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To make sure the cheeses are served at their peak condition and flavor, we
urge you to respect the following guidelines:
- Store your cheeses in a cool place ( 4 to 6 deg. C ) and allow the cheeses
to rest at least four hours after receipt.
- To keep peace in the family ( and the refrigerator ) we placed the cheeses
in secure zip lock bags to contain their bouquet
- One hour before serving, unwrap the cheeses and arrange them on the cheese
board ( they supply some really nice cheese markers to identify the cheeses for
you ). A well presented cheese board is the first step in making the tasting a
memorable experience
- Use the special paper that they supply to re-wrap any unfinished cheeses.
- Betsy and I have found that the quantity shipped for these courses is more
than enough for 6-8 people to enjoy
- Note: The medical profession strongly reccomends that pregnant women and
people suffering from low immune deficiencies should not eat raw milk products
The art of cutting cheese
The way one cuts cheese demonstrates an art of living, etiquette rules for
good manners and practical rules for conserving the cheese. One example of how
not to cut a cheese: cutting Roquefort in such a way that one takes all the blue
part and leaves only the white, which is not as tasty. It is neither good manners
nor elegant. There are some strict rules : For instance, every portion of cheese
should contain some rind. There are two reasons for this : one is not to take
all the center, two is that the taste of cheese is not uniform throughout the
cheese. Generally it is riper near the rind, as the mildew on the rind has helped
to accelerate the maturing process. Discovering the subtleties is part of the
pleasure in tasting. Therefore make sure a part of the rind is distributed with
the cheese portions.
Over the generations special instruments have been invented to cut cheese so
it can show its best qualities. For instance the Roquefortaise is a wire butter
knife that allows the cheese to be cut without damaging its fragile texture. Or
the Girolle (a cheese board with a guillotine type of knife attached, excellent
for a Tete-de-Moine from Switzerland. Certain cheeses with a hard pate (Mimolette
extra vieille, Parmesan,…) will require a knife where one uses two hands.
Whereas cheeses with a soft pate require a small knife with a slightly bent blade,
with the point of the knife divided into two which will enable one to correctly
handle the cheese. Don’t hesitate to pass the knife in hot water, as this
will make it easier to cut, particularly the blue cheeses.
If you do not possess the ideal knife, choose a knife with a long rigid blade.
Also be prepared to use a fork. Cut the cheese with one strong stroke, which will
prevent the cheese from being crushed. Try to make the portions of cheese equal
and cleanly sliced… elegant presentation is a part of style.
Lastly, don’t forget to keep the knife clean ; a piece of bread is ideal
for this purpose. If this is not done, one risks affecting the taste of the various
cheeses. Imagine the delicate taste of the Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine contaminated
with the rustic taste of the Maroilles!!
Presenting your Cheese Board
As the first contact with the cheese board is the eye it is essential that
the shapes, sizes, textures and colors of the cheeses reflect balance and harmony.
Think of those impressionist still life paintings. First concentrate on the shapes,
a pyramid to a brick, not forgetting the rounded and log shaped cheeses. Then
look at the sizes and textures, for example the little Crottin compared with the
large airy form of the Chaource. Lastly there are a multitude of colors, the grey/green
blue-veined Roquefort, the orange of the Livarot, not forgetting the warm golden
yellow of the Comte. Once your cheeses have been selected place them on the plateau
in an artistic and coherent form.
Make sure the cheeses are fresh and appetizing. The palate is highly sensitive
to what the eye beholds. It is important to keep your cheeses in a cool location;
the ideal place is in a cellar; if this is not possible the lower shelves of the
refrigerator. Make sure the cheeses are wrapped individually. One hour before
serving unwrap them; this allows the cheeses come up to room temperature and breathe.
To enhance the artistic presentation of the cheese board one should add a little
color to accentuate the textures, hue and colors of the cheeses. Place some cheery
tomatoes, grapes and possibly slices of apples, pears (spay with lemon juice to
prevent them darkening) between the cheeses. The two cheeses one leaves in their
original wrapping are the Vacherin and the Epoisses, otherwise present without
their wrapping. If you have succeeded in your presentation you will hear "
what a wonderful cheese board, it looks most inviting, tell me the names,"
or something in the same tone. Be prepared !
Finally no cheese board is complete without the complement of bread and wine.
We call this the Trinity of the table, cheese, bread and wine. The ideal bread
is the famous French baguette; cheeses marry well with the crusty exterior and
the soft interior of the bread. As for the wine, each cheese has its ideal partner,
once found you will immediately sense the epicurean pleasure of a perfect concordance.
As an overall guidance one should not choose a wine that has an over dominant
character otherwise the flavors of the cheeses will not be appreciated. Interestingly,
we suggest red Bordeaux is not often an ideal choice.
The stage is set for the talk of the evening.
Two last comments: allow for 100 to 120 grams of cheese per person; and don’t
over load your cheese board, we suggest no more that 7 to 9 different cheeses.
We would like to end with two quotations we think worthy of your consideration
at this time of the year.
"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well."
Virginia Wolf ( 1882-1942)
"Eating is not merely a material pleasure. Eating well gives a spectacular
joy of life and contributes immensely to goodwill and happy companionship.
It is of great importance to the morale."
Elsa Schiaparelli ( 1890-1973)
Bonnes Fetes de fin d’annee ! - Marc Refabert
- Return to Main Cheese Page -
- Continue to Cheese Study Course Number 1 -
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