A Winter Cheese Board

I am very excited to share images from my cheese shoot! I wanted to provide inspiration in creating a holiday cheese board. 

 Winter is that time of year where it's okay to INDULGE and celebrate with cheese, especially those ooey-gooey ones we all know and enjoy.

I fell in love with World' Market's Scalloped Trencher Cutting Board (lower board). The curves and shape are perfect. I found the rustic wood and marble cake stand from TJ Maxx, and knew I wanted a round of Camembert on top.

Dressing up the Camembert with a "wreath" of sage and rosemary brought texture and a wonderful, pine-like aroma. The sugared cranberries added a complementary pop of red and that extra holiday touch. I coated the cranberries in elder flower syrup and rolled it in sugar.

Cheeses clockwise:

1) Camembert- earthy, dense and creamy.

2) Grafton 2 Year Raw Milk Cheddar- tart yet mellow.

3) Fourme d' Ambert- slightly pungent and rich.

4) Humboldt Fog- tangy yet delicate in flavor.

5) Fromage d' Affinois with Truffle-aromatic and decadent, with black winter truffles.

Humboldt fog is one beautiful cheese.

To accompany, I brought in fruits to contrast the savory flavors of the cheeses: grapes, sliced bartlett pears, as well as pomegranate seeds and cranberries for tartness.

Meaty castelvertrano olives (I love their vibrant color) are great with cheese, and aid in cutting the richness.

French lavender honey is probably one of the best honeys..no lie. It's perfectly sweet with a creamy-crystalline texture.

Marcona olives add crunch and slightly sweet almond flavor.

Photography by my talented friend, Maki, of Maki Photography / Styling my Me

Cheeseboard Collector

When Sanrio was all the rage in the 90's, I collected everything Keroppi. I couldn't resist that little frog and had everything from a Keroppi backpack to stationery.
As an adult, I am now into building my collection of cheese boards. Currently, I have a few wooden and marble boards. But not porcelain quite yet...These porcelain boards by mb art studios has a beach vibe and a hand-rendered look and feel that I really enjoy.

Rustic & Beautiful Boards

I love the rustic beauty of these Footed Platte cutting boards from Gray Works Design. The natural wood striations, its curvaceous shape and the use of diverse hardwoods greatly appeal to me. That's not all...The boards are made from local and sustainable American hardwoods and use organic food safe finishes. Aren't they pretty? They're the perfect canvas for showing off your gourmet delights. 

Large Footed Serving Tray, Eco Friendly Sugar Maple

Rustic Birch Cheese Board, Salvaged Wood

Footed Platte Rustic Cherry Serving Tray

The Original New York Cafe Walnut Footed Platte

A Cheese Board for Valentine's Day

On Valentine's Day why not enjoy an after-dinner cheese board filled with rich chocolate, a creamy, silky cheese, fresh raspberries to complement, and glass of sparkling wine to toast?

Grayworks design heart-shaped organic cheese board, Cowgirl Creamery's Mt. Tam (image via nugget market), Etoile Brut from Chandon, Williams-Sonoma sparkling wine glass,  Tcho chocolate, Driscoll's raspberries

State-Shaped Cheese Boards

Represent your state with these state shaped cheese boards from A Heirloom,

made from durable eco-friendly bamboo. I'd totally throw a California themed party and feature all my favorite local cheeses on the California board.

California, baby.

Illinois

New York

Texas

USA 

Serve a Super Bowl Cheese Platter

It's that time of the year again for the Super Bowl-where you can eat to your heart's content and oh, watch the big game. Let's be honest here, I'm excited for the food. I enjoy the bar fare that's typically served on Super Bowl Sunday; however, I like switching things up by serving a cheese platter. I conceptualized a Seattle Seahawks platter made up of cheeses of the Pacific Northwest: Rogue Creamery's Oregonzola and Washington's Beecher's Flagship (also mentioned here). I've added Wisconsin's Sartori Espresso BellaVitano to represent the coffee city of Seattle.

The sweet and earthy black truffle honey is the perfect complement to the deep flavors of Espresso BellaVitano and the sharpness of Oregonzola and Beecher's Flagship. Columbus salami adds a meaty, savory element to the platter, and the walnut bread is that necessary nutty component that brings it all together. Touch down.

Photography Credits: Seattle Seahawks cheese board via Bed Bath and Beyond, Beecher's Flagship, Sartori, Oregonzola via Amazon, truffle honey via Dean & Deluca, Columbus sausage via Amazon, walnut bread via Boudin