TIP OF THE DAY: Pairing Fine Cheddar

Americans tend to pair Cheddars with apples and grapes. That’s OK with supermarket Cheddars. But farmstead Cheddars—artisan Cheddars—are complex, full-flavored cheeses that go well with a wide range of accompaniments. Try figs and dates or mostarda—glazed fruits in a mustard sauce. In summer months, Cheddar with a sliced vine-ripened tomato (sprinkled with sea salt), celery…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Eat The Bloomy Rind

Eat the rind! Photo of Brie courtesy Whole Foods Markets. White rinds on cheese—called bloomy rinds—are meant to be eaten. If you’ve been cutting them away, try them. Connoisseurs consider the rind part of the unique character of the cheese. The bloomy rind category of cheese refers to those cheeses with snowy white, downy rinds…
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VALENTINE’S DAY: Coeur à la Crème Cheese Course

Say “I love you” with sweetened mascarpone and raspberry purée. Photo courtesy Peabody Rudd. If you love mascarpone, the extra-rich “Italian cream cheese” that’s the base of tiramisu, then you might want to whip up a Coeur à la Crème for Valentine’s Day. The luscious mascarpone creation can serve as a cheese course prior to…
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CHEESE: How To Taste It (& Have A Tasting Party)

You know how to eat it, but do you know how to taste it? Photo courtesy EatWisconsinCheese.com. You love to eat cheese, but have you ever thought of its organoleptic qualities (taste, texture, aroma)? Take another step towards cheese connoisseurship by learning how to taste cheese like the experts. Toward this end we offer: Our…
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TIP OF THE DAY: “Skinny” Cheese Course

Cheese courses have become very popular as the end to a good dinner. But cheese is high-caloric and high-fat: It has more fat than protein (except for reduced fat and fat-free varieties—see the ratios of fat to protein in your favorite cheeses). So, serve a “skinny” cheese course. If you present self-serve selections—large wedges or…
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