UV Cooks: The Perfect Valentine’s Day Platter

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Recipe loosely adapted from http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/shopping-storing/food/perfect-cheese-platter-10000001580273/index.html
Recipe loosely adapted from http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/shopping-storing/food/perfect-cheese-platter-10000001580273/index.html

Valentine’s Day always springs out of nowhere, amiright??? All of a sudden, it’s 5pm on February 14th and we find ourselves frantically searching for availability at an establishment at least one step above the traditional date night fare of pho/burritos/McDonalds takeout. Often, however, we find ourselves settling for something less than what we feel our significant other deserves. Securing a table at such dingy establishments never bodes well in our quest to dazzle and impress our romantic interest on the annual celebration of love. Thankfully, there is an alternative to this stressful and underwhelming prospect. Below, you will find a formula for how to create a spectacular intimate dinner for two, which- lucky for you!- requires very little advance preparation, culinary talent or independent creativity.

 

Ingredients:

3-4 types of cheese, varying in textures and flavours

150g of pancetta, prosciutto or other type of cured meat

Generous helping of mixed olives, roasted red peppers or artichoke hearts

1-2 firm, crisp apples or pears, sliced thinly

1 baguette, sliced (optionally, toasted)

1 package of sturdy crackers

1-2 preserves (for example, plum jam, fig spread, mango chutney, spicy mustard)

Optional:

1 onion, caramelized

1 bunch of grapes

Preparation:

1) When selecting your cheeses, ensure that you have a wide sampling of fresh, washed rind, creamy, semi-soft, hard, aged and/or blue cheeses. Try to feature cheeses made from different types of milk (cow, goat and sheep) to ensure a more full and complex range of flavours. Some workable combinations include:

a) Aged (Applewood Smoked Cheddar); Soft (Camembert); Firm (Parmigiano-Reggiano); Blue (Gorgonzola)

b) Aged (Gouda); Soft (Brie); Firm (Gruyere); Blue (Cambozola)

c) Aged (Oka); Soft (Boursin); Firm (Manchego); Blue (Roquefort)

2) When arranging your platter, it is perfectly acceptable to place strong-smelling cheeses on a separate plate so that they do not overpower the more delicate ones. Ensure that each type of cheese has a separate and slicing-appropriate knife (whether it is a butter knife, a paring knife or a cheese plane). Make sure to remove cheese from the refrigerator at least one hour prior to intended consumption to allow the flavours to sing.

3) Arrange the accompaniments (cured meat and vegetables, fruit, bread and spreads) around or beside the cheese platter and ensure that there is cutlery accessible, if required (for example, small tongs or forks for the cured vegetables, a spreading knife for each spread, etc.).

4) Enjoy the meal with your loved one and a glass (or three) of chilled white wine.

 

***Note that HRH, the Queen of Modern Home Cooking, Deb Perleman, recently posted a genius recipe that puts any leftover cheese to excellent use. Deb’s crazy-simple but delicious recipe for “Fromage Fort” can be accessed by visiting the following link: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2012/12/fromage-fort/

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