Emily Post's Great Get-Togethers

by Anna Post

  Many of these accompaniments work with a number of cheeses. The idea is to present a cheese with one or two accompaniments, such as jams or honeys, toasted nuts, fresh or dried fruit, and little toasts, and expand to include additional cheeses and a larger board.

  * * *

  CHEESE TYPE:

  Fresh, unripened

  VARIETIES:

  Cream cheese

  Ricotta

  Mozzarella

  Mascarpone

  Fresh goat

  Burrata

  SERVE WITH:

  Honey, chutneys, and jams

  Fruits: berries, pears, figs, apples, grapes, dried cherries

  Toasted nut breads

  WINE PAIRING:

  Viognier

  Vermentino

  CUT WITH:

  Spreader

  CHEESE TYPE:

  Fresh, ripened

  VARIETIES:

  Chèvre

  Crottins

  Humboldt Fog

  SERVE WITH:

  Grapes, apricots, figs, berries

  Toasted grainy breads

  WINE PAIRING:

  Rosé

  Beaujolais

  Lager

  Pinot Grigio

  Dolcetto

  CUT WITH:

  Spreader

  CHEESE TYPE:

  Bloomy rind

  VARIETIES:

  Brie

  Camembert

  St. André

  SERVE WITH:

  Grapes, apricots, plums

  Chutneys

  Olive tapenades

  Sourdough bread

  WINE PAIRING:

  French Chardonnay

  Sparkling wine

  Pale ale

  CUT WITH:

  Knife or spreader

  CHEESE TYPE:

  Semisoft: firm with a natural rind, aged a minimum of 60 days

  VARIETIES:

  Gouda

  Monterey Jack

  Bel paese

  Fontina

  Taleggio

  SERVE WITH:

  Tomatoes

  Apples

  Pickled vegetables

  Toasted nuts

  (Taleggio pairs well with honey)

  WINE PAIRING:

  Beaujolais

  Spanish Riojas

  Riesling

  Viognier

  Tokay d’alsace

  CUT WITH:

  Sharp knife or slicer

  CHEESE TYPE:

  Hard: aged over 60 days

  VARIETIES:

  Cheddars

  Manchego

  Pecorino

  Toscano

  Parmesan

  SERVE WITH:

  Apples, pears

  Fruit jams

  Hot pepper

  marmalade

  Toasted nuts

  Dates, dried figs

  WINE PAIRING:

  Chianti

  Rosso di

  Montepulciano

  Cider

  Dark ale

  Sparkling wine (with parmesan)

  CUT WITH:

  Knife or wedge; use a vegetable peeler for long, wide shavings

  CHEESE TYPE:

  Washed or brushed rind

  VARIETIES:

  Epoisses Morbier

  SERVE WITH:

  Prosciutto

  Pickled vegetables

  Fruit spreads

  WINE PAIRING:

  Sangiovese

  Barolo

  Dark ale

  CUT WITH:

  sharp knife

  CHEESE TYPE:

  Blue

  VARIETIES:

  Roquefort

  Rosenberg

  Gorgonzola

  SERVE WITH:

  Dates

  Figs

  Honey

  Walnuts

  Arugula

  Walnut wheat toasts

  WINE PAIRING:

  shiraz

  Gewürztraminer

  Port

  CUT WITH:

  Knife or cheese scoop

  * * *

  More About Cheese, Please

  For more information about cheese, we recommend reading:

  The Vermont Cheese Book, by Ellen Ecker Ogden

  Cheese Essentials, The All American Cheese and Wine Book,

  and The New American Cheese, all by Laura Werlin

  Cheese & Wine: A Guide to Selecting, Pairing, and Enjoying,

  by Janet Fletcher and Victoria Pearson

  * * *

  The Wine Party

  With wine’s popularity at an all-time high, and vineyards popping up in every nook and cranny of the world, becoming wine savvy can feel like a daunting proposition. A wine party is a fun way to learn about new wines and sample vintages that ordinarily might be out of your price range. Although there’s no reason why a wine party can’t be large, they tend to be more intimate—a smaller party lets everyone have a say about the wines they’re sampling. You can throw a wine party one of several ways. You can host and provide all the wine and food, or it can be a group effort—you provide hors d’oeuvres, say, and each guest or couple brings a bottle of wine to share.

  But which wines should you concentrate on? Here are several interesting ways to customize your wine tasting.

  VERTICAL TASTING: Tasting one wine, different vintages

  HORIZONTAL TASTING: Tasting one year, one wine, different producers

  PRICE-BUSTER TASTING: Your best $10 to $15 selection of wine

  ONE WINE VS. ANOTHER: Merlot and Cabernet (place each in a brown bag and let people take notes)

  BLIND TASTING: Choose a wine and provide bottles in a wide price range, from the inexpensive to one expensive wine. Wrap all bottles in brown bags—it’s fun to see how people rate the cheapest and costliest bottles. Either the host purchases the costliest wine or the group divides the total costs evenly among the participants.

