what is cheese course

A cheese course can be as simple as one great cheese for guests to nibble on at their leisure after dinner, or it can be a carefully considered platter of selected cheeses, showcasing a variety of textures and flavors — for instance, a semisoft cheese like Camembert, a hard cheese like aged Dry Monterey

Jack, and a blue cheese like Gorgonzola.

Full Answer

What is a cheese course at a restaurant?

A cheese course is served as part of a meal, typically served on its own, after the main course and before dinner. Sometimes, a cheese course can be served in lieu of dessert, but that is different than the one we are talking about today. BMW and I have had the good fortune to enjoy our fair share of cheese courses.

Can a cheese course be used as a dessert?

Sometimes, a cheese course can be served in lieu of dessert, but that is different than the one we are talking about today. BMW and I have had the good fortune to enjoy our fair share of cheese courses.

What is a cheese course like in France?

A cheese course featuring an ash-coated goat cheese, half of a Pont-l'Evèque and a Perail. Jams or confits complement many cheeses.

What is the difference between a cheese course and plate?

Now, let’s get a few things straight, a cheese course is very, very different from a cheese plate or a cheese board. A cheese course is served as part of a meal, typically served on its own, after the main course and before dinner.

What is in a cheese course?

A cheese course can be as simple as one great cheese for guests to nibble on at their leisure after dinner, or it can be a carefully considered platter of selected cheeses, showcasing a variety of textures and flavors — for instance, a semisoft cheese like Camembert, a hard cheese like aged Dry Monterey Jack, and a ...

What is the purpose of cheese course?

The idea is to ensure that everyone is served the same proportion of cheese and rind. If someone begins by cutting off the tip or “nose” of the cheese, the final guest being served would be left with the just the rind.

What is a cheese course in France?

The classic French cheese course usually offers a minimum of three cheeses, each representing a different type of milk (cow, goat or sheep's milk) or a different family of cheese.

Is a cheese course a dessert?

Serving cheese at the end of a meal is a nice change from sweet desserts. This European trend of having cheese as dessert is catching on more and more every day. Any type of cheese can be served as a dessert course, but these four are especially nice at the end of the meal.

How do you eat a cheese course?

How to eat. You can spread the cheese on bread with your knife or in the case of hard cheeses, eat it with a fork and knife. It's perfectly acceptable to ask for more bread. All cheese rinds are edible, but they usually have the strongest flavor.

Why is cheese served after dinner?

Since most French cheeses are quite rich, eating them before a meal could spoil your appetite. Instead, the cheese course is served after dinner and can aid in digestion. If you want to stick to the French method of serving cheese, it should be offered after the main course but before dessert.

Why do French eat cheese after dinner?

An apéro is a casual social gathering where drinks and snacks are served. Cheese is eaten in moderation in France. It's quality as opposed to quantity. Eating a little high quality cheese after your main meal will allow you to feel more satisfied, resulting in eating less cheese.

How do you eat a cheese course in France?

The correct way to enjoy your cheese in France is to gently place a small piece of cheese on a bite-sized morsel of the bread and then put it nicely into your mouth.

Is a cheese board a starter or dessert?

The Americans serve cheese as a starter, the French before dessert and the English as a grand finale. It seems the cheese board is a welcome indulgence any time, particularly at fine restaurants and dinner parties.

What are the 7 course meal?

7 course meal: A 7 course dinner menu includes an hors d'oeuvre, soup, appetizer, salad, main course, dessert, and mignardise.

Kitchen Window

A cheese course featuring an ash-coated goat cheese, half of a Pont-l'Evèque and a Perail. Jams or confits complement many cheeses. Recipe for shallot confit is below.

About the Author

Clotilde Dusoulier is the 26-year-old Parisienne behind the popular food blog Chocolate & Zucchini. She is working on her first cookbook.

What is lactic cheese?

These cheeses are simply fresh (or lactic) cheeses that have been allowed to age, dry out a little, and grow a thin rind. They’re often covered in ash, herbs, or spices and molded into shapes. Aged lactic cheeses tend to be creamy but a little chalky. The best known cheeses are made from goats milk. Examples are Bûcheron and Valencay.

What are the colors of blue cheese?

But what they all have in common are the bluish-green veins marbled throughout. Those veins are actually mold that range in color from blue to blue-green to blue-black. Blue cheeses have a somewhat strong, intense, tangy flavor. Some are quite pungent and they tend to be a bit more salty. There are also wet rind and dry rind blues. Wet rind blues have moist interiors while dry rind blues are drier and have a more dense texture. Examples are Maytag Blue, Stilton, Gorgonzola, Roquefort, and Valdeon.

What is bloomy rind cheese?

Bloomy rind cheeses are young cheeses that are ripened quickly from their rind inward . These cheeses either have a Penicillium mold added to the starter cultures or they’re sprayed with the mold to produce the soft, bloomy crust or rind. And the rinds are generally edible. Examples of bloomy rind cheeses are Brie, Camembert, Brillat-Savarin, and other triple-cream cheeses. Washed rind cheeses or surface ripened cheeses are brine-washed, or their rinds are moistened while ripening.

