A Passion for Cheese

Love cheese? Us too. Browsing through my photo library I came across cheese photographs from various restaurants where we dined over the last couple years. The photos bring back memories of excellent meals. I thought I would compile them, thinking the presentations and accompaniments could provide inspiration for serving a cheese course or cheeseboard at the next dinner party.


Morels French Steakhouse, Las Vegas

Guy Savoy, Las Vegas

Custom House, Chicago

AOC, Los Angeles

David Burke Fromagerie, Rumson, New Jersey
Daniel, New York City

Guy Savoy

Alex, Las Vegas
Balthazar, New York City
The Girl and The Fig, Sonoma, California
Carneros Wine Bar, Sonoma, California

With holiday entertaining right around the corner, I’m definitely looking forward to serving cheese. And I’ll be borrowing ideas on presentation and accompaniments from some of these restaurants where we thoroughly enjoyed the cheese course. I like variety, balance of strength and character of the cheese, paired with interesting flavorful accompaniments.
Cheeses:
  • Milk: Cow, Sheep, Goat
  • Textures: Soft to Hard
  • Taste: Mild to Strong
  • Various Origins
  • A Variety of Shapes and Colors
Accompaniments:
  • Bread: Baguette, Fruit & Nut Bread, Herbed Bread, Lavosh
  • Fruitcake: Dried Fig Cake, Dried Date Cake
  • Nuts: Almond, Walnut, Hazelnut, Pecan
  • Candied Nuts
  • Fresh Fruits: Fig, Grape, Apple, Pear, Melon
  • Dried Fruits: Fig, Date, Raisin, Plum, Apricot
  • Honey, Honeycomb
  • Chutney
  • Fruit Compote
  • Fruit Paste: Quince, Apricot, Plum, Pear, Fig
  • Cured Meats: Thinly-sliced, Room-temperature
  • Olives
  • Drizzled Olive Oil
  • Duck Confit
  • Micro-thin Sliced Onions
  • Caperberries
  • Roasted Peppers and Tomatoes 
  • And, of course, Wine!

Classic Combinations:

  • Manchego & Quince Paste & Serrano Ham & Green Olives
  • Cheddar & Chutney & Apple
  • Stilton & Pear & Walnut
  • Gorgonzola & Fig & Honey
  • Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella & Tomato, Basil and Olive Oil

Do you have a special cheese or an interesting flavor pairing to share?


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34 thoughts on “A Passion for Cheese”

  1. That is absolutely fascinating!! I'd seen them, of course, but had some vague idea that the blade simply came DOWN to cut a wedge or slice.

    How lovely! I love learning all these new things from so many different places. Thank you.

    rachel

  2. Hi Rachel – thanks for commenting. Here is an answer to your "ruffle" question from wikipedia: The Girolle is an utensil, which was conceived to simplify the scratching of the Tête de Moine Swiss Cheese in form of beautiful "rosettes", hence also called "Girolles". Since its invention in 1982 by Nicolas Crevoisier of Swiss Jura, more than 2 million users in households and restaurants have been enjoying the authentic unique savour of the cheese invented and produced by the monks of the then abbey of Bellelay.
    LL

  3. I'm WAY late to this lovely cheese party, but I LOVE it when a reply to an older post I've written signals that someone is enjoying it anew and comments to say so.

    These are just beautiful and beautifully photographed in the golden light—what a wonderful collection, and what nice memories they must evoke. Pray what is that exquisite ruffle on the third plate?

    I can't wait to show these to daughter Caro, who chooses and composes all our cheese plates.

    rachel

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