Tag: cheese platter

  • The 12 Days of Cheesemas

    The 12 Days of Cheesemas

     [Originally published on December 18, 2016; revised December 12, 2017.] In honor of the holiday season that surrounds us, I give you the gift of poetry and music. Tomorrow is the twelfth day of Cheesemas. If you have not yet gotten all of your Christmas cheese together, I hope you will take inspiration from this…

  • Have A Blue, Blue Blue Blue Christmas (Pairing)

    Have A Blue, Blue Blue Blue Christmas (Pairing)

    When we talk about pairings for blue cheeses like Stilton, the conversation tends to head toward dessert wines like Port, Madeira, or Sauternes. After all, the fortified wine plus assertive, salty blue cheese is a classic combination—and it works. But that got me thinking: If you are going to eat your cheese for dessert, what…

  • How to Build a Killer Cheese Plate at Home

    How to Build a Killer Cheese Plate at Home

    I would say that 40 percent of my cheese sales go to people who are looking to build a cheese plate for an event—whether it be a romantic evening for two, movie night for five, or a baby shower with dozens of guests. At this time of year, the cheese plate-building intensifies, as the holiday…

  • How to be Sweet on Citrus with Cheese

    How to be Sweet on Citrus with Cheese

    Ah, the dead of winter. That means different things to different people, to be sure. In general, we associate this time with darkness, cold, and snow. For much the northern US, Europe, and Asia, that is the reality of January and February life. When I lived in Arizona for my first 23 years, winter was…

  • Why Do Cheese Shops Always Sell Fig Bread and Date Cake?

    Why Do Cheese Shops Always Sell Fig Bread and Date Cake?

    “This is cheese?” That’s the question—always practically shouted, always with incredulity—we get 99-percent of the time when a customer notices our fig bread and date cake for the first time. Last week, an older gentleman even picked up a wedge, looked me square in the eye, and said, “so this is what’s become of fruitcake?”…

  • What are You Putting on Your Thanksgiving Cheese Plate?

    What are You Putting on Your Thanksgiving Cheese Plate?

    One of the biggest questions swirling around the internet’s cheese circles this week is, “What are you putting on your Thanksgiving cheese plate?” There are so many possible answers to that question, especially depending on where in the US you live. Last year, I wrote a post teaching you how to build your own Thanksgiving…

  • Trick-or-Treat! Don’t Forget the Cheese (Platter)

    Trick-or-Treat! Don’t Forget the Cheese (Platter)

    Whether you are heading out for an early evening of trick-or-treating with some tiny humans or staying in to hand out candy, Halloween is an excellent night for a cheese platter. And no, it’s not too late to throw something together, even if you are at work during all of the daylight hours. After all,…

  • Beyond Velveeta and Lil’ Smokies: Super Snacks for the Super Bowl

    Beyond Velveeta and Lil’ Smokies: Super Snacks for the Super Bowl

    Let me preface this by saying that I have nothing against Velveeta or Lil’ Smokies. We even ate the latter last year while we watched the Super Bowl, and I recognize that Velveeta is an integral part of everyone’s favorite RoTel-infused Queso dip recipes. I can wax nostalgic about eating these things while watching huge…

  • Tips to Make Your Thanksgiving Cheese Plate

    Tips to Make Your Thanksgiving Cheese Plate

    Thanksgiving. In the general American consciousness, it is a holiday for feasting, celebrating one’s family (or close network of friends who might as well be family), and pondering all that is good in our lives. The focus is typically on the grand turkey dinner—but most people don’t fast all day before they eat. So what…