How To Set Up A Chessboard Correctly
Take 6 minutes to read and improve your chess game : This article was first published on, and is Copyright of Chessquestions.com
Chess is an awesome game, but it can be a little confusing if youre just getting started and you need to know how to setup a chess board. There are all of these strange-sounding terms around the chessboard like rank and file.
I want you to get off on the right foot, so Ive put together some quick tips for setting up your chessboard and getting the pieces in position in the correct way to set up a chess board.
A Good Cheese Board Starts With Good Cheese
OK, so back to buying cheese! Youre going to want to pick a few varieties for your board. We suggest three cheeses for a large cheese board for a party. When selecting cheeses, you can go a few directions. You could pick a themelike goats milk or Alpine-style for the sake of comparison. Or, go for high-contrast and select a few wildly different cheeses for the sake of difference. Consider your audience, too. Are you serving the board to a group of adventurous eaters? Maybe consider more pungent, washed-rind cheeses, or some stinky blues. Or maybe youll be serving the cheese board to a crowd youre less sure about? Go for milder, crowd-pleasing cheeses like good-quality goat cheese , a nice hunk of Gruyère, and a mild, milky brie.
A few of our favorite cheeses:
- Soft: brie, camembert, chèvreanything you can spread works great for this category.
- Semi-soft: Fontina, muenster or Gouda.
- Semi-firm: Manchego, Gruyère or Comté.
- Firm: An aged cheddar or white cheddar is delicious, even a really high-quality Parmigiano-Reggiano can be lovely. Pro tippair that Parm with some fancy honey!
Something Sweet And Fruity
Heres where we can play to the season and add color. That said, pantry-friendly options include honey and dried fruit, such as dried figs or cherries.
- In the spring, serve apricots, strawberries or citrus, like clementines.
- In the summer, play up the berries, like raspberries and blueberries. Cherries and sliced peaches are always nice.
- In the fall, serve apples, pears or grapes.
- In the winter, try fun varieties of citrus, like mandarins and Cara Cara oranges, and pomegranate.
- For a festive holiday board, try cranberry sauce and tuck in sprigs of fresh rosemary.
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How To Create The Perfect Cheese Platter
Published on June 22, 2022 by Eden
Everything you need to know for creating the most perfect meat and cheese platter! With this guide, youll easily be able to assemble your own beautiful cheese board to serve at parties and holiday events.
Youve seen countless beautiful cheese boards that actually look like a work of art. They are perfectly piled with cheese wedges, fruit, and nuts. And if youre like us, you think I want a delicious glass of wine and an invitation to that party!
Lucky for you, you will be able to create those beautiful boards with our tips!
Read on for tips and tricks and everything you need to know on how to create a cheese board. We cover the ingredients, and how to assemble the cheese platter using step-by-step instructions and answer all your questions about making the best cheese board.
Ill never forget the first time I made a cheese platter, literally years ago! I was hosting a party and wanted to serve something impressive for an appetizer. I went to the store and picked out a variety of cheeses, fresh produce, and some nice crackers.
The best part was that it only took a few minutes to put together. Everyone loved it and Ive been making them ever since. Its such a great choice for parties because theyre easy to make and always look impressive.
How Much Cheese Per Person
A good rule of thumb is to plan for about 3 ounces of cheese per guest. If you plan on serving a cheese board for dinner, provide 4 ounces of cheese per guest as well as meats, nuts, berries, and more.
If your guests prefer less cheese, then make a meat-heavy board or add vegetables and dips.
You can also serve half of the cheese and save half in the refrigerator. If you need more, simply unwrap it and add it to the platter.
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Wine Pairings For Cheese Boards
Last but not least, what are you going to drink along with all these goodies? While wine is classic, beer, cider, spirits, cocktails, and non-alcoholic sips like fine teas, kombucha, lemonade, and even craft sodas can all make excellent cheese companions.
Of course, you can consult our wide variety of wine and cheese pairing guides for ideas before you shop for bottles. But when it comes to cheese boards with a range of flavor profiles and textures, we like to keep a few styles in mind that can go well with most types of cheese, from citrusy chevres to pungent blues.
Why Is It Called Charcuterie
Charcuterie is a French word that literally means cooked meats. It can be thought of as the art of preparing various meats in order to preserve them and present them in diverse ways. Although the term generally refers to meats derived from pork, you can find some more exotic options made from wild boar, venison, bison, elk, etc.
When serving charcuterie for a party its usually presented alongside cheese, bread, condiments, and other accoutrements.
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How Far In Advance Can I Make A Cheese Platter
Having said that, you dont want to put this together days in advance, as the flavors on your platter will meld together and items will get soggy.
