Wine and Cheese: 6 Tips for Building the Perfect Holiday Cheese Plate

I was sent products by Mary's Crackers and Mionetto free of charge. All opinions are my own and I am not affiliated with any of the companies mentioned in this post.

Forget the crudite, forget the charcuterie. If I show up to your holiday party and there is no cheese on your table, I'm leaving. And I brought a damn good White Elephant gift, which I am now keeping for myself. There is just nothing quite like a well curated cheese plate, and I'm not talking one of those pre-sliced, plastic wrapped deals that looks like they just dyed the same block of cheese product different colors. A good cheese plate needs variety, not just in flavor, but in texture. Hard cheese, soft cheese, fresh cheese, aged cheese. Like a wedding. "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something bleu."

I know, it can be intimidating to put together a really nice cheese plate yourself. But I have been doing it for years (I had a friend who once admitted mine was the only house he'd go to outside his own because he knew I'd always have good cheese on hand) and I am here to give you a few tips to help please all the cheese lovers at your next gathering.

1) Aged cheese, like Goudas, Parmesans, and Cheddars are the most common and approachable hard cheeses, but they do get pricey. Good news is, these cheeses are meant to be nibbled on in very small quantities, as they pack quite a punch, so you can get away with smaller wedges. Do not slice these cheeses! Break them into small hunks using a cheese spade. That way you don't destroy the crunchy calcium crystals that give aged cheeses their distinctive texture. Stay simple with something like a 5 year gouda or an authentic Parmesan (produced in Parma, Italy) and you can't go wrong.

2) Fresh cheeses are great for people who like cheese, but aren't fans of the funkier varieties. Fresh mozzarella and burrata are easy enough to find these days, but can be quite messy on a cheese board. I love putting out a bit of goat cheese, since it is sliceable and spreadable, but less of a mess.
Montchevre in particular makes a wide variety of sweet and savory flavors that are excellent. I highly recommend the Honey variety, as it's simple, yet effective. These are perfect for those who prefer to eat their cheese on crackers.

3) Speaking of crackers, CHOOSE CAREFULLY. A lot of flavored crackers will overpower your skillfully selected cheeses. You want something that will function both as a palate cleanser without drying out your mouth and as a vehicle for cheese without shattering into a million pieces after one bite. I recently tried a few varieties from Mary's Gone Crackers and I really appreciate how their extraordinary texture works with cheese. They are jam packed with seeds and whole grains, giving them a lovely crisp snap, but also the strength to not crumble to bits. They are also made with rice, making them gluten free! My money's on the Original flavor, the Black Pepper, the Classic Super Seed, or the Everything Super Seed. 

4) Back to the cheese; don't be afraid of the funk. No, I'm not talking about stinky cheeses. I'm talking about funky flavors. Cheese purists will turn their noses up at the thought of anything infiltrating their cheese's natural flavoring, but adding a bit of something something to a cheese can help make it more accessible to the cheese novices in the crowd. Instead of a simple brie, why not go with something like this Champignon Mushroom from Germany, which is a rinded soft cheese with mushroomy umami flavor. Or instead of a standard cheddar, how about on with truffles in it? Too many savory cheeses on your plate? Go for one of the many varieties of white stilton with fruit in it. I've seen everything from blueberry to mango to apricot, and I have adored them all.

5) Accompaniments are essential. If you really want to make it all about the cheese, I say skip any kind of cured meats all together. Same with nuts. If you want to also have meats or nuts, make those their own things and place them far away from the cheeses so people aren't as inclined to eat everything together. If you're lucky enough to have a decent cheese department at your local grocery store, you may find a variety of unique jams and spreads that will be great accessories to your cheese. Get at least one sweet, one savory, and acidic spread. I like to present things like slices of quince jelly, fig butter, and bacon jam. Just like the crackers, your accompaniments should not only work with the cheese, but function as palate cleansers between bites of cheese. 

