Cheese Plate 101

One of my favorite chill-out-at-home dinners isn't something cooked at all, but a big glass of red wine with a home-made cheese plate. It is such a nice way to end a long work day. Cheese can be intimidating with all of the confusing names and types, but with anything, the best way to figure out what you like is just to buy some and try it!

I usually have a variety of cheeses in my fridge, but if I don't, I love heading to a nicer grocery store to pick up some of their "odds and ends". Many grocery stores with a good cheese selection will have a basket of sample cheeses.... basically smaller chunks of cheese that were leftover when they cut everything up. Unlike the bigger pieces, these may only be $1-4 and are the perfect size for a cheese plate. You can get a good variety for under $20 and if you don't like something, it's not as much of a waste as if you had spent $7.00 or so to buy the normal size piece. Just remember to save the wrappers so if you really like something you can make a note of it for next time. There is nothing worse than having to dig through the trash to see what something was.

A few pieces of cheese and the following, and you'll be in business:

• A great bottle of wine... or even a so-so bottle- good cheese always seems to make an average bottle taste so much better!
• A big, crusty loaf of bread
• Crackers
• Cornishens
• Olives
• Salami/Proscuitto
• A small dish of olive oil with fresh herbs, garlic, salt & pepper mixed in
• Grapes, pears, or apples
• Nuts
  
• A pretty cutting board to display everything on

Finally, some of my favorites:

• Piave Vecchio... I had this for the first time at a wine tasting in Napa and it is so good. Try it drizzled with a balsamic reduction.
• Tillamook anything... my parents got me hooked on this after they took a trip to Oregon and discovered the brand. They also make butter that I swear you can taste a distinct difference when you cook with it.
• Fresh, local cream cheese... this seems strange to put on a cheese plate, but fresh cream cheese tastes infinitely better than that overprocessed Philadelphia stuff. Try drizzling it with honey.
• Goat Cheese... any type. Mmmm, this is probably one of my favorites and tastes so good paired with this sundried tomato jam.
  

Light a few candles, throw on a good movie, fill that glass up and you've got a pret-ty good night!

Salut!