Cheese Platter and Sweet & Spicy Candied Pecans

Cheese platters are my favourite mostly because I ADORE cheese but also because they are so easy to assemble.  For my Thanksgiving dinner I will be serving this cheese platter as my appetizer.  

To build a perfect cheese plate, I like to pick one cheese in each of the following categories:

Aged:  Cheddar or aged goat cheese.  Typically has a sharper taste.

Soft:  A Camembert or a Brie.  Creamy in texture with a mild flavour.

Firm:  Manchego, Parmesan, Emmenthal.  It offers a great contrast with the soft cheeses.

Blue:  Gorgonzola, Roquefort or Stilton.  Sharp taste and smell

Discovery:  Go wild (as wild as you can be with cheeses...)  Vary the type of milks, the

flavours infusing the cheese, or anything that will get your guests talking! 

The best way to select a cheese from each category is to speak with a cheesemonger.  Not only can he/she recommend a few options based on your budget but he also knows which cheese is popular with other customers. 

My Cheeses

Aged

United Kingdom - Ilchester Applewood Smoked Cheddar

When I first moved to Toronto, I discovered the applewood smoked cheddar at the St-Lawrence market and it quickly became one of my favourite.  This cheddar is imported from England and is naturally smoked with applewood embers and dusted with paprika.  It’s generally a crowd pleasure for its rich texture and smoky flavour. 

Soft

Canada - L'Extra Brie Cheese

I always add brie to my cheese platter.  Its flavours are usually mild and will go with pretty much any other flavours present.  Brie L'Extra is a soft and mild cheese.  It’s not an uncommon brie brand but I enjoy for its taste and low price.

Firm

Spain - Drunken Goat Cheese

This Spanish cheese is a recent discovery of mine.  What attracted me was its beautiful thin purple rind which comes from the red wine in which the cheese is soaked in for two to three days.  The taste is not too mild yet not too strong with a light sweetness.  This cheese is very versatile and will pair well with nuts, olives and other cheeses.

Blue

Danemark - Costello Rosenborg

I have to admit that I’m not a big fan of blue cheese.  I can’t say I detest it but I rarely crave this pungent cheese.  I typically choose a very mild blue and the Danish Rosenborg blue cheese suits my taste.  Now you may have guests that are Blue cheese lovers and may be disappointed with the taste as it’s very soft but it still retains the mushroom like aromas of the bleu.

Discovery

United Kingdom - Coombe Castle International Sticky Toffee Cheese

I picked this cheese out of pure curiosity.  It may not pair as well with the other cheeses I picked but I couldn’t resist the promise of notes such as caramel mixed with cinnamon and nutmeg.  I can only imagine how wonderful this cheese would be as a treat after dinner (dessert cheese!) or served on Sunday morning brunch with think, dense grilled bread.  In this case it’s going on my board because a little touch of sweetness is never a bad thing!

Useful Tips

• Since this is an appetizer prior to a proper dinner, you want to allow approximately 3 to 4 ounces of cheese per person.  For events where the cheese is the main event, double this quantity.
• Take you cheeses out of the refrigerator an hour before serving.  The cold temperatures will tend to tone down the flavours of the cheese.
• Label each cheese.
• Make sure you set out a separate knife for each cheese.

Accompaniments

• Slices of different kinds of bread (baguette, rye bread, nut & fruit bread, etc.) and various types of crackers.  
• Spreads such as chutneys, jams, compotes, mustards, honey, jellies.
• Fruits (fresh and dry) like grapes or raisins, dates, figs, pears, apples, dried apricots.
• Cured meats such as prosciutto and salamis.
• Nuts: almonds, pistachios, walnuts.
• Marinated olives and/or pickled vegetables.

The cheese board I will be serving at Thanksgiving will be very simple.  I will serve my cheese along with some Sweet and Spicy nuts (see below for the recipe!), a few pieces of fresh figs and slices of pears.  Pieces of fresh artisanal bread and different types of crackers will complete my platter. 

The Sweet & Spicy Candied Pecans are very simple to make and will remain fresh for over a week in an airtight container.  You can make these well ahead of your Thanksgiving Dinner.




Sweet & Spicy Candied Pecans

Ingredients
2 cups pecan halves
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spread the pecans on a aluminum lined baking sheet
Toast them in the oven 10 minutes stirring them after 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the coating mixture. Mix together the melted butter the brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne.
Combine the hot nuts and the mixture and stir until the nuts are evenly coated.
Pour back onto the foil-lined baking sheet and spread them in an even layer.
Bake for another 10 minutes, stirring after every 5 minutes.
Remove the nuts from the oven and allow them to cool and crisp up on the baking sheet.
Once cool, store the sweet and spicy candied pecans in an airtight container at room temperature.







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