Cheese Themes
Wisconsin crafts more than 600 varieties, types, and styles of cheese. So be creative! A cheese course can follow many themes – from mild to strong selections to a "flight" that features different styles of a single cheese variety. Just be sure guests know which Wisconsin Cheese they're enjoying. A cheese name card is often helpful.
Cheese Course
A cheese course as a mid-meal transition allows guests to slow down and savor the dining experience. Serve small cheese portions if you are following with a dessert. But remember, cheese paired with fresh fruit and a classic dessert wine is also the perfect end to a meal.
Limit Options
For most occasions, offer three to five different cheeses on a cheese plate. More than this is typically too many for guests to fully enjoy.
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Serving Size
Serving size and time matter. If a cheese course is served as a first course or just before, or as dessert, allow about two ounces per person of each type. If cheese is a prominent part of the main course, allow for more accordingly.
Maximize Flavor
For full flavor, serve cheese at room temperature, removing from the refrigerator about an hour before serving, depending on size. Hard cheeses require a longer time to reach room temperature than soft cheeses.
Cutting Cheese
Typically, cheese cuts best when cold. However, some hard cheeses, such as Parmesan and Asiago, cut more easily when brought to room temperature.
Individual Servings
To make individual servings, cut cheese into manageable sizes, such as cubes, sticks, and squares. If guests are to serve themselves, offer large, attractive wedges or other cuts along with proper cutting utensils.
Cheese Presentation
A collection of special cheeses makes a beautiful presentation. Choose a platter, wood cheese board, or granite or marble slab to bring out the unique colors and textures. If guests are serving themselves, be sure the serving piece is sturdy and will accommodate cutting.
Let Cheese Breathe
Cheese needs breathing space to develop and maintain its flavor on a cheese plate. When cheeses are placed too close together, their individual aromas intermingle, making it difficult to differentiate between flavors. Provide a different knife for each cheese to avoid the mixing or changing of flavors.
Accompaniments
Expertly crafted cheeses can be satisfying on their own. Some accompaniments, however, enhance their flavors and complexities. Fresh and dried fruits such as grapes, pears, apricots, and figs make ideal companions, as do savories such as olives, roasted nuts, and marinated vegetables. Jams, jellies, and chutneys also make outstanding pairings.
Buy Quality
To ensure you are buying cheese that meets the highest cheesemaking standards, always look for the "Wisconsin Cheese" identification mark on the package. If buying cheese at a service counter, ask where the cheese is from.
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Soft Cheeses
Mild and creamy soft cheeses such as Mascarpone, Ricotta, and Feta make ideal ingredients for spreads and dips.
Shred, Grate, Slice or Chunk?
Shredded and grated cheeses work better than slices and chunks in spreads and dips because smaller bits blend with other ingredients more readily. Use shredded, shaved, and grated cheeses promptly; once cut, cheese becomes drier and loses flavor more rapidly.
Food Processor
Pulse. Process. Puree. Don't be afraid to use a food processor to achieve the desired dip consistency.
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Crackers or Bread?
Use flat, relatively broad dippers, such as toasts and flatbreads, for comparatively thinner dips. Use stick-like dippers, such as pretzels, for thicker dips. And use sturdy breads and crackers for dips with chunky ingredients.
Presentation
Keep dip presentations simple. Serve dips in bowls or shallow baking dishes, choosing complementary colors and shapes. Set them on plates or platters. Serve dippers in baskets lined with decorative paper or cloth napkins, or nestle chips around the dip.
Be Creative
Think creatively. Fruits and vegetables that have been carefully hollowed out, such as sweet peppers or tomatoes, make colorful "bowls" for sweet and savory fillings.
Vegetables
Think beyond chips. A platter or basket filled with a variety of colorful, seasonal vegetables makes an eye-catching centerpiece for an assortment of dips.
Buy Wisconsin
To ensure you are buying cheese that meets the highest cheesemaking standards, always look for the "Wisconsin Cheese" identification mark on the package. If buying cheese at a service counter, ask where the cheese is from.
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Forming the Cheese Balls
To make cheese balls, allow cheese to reach room temperature to enable blending into a cohesive mass. After mixing, the base will be soft. Scrape onto parchment paper or plastic wrap, place in a small bowl to encourage a round shape, and chill in the fridge before forming the balls.
