations:• blue cheese + honey• manchego + quince paste or marconas almonds

• sharp cheddar + chutney

Stilton + vintage port or dried fruitmild gorgonzola + fresh peaches or pearsCamembert + fruitetc....