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ROCKIN’ AROUND the Christmas Brie

5 o’clock: Dorothy’s Cheese Comeback Cow: Weird name but a delicious, made-in-America cheese. It looks like Brie but gets a saltwater washing that imparts a meaty, saltier flavor. Eat the rind! 6 o’clock: Manchego: This aged sheep cheese from Spain is dense and rich but incredibly mellow and approachable in flavor. Don’t eat the rind! Its classic companion is quince paste but fig jam is also stellar. 7 o’clock: Long Clawson Crimson: Technically a Wensley- dale, which is like a fresher, more tart-tasting Cheddar, but studded with dried cranberries. 8 o’clock: Bella Maria Valencia Almonds or a simple home- made sweet and spicy nut mix provides crunch and pairs well with the fruit flavors of Crimson and the nutty notes of Gruyere. 9 o’clock: Cave Aged Gruyere: This firm, dense and nutty aged Swiss cow milk cheese is remarkable with dried or cooked fruits. Don’t eat the rind! 10 o’clock: Tamarind or dried dates. 11 o’clock: Bleu d’Auvergne: Buttery, salty and mush- roomy with a lingering finish, this blue loves dates but is also sublime with a spread of that honey at 12 o’clock.

Liz’s Holiday Cheese

Lest you think I make this stuff up, I will tell you that when I got a call in early October asking me to be on a well-known lifestyle TV show to break down the ultimate cheese board, the first thing I did was reach for the last book I wrote. The Book of Cheese takes hundreds of cheeses of the world and categorizes them based on what I call Gate- way Cheeses — generic types you’re likely to have heard of that will help you branch out into cheeses you’ve never heard of. I picked 5 to 7 cheeses from the 9 Gateways and paid attention to milk type to ensure a range, and that was the foundation of my ultimate cheese board. Seriously. MOZZARELLA TYPES (MILKY AND FRESH) • Honey Goat Log • Montchevre Rondin • La Bonne Vie Goat Cheese • Le Roulé Cranberry • Le Roulé Garlic • La Bonne Vie Truffle Goat Cheese • La Bonne Vie Goat Cheese with Cranberry

and Cinnamon BRIE TYPES (RICH AND BUTTERY) • Brie • Saint Angel • Fromage d’Affinois • Saint-André

• Fromage d’Affinois with Truffles • Dorothy’s Cheese Keep Dreaming • Délice de Bourgogne • Taleggio Types (soft and stinky) • Dorothy’s Cheese Comeback Cow CHEDDAR TYPES (CHUNKY AND TART) • Long Clawson Crimson • Red Dragon English Cheddar with Wholegrain Mustard & Ale SWISS TYPES (DENSE AND NUTTY) • Alp Blossom • Cave Aged Gruyere BLUE TYPES (SALTY AND MUSHROOMY) • Bleu d’Auvergne • Maytag Blue

61 everyday NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018