Around Christmas and New Year's Day, you're sure to find yourself hosting or attending a holiday party or two. What to serve your guests (or bring to the party) can always pose a challenge. Vegetable platters with dip are the most obvious choices for a buffet, but this year, why not go for a little more gusto and incorporate cheese into your appetizers?
Cheese is one of the most versatile ingredients you can use to create impressive and delicious holiday appetizers. Light or heavy, rich or delicate, cheeses come in various shapes and sizes. Goat cheese (made from the milk of goats) can be purchased in logs, round disks, square blocks and even pyramid-like shapes. Fresh cheddar cheese is often sold in blocks that can be sliced or grated, depending on your recipe. Some imported cheeses, such as Brie, come wrapped in paper or covered with a natural fungus that acts as a natural ripening agent for the cheese.
When purchasing your cheese, keep the following in mind: Soft consistency cheeses tend to be mild in flavor, while firm consistency cheeses tend to be more pungent in flavor. Try to avoid purchasing cheeses that have been tightly wrapped in plastic (also known as "shrink-wrap"). And certainly avoid any cheese that has a dark black mold on it. The best place to store cheese is in the coldest part of your refrigerator. Keep the cheese loosely wrapped but not open to the air inside the refrigerator.
If you're going to be preparing a cheese platter, think about choosing cheeses that have contrasting flavors, textures and colors. Sharp cheddar, mild gouda, seeded herb, Roquefort or Swiss cheeses make a visually appealing layout along with crackers or sliced fruit.
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