What is a cheese that doesn't go through a ripening process?

Examples are ricotta, fromage blanc, quark, goat cheese, and cream cheese, as well as “spun” cheeses like fresh mozzarella.

Is Monterey Jack cheese rindable?

They range in texture from smooth and creamy to slightly rubbery, malleable, and elastic. They can have rinds or not. They’re considered somewhat high in moisture content and have been aged 3–8 months. Typically they’re easy to slice and melt easily. Examples are Havarti, Monterey Jack, young Cheddar, young Gouda, and tomme-styles.

What to serve with cheese?

Serve candied almonds or other candied nuts for an accompaniment with a sweet, salty crunch. The most elegant thing you can serve with a cheese course is a bowl full of warm pistachios...to occupy hand and mouth while you're sitting around the table talking with friends and finishing that great bottle of red wine.

How to serve agre dolce cheese?

Serve cheeses on a round tray or wheel, arranging clockwise from 6:00 from the sweetest to the strongest cheeses. Serve sweeter accompaniments, such as figs with the stronger cheeses to get some agre dolce flavor.

What wine goes well with goat cheese?

A young, fresh goat cheese, goes well with Robert Mondavi Winery Fume Blanc Reserve or the Luna Pinot Grigio. Or try, St. Paulin (also known as Port Salut), good company for fruit and light wine. Buy a well-aged Brie, Camembert or Cambozola for Chardonnay. This wine has the acid to take the creamier, "fatty" cheeses.

Does $5 cheese taste like $20?

It really is true that $5 cheese will taste like $20 cheese at the right temperature and $20 cheese will taste like $5 cheese at the wrong temperature. When you offer it to your guests, your Brie should be weeping, your Blue stinking and your Reggiano glistening with a whisper of its oil.

What is the ultimate cheese course?

Creating the Ultimate Cheese Course , and other elegant party menu ideas combining gourmet cheeses and wines is a lot of fun with endless possibilities for creativity and variations on all sorts of themes.

What cheeses are considered progression?

A progression can also be thought of as starting with a young goat's milk cheese, followed by a sheep's milk cheese and ending with a cow's milk cheese.

How long to cook cheese at room temperature?

Always bring the cheeses to room temperature before serving. Allow 1/2 to 1 hour. You don't need any fancy equipment or accessories to present your selection of cheeses. A large tray or 2, an attractive cutting board or piece of marble, cheese knives for serving, cloth napkins, small plates, inexpensive wine glasses, ...

Can you serve cheese on a cheese plate?

When pre-plating the cheese on individual plates, or using a Cheese Platter, always serve an odd number of cheeses and where possible, different cheese shapes such as wedges, rounds and pyramids. (As with flower arranging - an odd number of cheeses simply has more visual appeal.) Always provide a separate knife for serving each cheese.

What is cheese course?

A cheese course is served as part of a meal, typically served on its own, after the main course and before dinner. Sometimes, a cheese course can be served in lieu of dessert, but that is different than the one we are talking about today. BMW and I have had the good fortune to enjoy our fair share of cheese courses.

How to serve cheese for dinner?

How to serve a cheese for dinner just like the French at your own home! Decide whether you’d like to slice the cheese tableside and serve to your guests or if you’d like to pre-select the cheeses and serve them. Always remember to slice the cheeses immediately before serving so that they do not dry out.

Can you slice brie cheese ahead of time?

Always remember to slice the cheeses immediately before serving so that they do not dry out. Don’t try to slice them ahead of time. Choose at least one soft and one hard cheese. For the soft, I suggest a brie or camembert which are mild and creamy. For the hard cheese, BMW and I both love a nutty gruyere.

Can you serve cheese with boule bread?

You can serve the cheese with a french boule bread. There you have it! How to serve a cheese course for dinner! So easy, I mean you don’t even have to cook anything. I love a good cheese course because it immediately elevates your meal without a whole lot of extra fuss in the kitchen.

Can you eat cheese with your hands?

No eating with your hands! The cheese course is also typically served with its own wine pairing. Depending on the restaurant, amount of courses or flow of meal, the wine pairing may also be the same one used for dessert. However, we often were served a small amount of port with our cheese course.

Does bread accompany cheese?

Sometimes bread would accompany the course, but not always, and never crackers. The cheese was truly meant to be enjoyed on its own and appreciated for each cheese’s unique flavors. Not every cheese course was accompanied by such a gorgeous cheese cart.

Can you serve blue cheese with other cheeses?

As an addition, a blue or herbed soft cheese can be served along with the other two cheeses. Make sure that each couple or guest has their own cheese plate and a clean set of utensils. The cheese course is not served at the beginning of the meal, it should be served after the entree and before dessert.