6) This is the big one: Wine. What is a good cheese plate without a good bottle of wine to accompany it? Now, I am no wine expert by any means, but all I've ever heard from wine directors and sommeliers is that the most important rule is to drink what you like. The first thing I personally reach for when eating cheese is a sparkling wine. A bright, bubbly, slightly acidic wine really helps to cut through the fat of the cheese and prepare you for each new bite. I really like Mionetto Prosecco Extra Dry because it's affordable, but is still an excellent quality, not to mention completely organic, and it has a subtle floral flavor that I think works really well with most cheeses. If you would rather go all out, I would highly suggest visiting the nearest Wine Cellar location and having them help you pick out a variety of reds, whites, and blushes that will please a crowd. I recently stopped into the Schaumburg location and did a little in store tasting, where I fell in love with wonderful Chardonnay from La Voute and a red blend from Valcatrina that will both be served with my holiday cheese plate. Seriously, there are so many deals to be had at The Wine Cellar that I was actually able to buy 6 bottles of wine for under $75!

And that's it! Now go out there and celebrate Jesus with Cheesus!

Last Minute Chicago Holiday Dining Recommendations

I was invited to dine at the restaurants mentioned free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

As much as I love staying inside the week between Christmas and New Year's, usually snuggled under my down comforter with my dog noisily snoring beside me and a cup of some boozed up hot beverage clasped between my hands, eventually I start to get a little cabin fever. And with this year being unseasonably warm (seriously, Chicago, what the hell? I could go back home to Arizona for 50 degrees in December!), I'm feeling the itch to get out for a few more meals before 2018 ends. So enjoy this quick roundup of some of my recent favorites for brunch, dinner, and everything in between!

Dinner at Le Sud

This French/Mediterranean inspired addition to Roscoe Village has gotten great buzz ever since it opened earlier this year. Me? I like a bit of non pretentious French cuisine, so I was very interested to check it out. The inside is the perfect kind of cozy without being overly cramped and the perfect kind of vintage without feeling artificial. This isn't the kind of place you're going to find Americanized French staples, like onion soup or coq au vin. Instead, you will find things like house made charcuterie, a decadent fois gras tart (that is so perfectly balanced between sweet and savory that it could easily be an appetizer or a dessert), a perfectly simple steak frites, and a very inventive vegetarian seared pumpkin entree with leeks and fregola. Everything here is incredibly thoughtful and uncomplicated, while demonstrating an immense amount of skill and care. Go any night you can, or check out their special service for New Year's Eve.

Dinner at Bobby's Lincoln Park

Bobby's recently opened their first location in the city in hopes of replicating their beloved Deerfield location's success. The menu boasts a lot of meat and seafood focused plates as well as handmade pasta dishes, but the vibe is surprisingly casual. The space is open and airy, a rarity in crowded Lincoln Park, and the service is exceptionally friendly and personable. It's may sound ridiculous, but I was impressed right from the start with the bread service, which came with a simple roasted garlic butter that I would have happily bought a bottle of if they had been selling it. The Shrimp Bobby was an excellent take on a scampi, the Steak Tartar was gloriously delicate (I also mixed that delicious garlic butter into it and by God, it was amazing), and the scallops with cauliflower puree and orange zest were a delight. If you want a little taste of everything Bobby's has, order The Mark Miller, which is a platter of sausage, roasted chicken, tender skirt steak, peppers, and onions. For a lighter (by comparison) plate, the Linguini Nduja is also wonderful, with a rich egg yolk sauce, crisped panchetta, sweet onions, and a little kick of heat.

Brunch The Kitchen

Having dined at The Kitchen a few times, I knew to expect only the best. Of course I wasn't disappointed, and despite some minor Instagram drama (don't ask...), I found myself more impressed than ever before with the inventiveness coming out of The Kitchen's kitchen. Highlights for me included a collection of awesome non-alcoholic cocktails (something I'd love to see more of at other restaurants), a succulent southern style Shrimp and Grits with andouille sausage, an earthy Mushroom Toast with red kale and scrambled eggs, an impossibly creamy yogurt panna cotta with blueberries and housemade granola, and poached eggs with green shakshuka, chickpeas, and toast points. They will actually be serving brunch on Boxing Day (December 26th) from 10:00-3:00 and all day New Year's Day, so if any of this sounds good to you, get on that. Also, they will be featuring an exclusive holiday donut flavor (pst... it's chocolate spice with cranberries and candied ginger!) in addition to their already stellar line up of freshly made pastries.