Make Ahead
Make your cheese balls a day or so ahead of time to acheive the right firmness. The chilling time also allows the flavors to meld and mellow.
Garnish
If coating your cheese balls with nuts, seeds, or herbs, roll and refrigerate them "uncoated" for up to 24 hours. Then roll the balls in the coating just prior to serving. This last-minute preparation prevents herb discoloration and preserves crunchy nuts and seeds.
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Texture
For best results, choose full-fat cheeses and dairy products for cheesecakes. Reduced-fat and nonfat alternatives may have a higher moisture content that will affect the texture of the cheesecake, especially if baked.
Mixing
Don't over-mix. Unlike most cakes, cheesecakes can suffer if air is incorporated into the batter. For best results, bring cheese, eggs, liquids, and flavorings to room temperature before blending.
Keep It Steady
The key to beautifully smooth cheesecake texture is steady heat. Abrupt changes in temperature can upset the cake's structure and cause the much-dreaded surface crack. Cheesecakes need to bake at lower temperatures and cool gradually.
Is It Done?
How do you know when your cheesecake is done? First, the edges should be puffy. Second, only a small spot in the center (about one inch in diameter) should be soft, moist, and wobbly. Since your cheesecake will continue to bake as it cools, the center will firm up.
Serving Cheesecake
Don't rush it. For best flavor, allow your refrigerated cheesecake to sit and reach room temperature before serving.
Where It Comes From Matters
To ensure you are buying cheese that meets the highest cheesemaking standards, always look for the "Wisconsin Cheese" identification mark on the package. If buying cheese at a service counter, ask where the cheese is from.
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Prevent Curdling
To prevent curdling when melting a large quantity of cheese for fondue, always add a starch (such as flour) and an acid (such as juice or wine). Very soft and fresh cheeses, such as Feta and Mascarpone, require less liquid than their aged counterparts that are lower in moisture.
Grate, Shred or Crumble
Grate, shred, or crumble fondue cheeses into small pieces so they require less time to heat and melt. Add cheese little-by-little into the simmering fondue pot, stirring and melting each addition before adding the next. Great fondue requires some patience.
Traditional Fondue
For traditional Swiss fondue, choose Wisconsin Gruyère. This versatile and dense cheese is nutty, slightly fruity, and has a smooth texture — making it the classic choice for fondue. Emmentaler and Fontina are often used in Alpine fondues as well.
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Semi-Hard or Hard Cheeses
Practically every cheese makes for great fondue flavor. For easier preparation, however, choose cheeses that melt smoothly and feature a moderately high fat content, such as Gruyère. Cheeses that are semi-firm to firm and aged at least several months to a year, such as Cheddar, are also typically a great choice.
Stir It Up!
Stir, stir, and stir some more. Stirring the fondue pot is necessary to distribute the heat. It keeps the fondue smooth, prevents lumping and separation, and prevents scorching, which will ruin the flavor.
Appetizer or Entrée?
It's the age-old question: how much fondue to make? Typically, a pound of cheese serves four to six people as an appetizer/party snack or two to three people as a main entrée. For big parties, keep another batch warm over low heat on the stove to replenish the pot as needed.
Dense and Crusty
Use dense, crusty breads for fondue dipping. If you serve fondue with soft bread, chances are you'll end up with a soggy mess. That is, assuming the bread even makes it out of the hot fondue in the first place.
Fruit and Fondue
Fruit and fondue are a match made in heaven. To prevent cut fruit from turning brown, dissolve a vitamin C tablet in a cup of water, put the solution in a clean spray bottle, and spray the fruit's cut surfaces. Voilà! No more browning.
Protein Dippers
Cured or roasted meats and sausages make tasty cheese fondue dippers. For seafood fans, shrimp is the flavorful solution.
Sweet Tooth
For dessert fondues, such as chocolate fondue made with Mascarpone, try a variety of dippers such as cookies, Rice Krispies® treats, and donuts. It's sweet-tooth heaven.
Make It Wisconsin
To ensure you are buying cheese that meets the highest cheesemaking standards, always look for the "Wisconsin Cheese" identification mark on the package. If buying cheese at a service counter, ask where the cheese is from.
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