How to prepare the perfect cheese plate

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(NC)—Presenting a cheese plate at your dinner party is a gesture designed to impress your guests in at least two distinctive ways. First, the presentation of the cheese should make their eyes pop. Secondly, but with equal impact, every creamy, crumbly morsel should make their taste buds pop too.

Selecting an aged cheddar is always the starting point. From there, just a few quick tips will make the perfect cheese plate every time. Here's a handy guideline from Balderson, the label known for it's natural aging of one- to six-year-old cheddar:

• Select cheeses that have different textures, fat content, flavours – and colour.

• Offer three to six varieties of cheese cut into wedges, wheels or halves. Consult this Balderson flavour tip for cheddar:

- Aged 1 year: nippy, but mild

- Aged 2 years: sharp, richer texture.

- Aged 5 years: crumbly, rich, with a unique crunchy sharpness.

• Let the cheese reach room temperature just before serving.

• Accent the plate with pieces of fruit, like pear and apple, or dried fruit, toasted nuts, or jellies and chutneys.

• Provide small cheese knives and small serving plates for each guest.

• If the cheese is served before dinner, add toasted baguette slices. After dinner, try thin toasted slices of fruit bread, like pecan-raisin loaf or cranberry-walnut bread.

• To pair with wine: white and sparkling wines generally compliment milder cheeses. Red wines are best served with stronger aged cheeses – and there's nothing like the taste of a port or muskat with a strong cheddar at dessert time.

Credit: www.newscanada.com