Tweet
So, I just spent a few days in Disney World with the missus for the marathon and we had the opportunity to eat at more than a few places (FYI, WDW totally kills Disneyland on the food bit). All of it was excellent (special shout to the Hollywood Brown Derby) except for one: Chefs de Paris (I think) in Epcot.
I'll spare you the full write up (it was the worst creme brulee that I've ever had) but I want to focus on the cheese plate. Lately I've been making cheese trays as an appetizer for parties I'm hosting. I did it for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Water crackers, grapes, maybe some hard salami (but probably not), apple slices, maybe some good balsamic vinegar, and a selection of cheeses. Sometimes I'll go for a variety (a blue, a soft, a goat/sheep, a hard nutty cheese). Sometimes I'll go on a theme (such as Cheeses of Britain). Costco has some reasonably okay cheeses, if not the greatest selection, and my local market (!) has a HUGE selection. For Thanksgiving, for example, I chose a good Stilton, a Manchego, a Comte and a Cheddar (infused with port wine - quite tasty).
So, back to the WDW deal. I see a cheese plate on the appetizer menu and order it, expecting some pretty good and new cheese. Nope. Pretty standard brie, gruyere and goat cheese and one other that I forgot. Huge slabs, with some frisee in a vinaigrette. That's it. Totally underwhelming. I could have bought better cheeses at my local market. The same as the entire meal (although our waitress was actually French and actually sort of haughty, so they got that one right).
Anyway, the entire thing got me thinking about cheeses. I'm decent enough at putting together a cheese plate for the unwashed masses, but I'm interested to see if people here have favorites - either in terms of actual cheeses or serving methods - that are a bit unique or usual. I have a score of different methods, usages and varieties that I use but I am up for good ideas.
My favorite cheese, btw, is a good cambezola. It's a mix between gorzonzola (my favorite blue) and camembert, which is close to my favorite soft (brie). A good crusty baguette with nothing but brie, fresh basil and good tomatoes is amazing. I am a sucker for a good caprese salad too.
I'll spare you the full write up (it was the worst creme brulee that I've ever had) but I want to focus on the cheese plate. Lately I've been making cheese trays as an appetizer for parties I'm hosting. I did it for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Water crackers, grapes, maybe some hard salami (but probably not), apple slices, maybe some good balsamic vinegar, and a selection of cheeses. Sometimes I'll go for a variety (a blue, a soft, a goat/sheep, a hard nutty cheese). Sometimes I'll go on a theme (such as Cheeses of Britain). Costco has some reasonably okay cheeses, if not the greatest selection, and my local market (!) has a HUGE selection. For Thanksgiving, for example, I chose a good Stilton, a Manchego, a Comte and a Cheddar (infused with port wine - quite tasty).
So, back to the WDW deal. I see a cheese plate on the appetizer menu and order it, expecting some pretty good and new cheese. Nope. Pretty standard brie, gruyere and goat cheese and one other that I forgot. Huge slabs, with some frisee in a vinaigrette. That's it. Totally underwhelming. I could have bought better cheeses at my local market. The same as the entire meal (although our waitress was actually French and actually sort of haughty, so they got that one right).
Anyway, the entire thing got me thinking about cheeses. I'm decent enough at putting together a cheese plate for the unwashed masses, but I'm interested to see if people here have favorites - either in terms of actual cheeses or serving methods - that are a bit unique or usual. I have a score of different methods, usages and varieties that I use but I am up for good ideas.
My favorite cheese, btw, is a good cambezola. It's a mix between gorzonzola (my favorite blue) and camembert, which is close to my favorite soft (brie). A good crusty baguette with nothing but brie, fresh basil and good tomatoes is amazing. I am a sucker for a good caprese salad too.
Comment