Its best to assemble the platter a few hours before the party and take it out of the refrigerator an hour before.
If youre serving a cheese and meat platter outside, please always make sure its covered to avoid unwanted bugs! These food covers are perfect for keeping bugs off.
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What Else Goes On A Cheese Board
The cheese and meat are the backbone of the tray. I always add them to the board first. Then I add my vegetables. Then, think about the following:
Crackers. Crackers and cheese are important. Just get about 2-3 different kinds of crackers, but you dont need to put a ton on there. Youll notice I dont have many you can always add more but believe me, you probably wont need to unless you have lots of kids. Adults are weird and dont eat tons of carbs with their meat and cheese.
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Charcuterie Board Set Up
A charcuterie board for dinner is all about the presentation! The most pleasing displays always look full and abundant, and items are artfully placed and balanced.
What Are The Port And Stilton Gift Set
The port and stilton gift set provides the perfect way to treat your most beloved and special guests. This decadent set includes a bottle of delicious aged port wine, two types of stilton cheese both of which have been aged for at least ten months and a cheese cutting board made from cherry wood. Simply put the items in the gift box included in the set and present it to someone you love. Then, sit back and watch as they delight in all that this gift has to offer. The port and stilton gift set provides an extravagant way to entertain friends and family. It will quickly become one of your favourites go-to gifts!
There are many reasons why people should choose Hamper Lounge as their go-to source for gift baskets and hampers. We offer a wide variety of high-quality products like wines and chutney spreads, all of which are hand-selected by our team of experts. Plus, we have a huge range of options to choose from, so you can find the perfect gift for any occasion. And best of all, we offer unbeatable value for money. So if you’re looking for exceptional gift basket or hamper orders, look no further than Hamper Lounge!
A port and stilton gift set is a truly magnificent and rewarding present for cheese lovers. Still, there are many questions about a port and stilton gift set. Here are some answers to some FAQs.
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How To Make A Fruit And Cheese Platter Look Attractive
I approach putting together a fruit and cheese platter with the concept that it will feed the eyes of my guests even before it feeds their bellies, so the more beautiful the better. Try to keep the following principles in mind when planning and arranging your fruit and cheese platter:
Color contrasts like red grapes and green pears or green grapes and red pears add beauty and visual variety to your board, as do geometric shapes like triangles from cheese wedges, rectangular crackers, or round cheese wheels.
This might be personal preference, but a really full, almost overflowing board looks more appealing to me than a sparse one.
You could always use a smaller board, although typically my problem is that I am running out of space! It’s okay to stack or pile things a bit or do the opposite and fan out sliced fruit to take up more space depending on how full your board is or isn’t looking. It’s all about making it work!
Keep in mind that you can always add in more of various items on the fruit and cheese platter as they start to dwindle down. You may also want to have small plates to the side of your fruit and cheese platter for guests to fill with their favorite picks from the board.
Extra Extra Read All About It
All of the little extras may seem like after-thoughts, but they can go a long way towards making the cheese board feel luxurious and indulgent. You want your cheese board to look abundant! Thats kind of their whole aesthetic. So, heres how to finish it off:
Olives & pickles:
No cheese board is complete without a briny treat! Our favorites are picked veggies, olives or cute little pickles! If you are going ultra fancy, you can pick up some large, beautiful capers like these.
Dried or Fresh Fruits:
Grapes are classic, and in the fall you should garnish your cheese platter with concords if you can get your hands on them. They just look PERFECT. But whatever seasonal fruit you have will look lovely. In the winter, try adding dried fruits. They are a sweet and acidic way to brighten up the cheese board and offer a great balance to the rich and creamy stars of the show.
Nuts:
Nuts are a great way to incorporate a little crunch and a whole lot of flavor to your cheese board. We reach for for Blue Diamond Almonds, every time! These Crafted Gourmet Almonds are roasted and seasoned with their skins removed for a smooth texture and unique taste for every occasion. There are four fun flavors to choose from like Rosemary and Sea Salt, Pink Himalayan Salt, Garlic, Herb and Olive Oil and Black Truffle.
Spreads:
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Assembling A Cheese Board
Now for the fun part: putting your cheese board together!
Wash any fresh fruits, and slice larger ones like apples and pears ahead of time. I also like to slice firm and semi-firm cheeses on a cutting board before transferring them to a serving platter. That way, theyre easy for guests to grab and enjoy.
Arrange the fruits and cheeses on your serving platter or board, and fill in the gaps with the other components. When your guests arrive, make sure you have a few cheese knives handy for slicing and spreading the softer cheeses. Enjoy!
