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Cheese, your way

By JANET K. KEELER
Published December 21, 2005

[Times photo: Patty Yablonski]

Pictured above are cheeses bought at a specialty shop, Mazzaro’s Italian Market (2209 22nd Ave. N, St. Petersburg; (727) 321-2400), which has a new cheese room and a great guide, Maureen Sharon. Most cheeses can be tasted before buying.

The cheese platter has long been a staple on party tables, with Cheddar, Jack and Gouda saying "yes" to every invite. Today, thanks to the growing artisanal cheese movement, there are many more cheeses to bring to the table - and many prices to pay.

Offering a selection of interesting cheese at the end of a meal or with a glass of wine is a fun way to discover what's new on the market. Forget the crackers. Provide slices of baguettes.

The most important rule: Let cheese come to room temperature before serving. Your guests may be surprised at how the flavors bloom then linger on the tongue. Just like wine.

For a small party, five cheeses, from soft to hard, mild to strong, is an adequate number. Don't worry about special knives, use what you have.

The following is a three-tiered suggestion for a cheese platter. Pictured are cheeses bought at a specialty shop, Mazzaro's Italian Market (2209 22nd Ave. N, St. Petersburg; (727) 321-2400), which has a new cheese room and a great guide, Maureen Sharon. Most can be tasted before buying.

You can find similar varieties at grocery stores for less money; we did at Publix. Those willing to spend more and wait for the mail can purchase American artisanal cheeses online or over the phone. The mail-order cheeses listed here were honored at this year's American Cheese Society competition.

- JANET K. KEELER, Times food editor

Red Cloud, farmstead aged goat cheese; Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy, Niwot, Colo. $11.95 per round, about half a pound.

Soft goat cheese. $6 for 8 ounces.

Mount McKinley, aged goat cheese; Cypress Grove Chevre, Arcata, Calif.; www.cypressgrovechevre.com or 707 825-1100. $17.95 a pound.

Blue Gouda, creamy blue-veined Gouda cheese; Holland. $15.95 a pound.

Maytag Blue, Newton, Iowa. $6 for 4 ounces.

Gore-Dawn-Zola, tangy, sharp and crumbly; Green Mountain Blue Cheese, Highgate Center, Vt.; www.igourmet.com or toll-free 1-877-446-8763. $10.99 for 8 ounces; currently aging, available in January.

Osella by Robiola, mild, spreadable Italian cow's milk cheese. $16 a pound.

St. Andre, soft, ripened French cheese. $6.95 for 7 ounces.

Constant Bliss, clean and creamy cow's milk cheese with hint of mushrooms; Jasper Hill Dairy, Greensboro, Vt.; www.artisanalcheese.com or toll-free 1-877-797-1200. $11 per small round.

English Farmhouse Cheddar, sharp and crumbly. $15.95 a pound.

Dubliner, Irish sharp Cheddar. $4.79 for 7 ounces.

Pleasant Ridge Reserve, an aged cow's milk cheese; Uplands Cheese Co., Dodgeville, Wis.; www.uplandscheese.com or toll-free 1-888-935-5558. $22.50 for 11/4 pounds.

Cacciotta with walnuts, mild Italian cow's milk cheese studded with nuts. $10.95 a pound.

Wensleydale with cranberries or nuts, British. $6.95 for 7 ounces.

Poudre Puffs and Tumbleweeds, mild cow's milk cheese dusted with sage, rosemary and red chili flakes; Bingham Hill Cheese, Fort Collins, Colo.; www.binghamhill.com or 970 472-0702. $70 for eight small rounds.

[Last modified December 20, 2005, 10:36:05]