Say CHEESE!

November 24, 2013

And we’re back! After a brief hiatus, Nido has returned – but not empty handed.

Before and After projects are in the works so stay tuned to see some fun room transformations. There will also be tips on gift giving and wrapping. For now, let’s talk cheese in preparation for upcoming holiday.

I was invited to a friend’s potluck and was in charge of the cheese plate. I welcome any excuse to buy (and binge on) artisan cheese from the local shop Formaggio. The aroma of delicious cheese and fresh bread packed into this small space magically whisks me away to France. I picture arriving for my daily baguette like this:

Image credit

I adjust my beret as I saunter in and ask for “pain” – which is French for bread – I am not asking to be tortured although the fact I can’t eat everything in sight can be considered such. The blank stare I get from the person behind the counter instantly snaps be back into reality. Welcome back to Boston, MA USA, Dana.

OK, now that I have returned from my petite voyage, let’s get back on track here.

I appreciate the “try before you buy” approach and luckily this little shop puts out an array of cheeses to taste. Since not everyone enjoys the smelly blues or the creamy bries, it is nice to provide a variety that will satisfy all while knowing what you are serving.

Now onto the fun stuff – displaying hors d’oeuvres!!

Naturally I had to add a charcuterie platter to the mix so needed a long board for all the luscious meats. Turns out we had a nice piece of reclaimed wood from a past project. We also had a slate roof tile from our old house that came in handy for cheese.

It is always good to label cheese for reference in case the tasters really like a particular flavor or more importantly did not like one to know which to avoid in the future. Slate is perfect for this reason since you can use soapstone or chalk to scribe the type of cheese and region it came from next to each selection.