Tea at Vanille

Taking family to a relaxed tea service is just the kind of tradition I'd like to add to my already packed list of holiday traditions. After all, who can resist tiny sandwiches and delicate tea cups? Vanille Patisserie recently launched a beautiful tea service at their Lakeview and Hyde Park locations, offered at 12, 2, and 4 Mondays through Thursdays. The service consists of as much Benjamin's Tea as you can drink (my personal favorites include the Forest Berry and the Roasted Almond) accompanied by mini sandwiches, scones with a variety of spreads, freshly baked madeleines, Vanille's signature macarons, mini cupcakes, and other delightfully tiny treats. At just $28 a person, I think this might be one of the best tea service deals in town. Pinkie's up!

Brunch at Parley @ Joy District

I think we all know that I have very mixed feelings about brunch buffets, but if you're looking for a spot to drink away your holiday stress with a group of fun loving friends, this might be the place for you. Especially if you have a sweet tooth! The dessert table at Parlay is a little overwhelming with it's donut wall, platters of cereal treats, and legions of layered pudding cups. Fresh pizzas and chaffing dishes with various savory dishes help to balance out the glucose, but I'm tempted to tell you to skip them all together and just go in on the sweets. Calories don't count in December, after all. $50 gets you access to all the food as well as bottomless mimosas in a variety of flavors, but if you STILL haven't uped your insulin levels enough, there's the brunch cocktail menu that features giggle inducing large format cocktails, like the Scumdilyuptious served in a gumball machine with rubber ducky floats, or the Mega Mimosa and the Mega Mule; giant sized versions of the classic cocktails that are perfect for using as selfie props.

Tea Time with Brandy: Sparkling Cocktails & Matcha Peppermint Scones

Every year a few weeks before Christmas, Brandy hosts a Wrapping Party. It's a jolly old time with all of her friends; listening to Christmas carols, nibbling a few treats, and sipping a few drinks while progressively getting merrier while their paper cutting skills get worse and worse until inevitably, someone ends up wrapped in clear tape like a mummy. "I find that it's the best possible way to get motivated for the worst chore of the holiday season," she says, "Plus, it's usually an excuse for me to try some more experimental recipes before I give them their big debut."

To keep everyone feeling merry and bright, Brandy made sure she had plenty of cocktail making supplies on hand. One thing she had hit upon as a brilliant base for mixing simple cocktails quickly while ensuring they had great flavor was a new line of sparkling waters from Waterloo. Coming in 7 varieties, the sparkling waters are all calorie free, sugar free, and sodium free, meaning they add brilliant flavor and bubbles to a cocktail without adding anything else. Brandy particularly likes the Lime flavor, which she mixes with vodka and cranberry juice to create a Sparkling Christmas Cosmo. The Black Cherry flavor is also lovely with a splash of cranberry and some honey whiskey, making a lightly crisp version of a Manhattan. All of the flavors (which also include watermelon, coconut, lemon, and grapefruit) are also perfect for sipping on their own as a light and refreshing palate cleanser after consuming tons of sweet and salty snacks.

Speaking of which, this year, Brandy decided to go a little bit out of the gift box, so to speak, for her Wrapping Party provisions. "I like my food to be colorful this time of year," she explained, "But I don't want to overload things with dye and artificial hues." For that reason, she zeroed in on Matcha as a natural colorant as well as a spectacular winter flavor. The thought of tea put her in mind of her home land, and instantly she was craving scones with lashings of cream. "Hmmm... Matcha scones... now that's an idea!" she said to no one in particular. But the idea needed just a little something more to make it feel complete. "Of course! The cream!" she exclaimed. Thinking on flavors that might match well with the delicate Matcha, but also remind her guests of snowy winter days spent snuggled by the fire, she hit on the idea of a peppermint scented buttercream to fill her scones with. And as her cabinets are always stocked with wonderful extracts from Nielsen Massey, it was a sinch to make her scone and cream dreams a reality.

