Tips for arranging the perfect cheese platter
Amid the canapes and delicate phyllo fingers hosts feel obligated to conjure during the holidays, a cheese platter may seem like a cop-out. After all, you didn't make it. But a well constructed cheese board is a sure way to please your guests and show off your food savvy.
Start by not getting carried away. Choose a variety of cheeses that offer contrasting tastes, textures and colors. For instance, try a soft goat cheese, a hard sheep's milk cheese, a semi-soft washed-rind cheese and a creamy blue.
And limit the platter to a maximum of six cheeses (three or four is optimal). Any more than that, cheese gurus say, confuses the palate and makes matching a wine difficult.
"You want some soft things, some hard things, maybe a blue, maybe a stinky, and at least two milk types, between cow, goat and sheep," said Liz Thorpe, vice president of Murray's Cheese and author of "The Cheese Chronicles."
Thorpe's knockout combinations would match a hard, saltier cheese such as Parmigiano-Reggiano or a nutty, well-aged Gouda, with a "bloomy rind" -- those soft, melting tallegios and Camemberts -- and one slightly less accessible cheese, for instance, a classic English Stilton.
For good measure, you could throw in a Spanish manchego, made of sheep's milk, or one of its goat milk cousins, such as the Drunken Goat, a hard, mild, wine-washed cheese.
Fiona Beckett, author of the cheese guide and cookbook "Cheese Course," also recommended playing with different themes. Try creating an entire cheese board using cheeses from a particular country. Or showcasing different styles of one type of cheese, for instance, creating a platter of blues like Gorgonzola Dolce, Shropshire Blue and Roquefort.
Cheese can be expensive, but your platter doesn't have to break the bank. Thorpe recommended buying 1 ounce per person per cheese. So eight guests would require eight ounces of each cheese.
Complement the cheese with two or three high-quality nibbles. Dried cherries brighten up those bloomy rinds, Thorpe said, and marcona (Spanish) almonds highlight the butterscotch tones in aged Gouda. Sheep cheeses go nicely with quince paste, and the sugar in dried figs bounces off the blues.
Stick with mildly flavored noshes; no fiery chorizo or heavily smoked fish. Instead try gently smoked salmon, sweet sopressata, pickled or grilled vegetables, olives, cornichons, apples and pears. Keep your bread or crackers simple.
And show off all your good work by picking the right wine. Steer clear of the big reds, which can overwhelm the cheese, said Marnie Old, author of "Wine Secrets." Reach instead for white wines that are dry, un-oaked and medium-bodied sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, Spanish albarino, Austrian gruner veltliner or dry, bracing Australian riesling. Their higher acidity complements elements like salt and fat.
"They are the workhorses of wine," said Old, who also is the former director of wine studies at New York's French Culinary Institute. "They lift up the flavors and the brightness."
But the wines come with one caveat: Don't put anything sugary on your platter, such as honey or compote. If the wines complement the salt in the cheese, they will rebel against sugar. "It's a toothpaste-and-orange-juice thing," Old said.
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New Potatoes with Roast Beef and Horseradish Cream
Start to finish: 35 minutes (15 minutes active). Servings: 60
30 very small red potatoes, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
3/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
3 tablespoons well-drained ground horseradish
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 pound thinly sliced deli roast beef, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
Place a rack in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 425 F. Brush 2 baking sheets with oil.
Place the potato halves on the baking sheets, cut side down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes, or until well-browned on the underside and tender at the center. The potatoes can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead. Let cool to room temperature and cover with plastic wrap.
Meanwhile, in a bowl, stir together the sour cream, mayonnaise, horseradish and mustard.
To assemble, reheat as many potatoes as you want to serve at one time, in the oven or microwave. Top each potato with about 1/2 teaspoon of horseradish cream and 1 teaspoon of chopped roast beef. Sprinkle with tarragon. Serve warm.
Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 77 calories; 11 calories from fat; 1 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 4 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrate; 3 g protein; 1 g fiber; 46 mg sodium.
