Almost one year ago, we were commissioned to create a delicious evening of cuisine and fine wine for a small group of friends: a chef's degustation menu, if you will. Our plan was to highlight not only locally produced ingredients, but also to focus on a particular type of ingredient: cheese. With so many amazing cheeses to choose from-- from around the world-- we set out to incorporate this enigmatic ingredient into each of our courses. In some cases, the cheese itself was the focal point. In other cases, the vehicle by which the cuisine leaped from the plate. And in some cases, cheese provided the backdrop against which other ingredients took center stage.
All in all, we created twelve delicious courses, incorporating sixteen unique cheeses hailing from France, England, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, and Japan. With our twelve courses, we enjoyed eleven wine pairings. It was a night that won't be long forgotten!
Guests received not only a menu of the courses, but also a guide to the cheese selections (pictured, above right) they were about to enjoy. Throughout the evening, consultation with the guide allowed guests to explore the regions from which the cheeses originated, as well as some specifics regarding production techniques, source milk, aging requirements, and spice.
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