Matcha Scones with Peppermint Cream

2 cups of cake flour
4 teaspoons of baking powder
2 tablespoons of Matcha powder
a pinch of salt
2/3 cup of milk, plus one tablespoon
2 large eggs (one for egg wash)
1/4 cup of sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of Nielsen Massey vanilla extract
4 tablespoons of softened butter
Nielsen Massey Vanilla Sugar for topping

For peppermint cream:

1/2 cup of softened butter
1/2 pound of confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons plus more to taste of Nielsen Massey peppermint extract
about a tablespoon of milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with a silicon mat or parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder, matcha powder, and salt. In a second bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract with a hand mixer. Add in one egg and the milk while continuing to mix. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and continue to mix until everything is well incorporated. Using either an oiled ice cream scoop or your flour dusted hands, form the dough into about a dozen small balls and line the baking sheet with them. Scramble the remaining egg with a tablespoon of milk, then use a pastry brush to apply the egg wash to the tops of the scones, then sprinkle on vanilla sugar. Bake in pre-heated oven for 20 minutes, or until the tops are slightly brown. Let cool completely.

In a medium bowl, cream together the softened butter, confectioner's sugar, and peppermint extract (start with two teaspoons and add more if desired). Add in milk a few drops at a time to loosen up the cream and give it more of a whipped texture rather than a hard icing texture. Cut the scones in half horizontally and spread a generous amount of peppermint cream on the bottom piece before adding the top back on.

The writers of this blog were sent products from the mentioned companies free of charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

From the Kitchens of Bunny and Brandy: Sweet Corn Pudding and Caramel Glazed Drop Donuts

With the holidays right around the corner, Brandy has begun an annual tradition of her own: testing recipes to make sure they are worthy of her circle of foodie friends. "Heaven forbid if I were to put something inferior in front of that lot. I'd never hear the end of it!" she says, "For years to come it would be, 'Remember when Brandy put that slop out for us on Thanksgiving?' One year, one of them brought a casserole that had slightly burnt edges and she was so embarrassed that none of us have seen or heard from her since." The high standards of such an audience were obviously amplified by the fact that this year it was Brandy's job to prepare the post-Thanksgiving brunch. Luckily for Brandy, she had quite a few things at hand to help inspire her creations.

First of all, there was the Feast VoxBox she received from Influenster. Among the many goodies were a classic can of corn from Del Monte, Country Crock margarine in a new easy to use stick form, and a container of crispy jalapenos from French's (a spicy cousin of their famous crispy onions, which grace the tops of green bean casseroles across the nation). A quick search of her cabinets also turned up a box of corn muffin mix, which was the thing that really switched on the light bulb. "Of course, corn pudding!" she exclaimed, and quickly went about making up the batter. But as she poured the golden liquid into her baking dish, she couldn't get over the feeling that it was still missing something.

Enter a couple of delectable condiments from Chut Up, a small start up company dedicated to creating healthier condiments by not adding in any sugar to their products, but also not sacrificing flavor or quality. Their Beet Ketchup really impressed Brandy with its true to form consistency and clean flavor and their Peri-Peri Hot sauce certainly packed quite a punch. Wanting add a little color to her corn pudding, she ended up mixing the two condiments together to produce a sort of "sweet heat" style sauce, then she dropped the mixture into the pudding and swirled it for a pretty effect. After baking her masterpiece, Brandy added a handful of the French's jalapenos to the top of the pudding to add crunch and just a bit more heat. She absolutely loved how her creation turned out, determining that it could easily be a side dish for the main event, or served with an egg and some sausage for a perfect sweet and savory post-Thanksgiving brunch. It was definitely the Chut Up condiments that made the dish pop, adding a little vinegar and heat to balance the natural sweetness of the Del Monte corn.

Next, Brandy determined to make something sweet and easily munch-able. She settled on the idea of "drop donuts," or a simple cake batter fried into small rounds, then glazed and sprinkled. For this, she turned to some amazing products from Nielsen Massey and McCrea's Candies. Brandy used a bit of Nielsen Massey's coffee extract in her donut batter, then made a simple glaze with some of the McCrea's salted caramels, which she soaked her donuts in and then topped them with Nielsen Massey vanilla sugar to add a little crunch. Because there was barely any sugar in the donut batter itself, the sweetness of the caramel and the sugar topping didn't overwhelm the palate and the subtle flavors of salt, vanilla, and coffee were able to shine through.