How To Make The Best Fruit And Cheese Platter
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Learn how to make the best Fruit and Cheese Platter that is perfect for entertaining anytime of the year with this easy tutorial! This is more than just cheese and crackers. It can be an elegant and impressive spread that is sure to delight guests.
Planning to have company over? Some of our other favorite grazing ideas include Baked Brie in Puff Pastry with Apricot Preserves, Classic Shrimp Cocktail, and Patacones or Tostones .
When it comes to effortless entertaining, nothing is easier than a gorgeous fruit and cheese platter loaded with all sorts of sweet and savory goodies. It changes with each season and is just as wonderful for summer gatherings as it is for cozy Christmas and New Year’s parties.
Some other occasions when you might consider serving a fruit and cheese platter include:
- dinner parties
- New Year’s Eve
- and basically any other time you can think of.
In this post, I’m sharing my best tips and tricks for not only the best fruit and cheese pairings, but also how to make a fruit and cheese board look attractive, as well as my favorite ideas for what to include on a fruit and cheese platter.
Don’t be intimidated by creating a fruit and cheese platter – it took all of 5 minutes to pull the one in these photos together for an impromptu family get together the day after Black Friday while cousins were still in town.
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Pick Out At Least 3 Or 4 Different Styles Of Cheese
The name of the game here is varietyboth in the styles of cheese and in their textures too . If you take this approach to concocting your cheese platter, youre on your way to creating an epic appetizer. A few of our favorite cheeses to pair with Orchard Choice and Sun-Maid California Figs include:
What Drink To Serve With A Cheese Platter
Wine is always a favorite for us when serving a cheese board. However, there are several fantastic cocktails that go great with cheese as well, especially sangria. Here are a few cocktail ideas that will pair nicely with cheese platters:
Fall Sangria with Apple Cider The most perfect cocktail to serve with a seasonal fall cheese platter.
Floral Sangria Recipe Fun for a bridal shower or baby shower.
Red Sangria Recipe Great for holidays.
Black Sangria Recipe This goes really well with our Halloween charcuterie board.
For a summer gathering serve these drinks with a cheese platters:
White Wine Sangria A traditional sangria made with white wine and juicy fruit.
Aperol Spritz Perfect for a summer gathering.
Ranch Water An easy tequila drink that is super refreshing.
Arnold Palmer A mix between ice tea and lemonade.
Mix and Match Garden Bar This is a fun party theme that would go perfectly with cheese platters.
Also check out more great cocktail recipes our favorite brunch recipes, the best-mixed drinks, tequila cocktails, gin cocktails, vodka cocktails, and cheap drinks to make at home!
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Get Creative With Meats And Cheeses
Part of the beauty of setting up a cheese board or grazing table is that you can choose exactly what goes on it. But as youre planning, be sure to include plenty of variety for your guests.
I like to include a variety of different kinds of milk when it comes to cheeses, including cows milk, goats milk, and sheeps milk cheeses, says Mullen. You want to incorporate a variety including some soft cheeses and soft hard cheeses. When opting for cheeses, Mullen suggests cheddar as a great option because many people enjoy it and it offers a variety of sharpness. Other great options include gruyere, gouda, fresh goat cheese, and brie. Be sure to pre-cut the hard cheeses so its effortless for your guests to grab, and pair soft cheeses with a cheese knife for easy access.
For meats, Mullen loves to incorporate what she refers to as the “salami river,” which makes a statement in the middle of the table. For the salami, youll take a piece and fold it in half, and then fold it in half again, she says. Then, it gets laid throughout the table. Other great meat options to include throughout the table are prosciutto, capicola, and soppressata.
What Is A Charcuterie Board
Did you know one of the most frequently asked questions in Google on the subject is what is a meat and cheese tray called? Knowing that I think it is important to address what I would name such an arrangement.
I am sure you have seen such a party platter being sold in supermarkets during the holidays. While they refer to it as Meat and Cheese Platter or Meat Cheese Tray, the most commonly used name is Charcuterie Board.
According to the definition on Wikipedia, Charcuterie is a French term for a branch of cooking devoted to primarily pork meat products. It was originally intended as a way to preserve meat before refrigeration was invented.
Nowadays, with the increased availability and popularity of cured meat made from various meats, the name Charcuterie is used as a general term for all kinds of preserved meat including bacon, ham, confit, salami etc.
And if this word is new to you, the correct way to pronounce it is shahr-ku-tuh-ree.
So, in light of this information, what we refer to as Charcuterie Board here is a board prepared with various cold cuts . Nowadays, most Charcuterie Boards are also arranged with various cheeses, dried fruit, nuts, crackers, and served as an appetizer.
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