16 June 2012

To board or to plate....

When it comes to serving cheese to guests at a small dinner party, say, there are at least two main options people turn to. Let's discuss those here: the cheese board or a cheese plate. I think it will become clear which one we favor at Fromage-du-Mois.


(I thought I would mention that Steven Jenkins, one of America's foremost cheese mongers, has a very nice section on serving cheese as well in The Cheese PrimerHis book is also a wonderful introduction to the world of cheese, including the cheese-making process, wonderful descriptions of the major and many minor cheeses of the world and their regions of origin, and many resources about cheese shops and artisinal cheese makers around the world.)

So, a cheese board is that slate or wooden board, perhaps a bit unwieldy, that is often put out on the coffee table or end-table for guests (image, right). There are usually 1-3 wedges of different cheeses on the board, each with its own knife, and a stack of small napkins nearby. Some people will add a couple of crackers to this mix. After your guests do some mingling and hovering around this board, you inevitably see small crumbles of cheese on the floor below. There sometimes feels like there is "no beginning and no end" to this method, until all you have left is 3 rinds and guests that may be too full for the rest of your courses.


The cheese board is a well-intended endeavor. As we've experienced, however,  it seems to fall short and can become a true tragedy of the commons. It can promote endless standing around and nibbling, it lacks a personal touch, and it often doesn't include the savory accompaniments which enhance cheese flavors (things like: thick crusty bread, toasted black walnuts, a fig or date jam, and macoun apples, among others).

A cheese plate, on the other hand (image, left), may fill these voids well and help serve as desired. In a small or even medium-sized dinner party setting, it is only a little more trouble to prepare individual plates.

A cheese plate can be a regular dinner plate in size or smaller one, if fitting. You can prepare the plate with, say, 2-4 cheeses, usually in smaller wedges or pieces than on a board.  This seems to really cut down on the hovering, mingling, careless cutting, and piece-dropping on the floor. And importantly, the experience is more personal; it seems to emphasize quality rather than quantity in presentation. It is also a more fit method to include a smattering of appropriate accompaniments, things like wedges of French bread, roasted nuts, slices of fruit,  or (if the cheese is right), thin slices of prosciutto or sopresata.  More on specific cheese accompaniments later....

Let us know what your experience has been...