  WORLD CUP TASTING: Same varietal, different countries: Australia vs. Chile; Spain vs. Portugal; Italy vs. France; United States vs. South Africa; Germany vs. Hungary; Oregon Pinot vs. French Burgundy.

  Become buddies with your local wine merchant. She’ll be a terrific resource not just for wine recommendations, but for helping to organize your tasting as well.

  Party Notes

  A professional wine tasting is serious business: One doesn’t so much drink the wine as take a sip that’s swirled in the mouth but not necessarily swallowed. It involves “spit cups” and palate and nose cleansers (see Tasting Like a Pro, below). For most of the rest of us, a wine-tasting party is an occasion to actually drink wine and have fun learning, comparing, and experiencing how wines pair with foods.

  * * *

  Tasting Like a Pro

  Spitting, rinsing, dumping, priming—it sounds, well, gross, but at a true wine tasting, you do all of these things with aplomb.

  * SPITTING: Learning to spit is a fine idea if you plan to taste several wines. It will keep your palate from being overwhelmed and you from getting woozy. Each taster should have his or her own cup to spit in. After you’ve tasted the wine, just hold the cup up to cover your mouth and spit.

  * RINSING: Before tasting the next wine, rinse your glass with water, usually provided in pitchers on the table.

  * DUMPING: A “dump bucket” is a must at a real tasting. That’s where tasters pour out the water used to rinse their glasses between wines.

  * PRIMING: Priming is what prepares your glass for the next wine. True aficionados do it like this: After rinsing and dumping with water, pour a small amount of the next wine to be tasted, swirl, dump, refill, and proceed to taste.

  Of course, you don’t have to do all that priming and rinsing at your wine party. You can be casual but still correct simply by providing a pitcher of water for tasters to drink between wines.

  * * *

  You can throw a dinner party where your wines are featured and paired by course, or serve wines paired with various hors d’oeuvres or small plat
es. In the latter case, you’ll want to provide enough food to balance the wine. Have lots of glasses for this party—one per person for each wine. Even if you don’t want to invest in just the right glass for each wine, provide good, all-purpose white and red wineglasses—one per guest for each wine to be tasted. Have enough glasses for at least two rounds—you can always rinse them in between in a pinch.

  Tips on Serving and Enjoying Wine

  At dinner, set a glass for each wine to be served.

  If you’re having several wines, serve whites before reds and dry before sweet.

  Fill wineglasses to the widest point of the bowl; this will let the wine breathe.

  At dinner, plan on one bottle of wine per person (but adjust according to your knowledge of your guests).

  Pouring red wine into a decanter, a vessel, usually glass, with a large bowl and a narrow neck, exposes a large surface area of the wine to oxygen. This is also called “letting the wine breathe” and allows the full flavor of the wine to be released.

  Finish wine within a day or two of opening; otherwise, use the leftover for cooking. The same oxidation that develops the wine’s flavor will also cause it to deteriorate over time. Vacuum pumps are great for this reason—they really do extend the drinkability of the wine.

  Shop around. Prices vary greatly from store to store. You can find some great deals on the Internet; some sites even include free shipping. Many stores offer a 10 percent discount when you buy a case (twelve bottles) of wine—mixed or single label.

  Store wine in a cool, dark place, preferably on its side.

  * * *

  How to Hold a Wineglass

  Pick up a wineglass by the stem, not the bowl. Cupping the bowl warms the wine and changes its flavor (especially with whites and Champagne), leaves ugly fingerprints, and prevents you from appreciating the color.

  * * *

  Chillin’

  White wines and Champagnes should be served chilled—at about 45ºF. It can take more than two hours to chill a bottle of wine in the fridge (use the lower shelves; they’re colder), so plan ahead. In a pinch, place the wine or Champagne in a bucket and add half ice, half water. It will be chilled in twenty to thirty minutes. The freezer isn’t the answer: There’s a good chance that you’ll overchill and damage the flavor (not to mention forgetting it’s in there and having it explode!).

  Red with Red and White with White?

  Not so long ago it was tradition to only serve red wines with red meat dishes and white wines with chicken and seafood—and why not? They do a really good job of complementing each other. Today, there’s more interest in creative wine and food pairings. For example, a Pinot Noir pairs well with chicken, and a dry Riesling goes nicely with pork. When choosing a wine, don’t let cost, color, or where it came from be your only guide. It’s more important that the flavor complements the food and that it’s pleasing to the palate.

  Hors D’oeuvres for A Tasting Party

  This tasting follows the progression from whites to reds to sweet wines. Remember to have plenty of water—still and sparkling—and bread available in baskets on the tasting table. Each of these hors d’oeuvres can pair with several wines. Taste and see what you like best!

