Time-lapse of the creative process. From the initial flourishing of the idea to the inevitable wait for good news
via: Neil Bromhall
How high can you go?
Raw and sliced, I usually tap out at Habanero.
Planning a wine and cheese party for Wednesday night. Picked up a bottle of Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon and planning to pick up a few of my favorite cheeses: Chateau de Bourgogne, Delice des Dieux, Mont D’Or, La Tur, and Adoray.
What wines and cheeses should I add to the mix?
Today’s Yes/No…
Beef Tongue & Bacon Pizza? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/keP2eKveFB pic.twitter.com/LhVQXE45WD
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) May 6, 2022
Hope you have a wonderful party! I’m vegetarian so no beef tongue for me. I haven’t tried any of those cheeses yet I love cheese so I must try to find where I can buy them. As for peppers – I can’t remember ever going past jalopeno and probably can’t. Embarrassed 😞
I don’t know if you have Quebec cheese in Toronto, but I would recommend it for sure.
I’m good with any cheese that doesn’t stink. Unless it’s made from some exotic animal or fish. I could see finding something like that. I really don’t drink wine, but I seem to like red, sweet, fruity.
I’m going to stop at the bell pepper, thank you. Love the way peppers smell though. My brother would stupidly go all the way to the top. When he does that on occasion, I just laugh at him and enjoy the show he puts on.
If you are hosting an intimate gathering with you and Akemi and only one or two other couples then that small group of personal fav cheeses you’ve selected is fine. If you are hosting a wider more casual wine and cheese gathering with a variety of friends and neighbors stopping by then you need to have some more universally liked offerings in addition to your personal favs.
Back in the day before my health and wealth went out for a pack of smokes one night, and I can only assume made a wrong turn at Avenue J, got abducted by a Stepford Wives cult and driven to Poughkipsee to be held hostage, because neither has been seen since, I followed a basic rule of thumb for the larger wine and cheese gatherings.
In addition to my personal favs I’d always make sure to pick up the following slightly more casual items for those who may not be much into gourmet level wine and cheese. I also pick up some side items to pair with the cheeses because it’s always a good idea to offer other foods to snack on, no matter if it’s an intimate or larger gathering, while spending the evening sitting in one room conversing and consuming any alcohol.
:
Brie cheese. This is for that inbetween, not all pizza and chicken wings but not quite ready for prime time, palate. Pair it with a chardonnay.
Celery hearts.
1 package cream cheese
1 jar whole pitted black olives
1 jar imported Vigo marinated artichoke hearts
1 jar Mezzetta marinated roasted bell peppers.
Hass whole avacado’s.
Red grapes.
Pears.
Toothpicks.
The olives can be placed in a bowl for snacking as a stand alone or paired with one of your selected cheeses.
Don’t forget to run a toothpick into each one so it is easily noticed as a snacking item and can be easily picked up out of bowl by the consumer.
The celery stalks can be filled with a cream cheese that has some of the artichoke, or some sliced olive, or red bell slivers mixed into it.
Avacados can be quartered and stuffed with whatever combo of ingredients you like.
Serve it up with rind intact on a platter.
Sliced pear served up on a platter goes well with most soft cheeses and also offers the advantage of pairing well with the chardonay.
Again, dont forget to run toothpicks into each slice.
Sweet red grapes can also be served up in a bowl as a stand alone snacking item.
It pairs well with soft cheeses and the Cabernet.
I also always made sure to pick up a bag of tortilla chips and a jar of salsa as a back up.
I kept the chips and salsa stashed away and if i saw few to none snacking on the gourmet cheeses I selected after 20 minutes I simply quietly walked off to the kitchen and would come out with a bowl of tortilla in one hand and a bowl of salsa in the other and place it on the table without a word. It always saved the evening from total disaster and ensured guests stayed to visit longer than the obligatory 45-60 minutes.
All the cheese!
I would try the pizza out at least.