Finally, Brandy chose the perfect bottle of wine to compliment her dishes; Vivanco Tempranillo Garnacha. This particular rose had a bight fruity and acidic flavor with slight floral notes, making it ideal to pair with two dishes that used both sweet and salty elements. Brandy was also quite drawn to the beautifully rich color and the extremely unique wide lipped bottle, which was meant to mimic Vivanco's original 18th century bottle.

"Well, I'd say I am well prepared for the coming food storm," said Brandy as she surveyed her sweet and savory creations, "Now to start prepping for the New Year's Day brunch!"

Sweet Corn Pudding

1 can of Del Monte Whole Kernel Corn, drained
1 stick of Country Crock Salted Margarine
1/4 cup of sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 package of corn muffin mix
1/2 cup of milk
1 can of creamed corn
2-3 tablespoons of Chut Up beet ketchup
1-2 tablespoons of Chut Up peri-peri sauce
French's fried jalapenos for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together the sugar and margarine (no need to soften before hand). Add in sour cream and continue to beat, then add in eggs. Alternate adding in corn muffin mix and milk until everything is well combined and there are no lumps in the batter. Carefully fold in the whole kernel corn and the creamed corn. Season with salt if desired, but the sea salt in the corn and margarine should be enough for most palates.

Pour the batter into a greased 9x9 baking dish. Carefully drop small spoonfuls of the ketchup/peri-peri mixture into the batter, then use the tip of a knife to swirl the sauce a little further into the batter. Bake for about an hour, or until the edges are golden and the center is solid. Top with fried jalapenos and serve warm.

Caramel Glazed Drop Donuts

1 cup of milk
1 egg
1 tablespoon of Nielsen Massey Coffee Extract
2 cups of white flour
2 tablespoons of sugar
5 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 stick of Country Crock Unsalted Margarine, melted
4-8 cups of frying oil (vegetable, corn, or canola oil works well), depending on the depth of your frying pot

For the Glaze:

1 cup of McCrea's Black Sea Salt Caramels
1/3 cup of milk
1/2 cup of Nielsen Massey Vanilla Sugar

Heat the oil over medium high heat, making sure there is enough oil in the pot so that the donuts are never touching bottom.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In a small bowl, scramble the egg and then add in the milk and coffee extract, then whisk them all together. Slowly pour this into the dry mixture and mix well, then add in the melted margarine and continue mixing until a smooth, soft dough forms.

Using two spoons dipped briefly into the hot oil, form small 1 inch balls of dough and carefully drop them into the heated oil. Only fry about 5-6 donuts at a time to avoid the temperature of the oil falling. Let them cook for about 2-3 minutes, making sure to turn them so that all sides turn a golden brown, then lift them out of the oil with a slotted spoon and place them onto some paper towels to drain.

In a small sauce pan over medium low heat, add in the caramels and milk and stir continuously until they are completely melted and just start to bubble. Add the finished donuts to a large bowl and pour the warm caramel over them, then toss vigorously to make sure they are completely coated. Turn the donuts out onto a serving plate and sprinkle them with the vanilla sugar. Makes about 3 dozen.

The writers of this blog were sent products by the companies mentioned in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Postcards from Bunny: Pret a Manger Holiday Menu

At this point, Brandy is pretty used to her regular postcards from Bunny, which usually arrive tattered, torn, water marked, and muddy from every mysterious corner of the earth.  So when something other than a postcard showed up on her doorstep on the day after Thanksgiving, Brandy was more than a little surprised.