  Crab Cakes, or Smoked Salmon

  Toast Points, Crème Fraîche, Chives,

  and Capers

  with Sauvignon Blanc or Champagne

  Prosciutto-Wrapped Melon, Pear,

  or Asparagus

  with Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or Viognier

  Tomato and Basil Bruschetta

  with Sauvignon Blanc or Rosé

  Mojo Shrimp Skewers

  (page 124)

  with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc,

  Pinot Grigio, or Rosé

  Curried Cashew Chicken in

  Cucumber Cups

  (page 183) with Riesling, Gewürztraminer, or Viognier

  Canellini Puree on Grilled Bread

  with Olive Oil, Pine Nuts,

  and Garden Herbs

  with Chardonnay, Rosé, Beaujolais,

  or Sangiovese

  (This is a “bridge” hors d’oeuvre to go with white or a lighter red.)

  Stuffed Mushrooms with Spinach, Bacon,

  and Aged Gruyère

  with Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, or Merlot

  Horseradish-Crusted Hanger Steak with

  Roasted Garlic Aioli on Crostini

  (page 198)

  with Cabernet, Merlot, Barbera, or Chianti

  Spiced Lamb Riblets

  (page 124)

  with Zinfandel or Syrah (Shiraz)

  Blue cheeses: a selection of

  Great Hill Blue, Gorgonzola, Stilton,

  and toasted walnuts

  with Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc,

  Sauternes, or Port

  Little Chocolate Spice Cakes

  (page 199)

  with Port or Late Harvest Reds

  Chapter Ten

  Your Signature Dinner Party

  The dinner party is our favorite way to entertain. As the host, you create an entire evening as a gift to your guests: from the music to the menu, the table setting to the atmosphere. Whether it’s an informal meal with a few friends or a showstopping four-course dinner for eight, the dinner party is the ultimate entertaining event. While it can be the most involved party, we think it’s the most rewarding. The day is done, work is over. There’s nothing to distract your focus and enjoyment of time spent with good friends, old or new.

  What makes a dinner party a fabulous success? The four main ingredients are:

  Guests who mix well

  A fresh, interesting, balanced menu, well prepared and created to please

  A beautifully set table

  Relaxed, gracious, and attentive hosts

  Add your personal style and creativity along with a detailed game plan, and it’s sure to be a success.

  Party Notes: Planning your Dinner Party

  Dinner parties are usually composed of three acts: predinner hors d’oeuvres and/or cocktails, the dinner itself, and after-dinner drinks and conversation. The menu generally consists of four courses: a starter, entrée, salad or cheese course, and dessert. It’s perfectly fine to serve only two or three courses. If you’re confident, you can certainly serve five or six. It’s better to pull off a small party perfectly than to find yourself overwhelmed trying to tackle a large dinner party or a complicated menu.

  As with any party, your planning begins with:

  Stating your purpose: “just because” or a celebration

  Choosing your style: casual or formal

  Deciding how many to invite

  Planning your menu and the number of courses

  Deciding how you’ll serve it: passed, plated, semibuffet, or family style

  Creating a timetable for the evening

  Often, the purpose of your party influences the other choices you have to make. Dinner with three or four close friends might be more casual than a party in someone’s honor. You may find that hosting a sit-down dinner for four to eight guests is manageable on your own, depending on your experience and comfort level. But with nine or more guests you’ll enjoy your party more if you can enlist a completely dedicated partner—friend or spouse—to give you a hand or hire extra help, either for the cooking, serving, or both.

  Chart of Courses

  2-COURSE

  1st: Main Course

  2nd: Dessert

  3-COURSE

  1st: Main Course

  2nd: Salad

  3rd: Dessert

  3-COURSE

  1st: Appetizer/Soup

  2nd: Maincourse

  3rd: Dessert

  4-COURSE

  1st: Appetizer/Soup

  2nd: Maincourse

  3rd: Salad/Cheese

  4th: Dessert

  5-COURSE

  1st: Appetizer/Soup

  2nd: Maincourse

  3rd: Salad

  4th: Cheese/Fruit

  5th: Dessert

>   6-COURSE

  1st: Appetizer/Soup

  2nd: Soup/Fish

  3rd: Maincourse

  4th: Salad

  5th: Cheese/Fruit

  6th: Dessert

  Invitations

  Dinner party invitations run the gamut from e-mail to a phone call to a written invite. Whatever you choose, the invitation should clearly indicate the style of your dinner party, be it dressy, casual, or something in between to give guests an idea of what to expect and what to wear.

  For a casual dinner, to which guests should be invited at least five days to a week ahead, phone and e-mail work well. Mailed invitations imply that you’re planning something more special, so send these out three to four weeks ahead, or even five to six weeks ahead for a holiday party.

  Use your invitation to get your guests in the mood before the party begins. One of the best invitations we ever received came in a little box. Inside was a bottle filled with sand and a message: SURPRISE LOBSTER BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR JAY! We could hardly wait. (For more on invitations, see Chapter 4, The Invitation Tells All, page 35.)

  * * *

  Dinner Party Checklist

  Hire or arrange for help

  Invitations

  Check the outdoors

  Clean your house or party space

  Decorations, flowers

  Linens: laundered and pressed

  Tableware (glasses, dishes, flatware): sparkling

  Atmosphere: lighting, music, fire in fireplace

  Menus and recipes

  To do lists

  Shopping lists