The holidays are approaching, and that means cocktail parties, get togethers, lots of fun, and cheese! Here are some simple solutions to the ever present question “what to serve” Not a recipe per se, but some concepts that may not only save you time in the kitchen, but leave you with more time to spend with your guests. The cheesemakers have already done the work; you just put it on a plate and party along with the crowd!
Pick your cheese to suit your crowd: If you are having an intimate gathering with cheesaholic friends or 
foodies, this would be the time to serve more serious contemplative cheeses (Epoisses, Vacherin Mont’Dor , Serra de Estrella etc). Leave them whole on your cheeseboard. You can partake of them leisurely after dinner, discuss, munch some bread, sip some wine, you get the picture.
But if you’ve got a houseful of folks milling about, you may want to go for some more widely acceptable choices (read; less “stinky” and controversial) And you may want to precut some of them. The exceptions would be brie and crumbly goat cheeses. These will just look like a mess if precut.Sometimes less is more: Don’t always feel compelled to serve a variety of cheeses, especially if the cheese is not the focus of the event. You can create a dramatic, elegant effect by serving just a single cheese and maybe one or two other accompianments. Here are a few examples that I have used with great success:
Pierre Robert or Brillat Savarin: These small 1 lb triple crèmes can make a big statement. Present them whole with the top rind removed. Place the cheese on the center of a larger platter, and surround the cheese with baguette slices. Use a dark color platter for contrast if possible. Place a few strawberries on for color. Serve the cheese with a butter knife or speader, and guests can spread the creamy cheese on the baguette slices. The perfect compliment is champagne or a sparkler. If you want to round it out, serve sliced salami or dried sausage, especially French style Saucisson Sec. Simple and sublime. Great for before dinner.
A Large piece of Parmigiano Reggiano served whole: Take a nice sized wedge of this northern Italian classic, and present it on a platter with grapes. Chisel off a few pieces with a cheese knife, and let them fall where they may in a small grouping next to the cheese in one location. Replace that cheese knife in the hunk and guests can chisel off their own piece. No crackers are needed, but do serve breadsticks (“grissini”) standing up in a tall thin vessel (a tall thin drinking glass will do fine)
Sheep’s milk cheeses and Fig Jam:This is a great presentation for sheeps milk cheeses, and will work great with Manchego, or especially Abbaye de Belloc. Place a wedge cut side down on a cutting board with the back rind facing you. Slice of the rind on the right side, discard, and continue making those same parallel cuts until reach the rind on the left(and discard that rind as well. You will have thin triangles of cheese which you can now place on a platter, points facing out. Dab a small dot of fig jam on the back (wide) end of the cheese; the little bit of sweetness will compliment these cheeses perfectly. Pile up some nuts/dried fruits in the center of the platter.
You can pile some almonds up in the middle of the plate.
Alright sounds good, but how much cheese do I need:
Plan on 1 to 2 ounces per person for a coctail hour serving, and up to 5 ounces of cheese if this is the main food being served.
All very easy, simple, elegant, not much work, lots of flavor. Enjoy!
Patrick Ambrosio served as the cheesemonger for Dean and Deluca in Napa Valley CA. Returning to his home town of Long Island NY worked for many years as the cheese department manger for Bernard’s Market and Cafe, twice featured in the New York Times. Prior to working in cheese, Patrick was a professional chef for many years, including Executive Chef at both Tyler Hill Farm Country Inn, as well as Russian Hill Estate Winery in Sonoma County, CA.
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