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Easy, cheesy dinner party fare |
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Written by Holly Bea
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Thursday, 04 January 2007 |
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 Cheese is the universal food, or at least that’s been my experience.
Sure people have likes and dislikes. But I’ve never, ever met anyone who didn’t like cheese in some form, which makes it a perfect addition to any menu.
Whether used in it’s purest form or as an ingredient, cheese can please any guest, so here are a few of my favorite, easy, cheesy recipes:
CHEESE PAIRED WITH WINE
It doesn’t get any easier than this.
The next time you’ve got a few friends coming over, pick up some cheese, pair it with an appropriate wine and serve with confidence.
One of my favorites is Manchego paired with Cava (Spanish champagne), Rioja (Spanish red wine) or any big Cabernet. Manchego is a semi-firm cheese from Spain that will remind you of parmesan — but you’ll be surprised at how long the flavor lingers on your palate.
You don’t even have to serve it with crackers — just slice and serve. I first discovered it at a little wine store in Cambria, Calif. The owner had me try it with a glass of Cava. If you’ve never tried it, make sure you do. It’s a much better value for the money than French champagne, and just as yummy.
Another great wine and cheese combination is Stilton with a big-bodied Cabernet, an Australian Shiraz or a glass of Tawny Port. Stilton is the pride of England and is a very distinctive blue cheese. It is a semi-soft cheese and great served by itself or on a mild cracker. Be sure to keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to serve it. It keeps in the refrigerator for up to two weeks and can be frozen and kept for up to three months.
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3 Minute Parmesan Crisps
Every time I serve these, people ask for the recipe. Then they don’t believe me when I tell them how easy they are to make!
- One package shredded Parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil, tarragon, and sage
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place small 2-inch mounds of shredded cheese on a cookie sheet. Use a teaspoon to level the mounds into a circular shape. Place a leaf of basil, tarragon or sage in the middle of each. Bake for three minutes or until golden. Remove from oven. Use spatula to remove crisps onto wax paper.
Serve with red wine.
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Incredibly Easy Brie in Puff Pastry
- One box of frozen pastry sheets (2 sheets in each package), thawed
- Two rounds of Brie
- Honey
- Small bag of almond slivers
- One egg
 Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place almond slivers on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside. Shave the rinds off the brie: top, bottom and edges. Set aside.
Unfold the pastry sheets and use a rolling pin (a soup can will work too!) to quickly flatten out. Trim off one inch from the bottom of each sheet, roll into a ball and set aside.
Drizzle a little honey in the middle of each pastry sheet. Place a brie round on top of the honey. Drizzle more honey on the top and sides of each brie. Sprinkle toasted almond slivers on top. Fold the pastry sheet over the brie until the cheese, honey and almonds are encased.
Roll out the remaining ball of pastry. Cut out two shapes (At Christmas, I cut out trees, Valentine’s Day gets a heart — use your imagination!) and place one on the top of each pastry.
Whisk the egg, then use a brush to paint the pastry with the egg wash. Place the brie on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Then serve them with mild crackers and a nice Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay.
Note: You can also freeze these. I gave these as Christmas gifts this year — they’re easy and everyone loves ‘em. | Only registered users can write comments.
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