Stephanie and I arre going to be on Kare 11's Showcase Minnesota today demonstrating how to make a perfect cheese platter. Here are our suggestions and a list of cheese to either make a "Crowd Pleaser Platter" or a "Impress Your Foodie Friends" platter.

Selecting the Cheese

• Try to include a variety of textures and flavors. Most cheese belongs to one of four basic categories: aged, soft, firm, or blue. For a good variety, choose at least one from each group. Some examples:
  Aged: Aged Cheddar, Comte, Goat Gouda
  Soft: Constant Bliss, Camembert, Brillat-Savarin
  Firm: Manchego, Mimolette, Parmigiano-Reggiano
  Blue: Gorgonzola Dolce, Valdeón, Stilton

• You can also try selecting cheeses by the type of milk used (cow, goat, sheep). This will ensure a range of different flavors on the plate.

• Serve at least one familiar cheese.

How Much Is Enough?

• For a party in which cheese is the main event, plan on buying 3 pounds for 8 people, 6 pounds for 16, or 9 pounds for 24. If cheese is one of many items being served, plan on buying 3 to 4 ounces per person.

 Accompaniments

• Offer a selection of breads, including sliced baguette, bread sticks, and crackers in all different shapes and sizes. It's a good idea to vary taste and texture among the breads as well as the cheeses.

• Jarred condiments and vegetables are quick and fuss-free. Try sweet preserves or honey, tart chutneys, and spicy mustards. You can also add artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, and caponata. If you have a bit more time, prepare caramelized onions, which complement most cheese plates.

• Various other sweet and salty items can work as well. Try cured meats such as prosciutto and salami, or candied nuts and pistachios. Assorted seasonal and dried fruits can include figs, cherries, apples, and pears.
   

Serving Tips

• Separate strong-smelling cheeses. If you want to serve a pungent, stinky-socks cheese, place it on a separate plate so it doesn't overpower more delicate ones.  four or five choices are enough.

• Set out a separate knife for each cheese, especially the soft varieties. Soft cheese spreads well with a butter knife; firm cheese might require a paring knife; and aged cheese often requires a cheese plane.

• Remove the cheese from the refrigerator an hour before serving-cold mutes flavor.

• Spread out the spread. Place the cheese platters and the other nibbles on several tables to avoid guest gridlock.

• Label each cheese so you won't need to recite the names all evening. If you like, also jot down a few poetic adjectives describing its flavor.

Crowd Pleaser Cheese Platter

Widmers 6 year cheddar:

80 year family tradition of three generations very sharp flavorful aged cows milk cheddar. Grassy buttery notes.

 Brie L'Ermitage:

French brie produced in Alsace with a careful pasturization and ripening process that results in a satiny, nutty, smooth brie.

 Basil Garlic Gouda from Holland

Young, tangy, dutch gouda flavored with basil and garlic. A great snacking cheese with a little kick.

 St Petes Select Blue:

Handmade artisan cows milk cheese made in the St Peters caves in Faribault MN. Creamy, white and subtle for a blue. Easy for everyone to enjoy.

Impress your foodie friends cheese platter

 Tome verte:

French goat cheese encrusted with aromatic herbs, tarragon, thyme and pink peppercorns,

 Cabrales D.O.

Spanish aged cheese that has twice as much aging as a normal blue and is not for the faint hearted. For many this is the strongest Blue they will have had.

 Red Hawk

Cow Girl Creamery in California makes this washed rind, triple cream organic cows milk cheese. Full fruity aroma and flavor. A must try cheese at Surdyks and on many favorites list.

 Corsu Vechiu

France is home of some of the finest sheeps milk cheeses. Comples, earthy and perfect paired with Medium bodied red wines.