Creating a great cheese plate

As you know, cheese is a popular party food and also goes great with wine. However, I often see people just take a few common cheeses, like cheddar, swiss, and american and put them on a plate. But a much nicer way to present a cheese plate to your guests is by selecting cheeses with varying textures. For example, below are 4 different cheese textures and some classic cheese selections for each.

1. Hard: Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino, Gruyere
2. Semi-Hard: Cheddar, Gouda, Swiss
3. Semi-soft: Mozzarella, Havarti, Fontina
4. Soft: Brie, Goat cheese, or anything spreadable

Another interesting way to create a cheese plate is to select different textures from a specific country. France, Germany, Italy, and America have the best selections.

Goto: http://www.cheese.com/ for further reference.