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Cranberry Goat Cheese Log
Start to finish: 1 hour (20 minutes active). Serves 8.
1/4-ounce package of gelatin
1/4 cup water
12-ounce package fresh cranberries
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cranberry juice
1/4 cup raspberry or orange liqueur
16-ounce log goat cheese
In a small glass combine the gelatin and water. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan over medium-high, combine the cranberries, cinnamon, sugar, cranberry juice and liqueur. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Add the gelatin mixture and boil until the mixture resembles a very thick jelly or compote.
Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Place the saucepan in the ice bath to cool.
Once the cranberry sauce has cooled, lay an 18-inch sheet of plastic wrap on the counter. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the cranberry sauce into an even rectangle slightly longer than the goat cheese log. Place the goat cheese on top of the sauce.
Spoon the remaining cranberry sauce mixture over the log, coating it evenly. Gently roll the log up in the wrap, using the plastic to mold the sauce evenly around the cheese. Twist each end closed. Freeze to allow the cranberry mixture to set, about 30 minutes.
Remove from the freezer and gently remove the plastic wrap on a cutting board. Use dental floss (unflavored) or string to slice the log into rounds. Serve with toasted pita wedges or crackers.
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Party food doesn't have to break all resolutions before year even starts
Frozen eggrolls or puff pastry hors d'oeuvres make for easy holiday party prep, but they don't do your guests any nutritional favors.
Sure, a couple nibbles of a bacon-wrapped this or deep-fried that won't tank your diet. But when the holiday party punch is flowing and the mood is merry, moderation can be hard to manage.
So, why not offer your guests some finger foods they can feel good about, even after seconds or thirds?
Bean dips, such as hummus, are a good choice. Even more indulgent dips made with cheese or sour cream can be made healthier when they're served with lots of fresh vegetables instead of chips. Dairy-based dips also can be blended with non-fat Greek-style plain yogurt.
Fruits combined with a savory element can be sophisticated and delicious. Try small wedges of honeydew melon wrapped in a strip of rosemary ham (available at most well-stocked deli counters) or slices of pear (dipped in a mixture of lemon juice and water to keep them from turning brown) topped with some crumbles of assertive Stilton cheese.
Shrimp are another crowd pleaser that are inexpensive and easy to prep. Plus, they are low in calories and virtually fat-free.
Precooked cocktail shrimp are the most convenient, but for better flavor buy raw shrimp, thread them onto bamboo skewers and toss them on the grill.
Rather than serving the standard horseradish-based cocktail sauce with shrimp, try this Thai-style pesto, which is made from a combination of three fresh herbs, fresh ginger, spicy chilies, lime juice and roasted peanuts. The recipe calls for only 2 tablespoons of oil and no cheese, making it lighter than many varieties of pesto.
For parties, serve the pesto with grilled shrimp for dipping. If you're just making a quick dinner, use the pesto to top grilled chicken or fish, or as a sauce for rice noodles.
Grilled Shrimp with Thai-Style Pesto
Start to finish: 20 minutes. Makes 3/4 cup pesto, enough for 40 to 50 shrimp
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1-1/2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts
1/4 cup lime juice
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and quartered
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
12 bamboo skewers
In a food processor or blender, combine the basil, cilantro, mint, ginger, brown sugar, peanuts, lime juice, jalapenos, oil and salt. Process until smooth. (The pesto can be made up to 4 days in advance and refrigerated.) Transfer to a serving bowl.
Heat a grill to medium-high. Thread the shrimp onto the skewers and grill, turning once, until the shrimp turn pink and opaque, about 2 minutes per side. Alternatively, set the oven to broil and cook the shrimp 4 inches from the heat, until they are pink and opaque, about 2 minutes per side.
Remove the shrimp from the skewers and serve with the pesto.
Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 154 calories; 69 calories from fat; 8 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 158 mg cholesterol; 5 g carbohydrate; 16 g protein; 1 g fiber; 929 mg sodium.
