Let’s Get Cheesy

Hello Friends!

If you know me then you know I love to entertain. Hosting parties is like my thing. I also love to pick on appetizers and sip my vino instead of sit down dinners (I mean of course there is a time and place for that). On today’s Perfectly Plated I’m talking about the anatomy of the PERFECT cheese plate. Recently, I had someone tell me I should do a post on doing a cheese platter like you would order in a restaurant. Well here you go! MK and I always stay in for Valentines Day, and usually do wine and cheese. There also might be steaks involved. But always wine and cheese.

When I started hosting many years ago,  I did soooo much research on how to make the perfect cheeseboard. One full proof thing I learned was “something old, something new, something goat, and something blue”.  That will always stay in my head when creating this appetizer. A board like this might be intimidating but I can assure you it isn’t hard.

How to Charcuterie:

Here is a list of what I used:

Meats: Pepperoni

Salami

Prosciutto wrapped around mozzarella

Sliced ham

Sweet Sopressata

Cheeses: Asiago (old)

Fresh Mozzarella  (new)

Brie

Goat

Gorgonzola (blue)

I added: Grapes

Gorgonzola stuffed olives

Walnuts

Honey

Raspberry Rhubarb

Fresh Rosemary

An assortment of bread and crackers. Make sure to mix up the texture and flavors.

I recently came to own cheese knives. Why they weren't already a part of my life before is beyond me. But, I thought it would go perfectly with this cheeseboard talk to break down what you use them for.

Spatula: This one is for cheeses like Brie or Camembert

Cheese Fork: Move cheese easily with this to plates

Heart Shaped: Best for hard cheeses like Asiago

Soft Cheese Knife: For Gorgonzola or Mozzarella

No matter what your V-Day plans are, I hope they include some delicious cheese and wine of course.

Give Me Some Sugar

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

Doesn’t it seem like we were just celebrating Christmas? And now Valentines Day is next week! In honor of that I usually share a tasty treat. I eat really well 95% of the time but I give myself a break when it comes to V-Day. I mean what better of a time to treat yourself? Today, I’m sharing not one but two SUPER easy recipes that you can make for your love without having to stay in the kitchen forever. 

Nutella Pies

What you need:

Nutella

Pie crust

Heart cookie cutters if you’re feelin’ fancy

What you do:

Have a little fun with this one! Play with different sized hearts and make your own design. But basically just fill the middle of your heart with Nutella and add the top sealing with a fork. Pop them in the oven for about 10-15 minutes on 350 but I watched mine until golden brown.  

Red Velvet Oreo Truffles

What you need:

20 Oreos  

4oz low fat cream cheese

Chocolate

Sprinkles to decorate

What you do:

Throw the Oreos in a food processor then add cream cheese until everything is stuck together. Then, make into balls and put them in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes. Melt chocolate, and dip your Oreo balls into it. Add sprinkles and you’re done! Just put them back in the fridge for them to harden.  Store them there too, when not eating.  

Both of these recipes are so easy that they would also be fun to make with your littles!

Enjoy the day, make it sweet!

The Eye Eats First

Hello Friends!

There is a reason so many people sit down at a table and snap a photo of their food before they eat it. Annoying? Sure. Am I one of those? Yep, sometimes. But there is something to be said for a well presented dish.

When I want to learn something I completely immerse myself in it. Which was what I did when it came to pretty food plating. The best part is that it’s all about having fun! If you mess up just wipe it off and try again. I found an amazing chef who talked about food plating and followed along.

What you need:

A pea, garlic, and olive oil puree in a squeeze bottle

Peas and edamame

Thinly sliced radish

Herbs, and diced cucumber and red pepper

Cumin

What you do:

Step 1: Make a circle with your puree and swoosh.

Step 2: Do some dots but stay on the right side.

Step 3: Make tiny piles of pea and edamame.

Step 4: Lean radish on piles for height.

Step 5: Throw in some herbs. I used dill.

Step 6: Randomly sprinkle cucumber and pepper.

The final step: Sprinkle Cumin and Ta Da! You’re done!

Then just add your protein. That is all it takes to create this beautiful dish. It’s isn’t hard and it doesn’t even take that much time to do.

Here is to being fearless in the kitchen! And also staying warm today because it’s like really cold here.