Opening her door that chilly morning Brandy was greeted by a group of smiling, handsome young men in fuzzy hats and brightly colored rugby jerseys.  "Brandy?" one of them asked cheerily.  Brandy gave a stern nod and he handed her a muddied and water marked envelope, which upon opening revealed the following note:

Greetings dear girl!  These gentlemen are part of the Portuguese Handball team and have come to Chicago to play in a tournament.   I met them in a pub in Uruguay and had a lovely chat with them about American foods and holidays.  They seemed very interested in the traditions behind Thanksgiving and asked me to refer them to someone who could show them the ropes.  As you're practically an American now, I thought you could oblige them.  Much love to you!     -Bunny

Brandy looked up from the flowery stationary upon which the note had been written to see the still smiling faces of the Portuguese Handball team looking at her expectantly.  "Turkey?" one of them said, cocking his head to the left like a curious puppy.  "Turkey, right, see the thing is," Brandy began, "I didn't make a turkey this year.  We had a potluck at the Quilting Society meeting and I was in charge of the green beans and..."  But her explanation didn't seem to be making any headway as the young men continued to smile and blink at her.

Not sure what else to do, she ushered them all inside her parlor and sat them down around the television set.  "Alright, you want a traditional American Thanksgiving?  Well first you have to watch Miracle on 34th Street," she said as she flipped on the tiny wood framed screen.  Once she was quite sure that her unexpected house guests were occupied, she stealthily collected her coat, hat, and bag, and slipped out the door.  "Where on earth am I to find a Thanksgiving dinner?" she grumbled on her way to the train, and after riding the Red Line as far as it would go, she came upon an answer.

Having visited Pret A Manger this past summer with Bunny, Brandy knew they had lots of options that would at least be freshly prepared (every Pret a Manger location prepares their wears on sight on a daily basis, donating whatever is left at the end of the day to a local shelter).  "Perhaps I can cobble together something," she mused.  But once arriving at the Pret in Evanston (there are also several Prets in the Loop and a new one opening up inside Merchandise Mart this week), Brandy was simply delighted to find that they were carrying a whole range of flavorful holiday favorites and treats.  Loading her arms full of everything she could find, Brandy headed home to divvy up the treasures just as the Handball boys were finishing their movie.

There were three sandwiches to choose from: the Holiday Lunch, the Holiday Cranberry and Goat Cheese, and the Holiday Ham and Fig Chutney.  The Holiday Lunch consisted of a mix of traditional Thanksgiving flavors with moist slices of turkey, a crunchy nut roast stuffing, cranberry sauce, and spinach on soft granary bread.  Brandy really loved the mix of flavors and textures in this sandwich and especially that the turkey remained the star of the show.  The Holiday Cranberry and Goat Cheese turned out to be a vegetarian version of the Holiday Lunch with smooth, creamy goat cheese spread replacing the turkey.  Brandy felt that the cranberry was given more room to shine in this sandwich.  The Holiday Ham and Fig, which came served on a hearty baguette, provided a more Christmasy contrast with a smokey, tender ham, sweet fig chutney, and crunchy almonds.

There was also the Holiday Turkey Dinner Wrap, which came served hot.  Sharing a lot of its flavors with the Holiday Lunch, the wrap also included sweet potatoes and crispy onions in addition to the turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce.  This was probably Brandy's (and three out of the four handball players) favorite, as it combined all the best bits of the sweet and savory side dishes that really define a great holiday meal.

For dessert, Brandy had purchased an army of Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies and Holiday Fig and Almond Yogurt Pots as well as a special coffee concoction, the Gingersnap Latte.  The yogurt pots, which had a sensational sweet fig spread on the bottom that could be swirled through the rich Greek yogurt, were also topped with dried cranberries and toasted almond slices.  The Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies were a true rich delight with their soft interior, deep chocolate flavor, and melty white chocolate chunks, which had been ever so slightly kissed with a cool minty essence.  They made the perfect combination with the Holiday Gingersnap Latte, which boasted a more subtle sweetness and a nice spicy kick from the ginger.

Though it may not have been a typical Thanksgiving meal, the Portuguese Handball Team seemed mighty pleased with their impromptu feast, so much so that they all fell asleep, strewn across the various sofas and chairs in Brandy's parlor.  "Well then," Brandy sighed, "I suppose they discovered this little Thanksgiving tradition on their own."

The writers of this blog were provided with gift cards from Pret a Manger in order to sample the holiday menu and give an honest review.