Cheese on the menu

I adore hosting parties. Last weekend I threw a birthday party for my friend Luis, and spent the better part of a day cooking for it. But the pièce de résistance no doubt was the cheese plate. OK, so my friends expect a lot from me when it comes to incorporating cheese in my entertaining. But seriously, why don’t more people think of it as standard? It was the easiest, most stunning and arguably tastiest treat I had to offer.

The first step was making a trip to the Essex Market to visit my friend Anne Saxelby. I planned on buying an impressive amount and knew I wanted three cheeses (an odd number looks better on the board). I picked out one stinky, one smoked, and one blue, all happened to be from Vermont (Twig Farm Wheel, Maple Smoked Gouda, and Bartlett Blue, respectively). I went by cheese-making style and appearance, so that each cheese brought with it a whole new experience.

Once home all I had to do was remember to take them out of the fridge 1.5 hours before serving, arrange them on a board, and stick a label in them (I love the ceramic labels that you can use over and over). And just like that I had a stunning addition to the dessert offering (check out the spread in the photo). The cheese got a lot of attention, and it was great to have something salty and fatty to snack on as we ploughed through the wine. Anyone can entertain with cheese, and maybe you’ll give it some thought too. And if you need help, I’m here for you fellow my cheesaholic, so drop me a line.

Comments

[Rhodes Ranch Las Vegas]

Sounds like a lot of fun. I miss having parties like that. Thank you for sharing!

[Natalie C.]

I totally agree. I love it when I go to an event where they're serving cheese plates. I think it's tasty, elegant and classy. And cuz I love cheese.

[oakley frogskins]

it was great to have something salty and fatty to snack on as we ploughed through the wine. Anyone can entertain with cheese, and maybe you’ll give it some thought too. And if you need help, I’m here for you fellow my cheesaholic, so drop me a line.

[Smeannone]

Hi everyone

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Crusades (1095-1291)

--------------------

First Crusade: 1095 on command of pope Urban II. [WW11-41 -
Semlin/Hungary 6/24/96 thousands slain. Wieselburg/Hungary 6/12/96 thousands. [WW23 -
9/9/96-9/26/96 Nikaia, Xerigordon (then turkish), thousands respectively. [WW25-27 -
Until Jan 1098 a total of 40 capital cities and 200 castles conquered (number of slain unknown) [WW30 -
after 6/3/98 Antiochia (then turkish) conquered, between 10,000 and 60,000 slain. 6/28/98 100,000 Turks (incl. women & children) killed. [WW32-35 -
Here the Christians "did no other harm to the women found in [the enemy's - tents - save that they ran their lances through their bellies," according to Christian chronicler Fulcher of Chartres. [EC60 -
Marra (Maraat an-numan) 12/11/98 thousands killed. Because of the subsequent famine "the already stinking corpses of the enemies were eaten by the Christians" said chronicler Albert Aquensis. [WW36 -
Jerusalem conquered 7/15/1099 more than 60,000 victims (jewish, muslim, men, women, children). [WW37-40 -
(In the words of one witness: "there [in front of Solomon's temple - was such a carnage that our people were wading ankle-deep in the blood of our foes", and after that "happily and crying for joy our people marched to our Saviour's tomb, to honour it and to pay off our debt of gratitude")
The Archbishop of Tyre, eye-witness, wrote: "It was impossible to look upon the vast numbers of the slain without horror; everywhere lay fragments of human bodies, and the very ground was covered with the blood of the slain. It was not alone the spectacle of headless bodies and mutilated limbs strewn in all directions that roused the horror of all who looked upon them. Still more dreadful was it to gaze upon the victors themselves, dripping with blood from head to foot, an ominous sight which brought terror to all who met them. It is reported that within the Temple enclosure alone about ten thousand infidels perished." [TG79 -
Christian chronicler Eckehard of Aura noted that "even the following summer in all of palestine the air was polluted by the stench of decomposition". One million victims of the first crusade alone. [WW41 -
Battle of Askalon, 8/12/1099. 200,000 heathens slaughtered "in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ". [WW45 -
Fourth crusade: 4/12/1204 Constantinople sacked, number of victims unknown, numerous thousands, many of them Christian. [WW141-148 -
Rest of Crusades in less detail: until the fall of Akkon 1291 probably 20 million victims (in the Holy land and Arab/Turkish areas alone). [WW224 -
Note: All figures according to contemporary (Christian) chroniclers.

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[Paula]

What a great website. It has to be good because it is about cheese and yes I am also a cheeseaholic. I went to a garden expo recently and you would think that I would have come out of it with a plant or something...but no, I came out with a bag full of cheeses. I found a cheese stand and that was it for me. Great blog. Hope you can check out mine at some point - http://www.only-cookware.com/blog/

[rebekka]

Gorgeous! Is that a clafouti in the background?