National Cheese Lover’s Day is January 20 - making this week the perfect time to enjoy this treat.
Greys Fine Cheeses and Entertaining owners Jackie and Kurt Mullican offer a wide selection of artisan cheeses, plus everything you will need to serve your cheese.
Kurt, who is the official cheesemonger of Greys, offered his top tips for buying and serving cheese.
Buying cheese for a crowd? Kurt says portioning is often the hardest.
Good cheese is expensive, so you want to do it right. The general rule of thumb is exactly that. A thumb. A thumb-sized piece of cheese is around 1 ounce. Plan on around an ounce of cheese per guest if there is other food involved. If the cheese plate is the only food, 2 to 4 ounces of cheese per person is what you're shopping for.
If buying multiple cheeses, vary your texture.
Kurt says an interesting plate will have 3 to 5 cheeses, ranging from soft and gooey to dense, hard cheese or blues. Try to represent different textures and flavor profiles across the plate.
Cut your cheeses when cold, serve at room temperature.
Kurt says many cheeses are much easier to cut when they are cold. Use the thinnest knife you have, or something like a Japanese-style knife that has texture on the blade to prevent sticking.
Don't crowd your board with unnecessary stuff. Keep it simple.
You can make a beautiful board with just the basics- cheeses, meats, jams, pickles, and crackers or bread.
This is Jennifer Chandler with The Weekly Dish. Bon Appetit!
Greys Fine Cheeses and Entertaining is located at 709 S. Mendenhall Rd. in Memphis, Tennessee. Visit greyscheese.com for more information.
