Friendly Fromage: Chums of Cheeses

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CHUNKS OF CHEDDAR, wheels of brie, hunks of Gruyere. Cheese is such a popular winter party guest, it's surprising people don't bring it as a date or grope it under the mistletoe. And while it's always a sharp choice for a bash (it pleases vegetarians, meat-eaters, even mice), what you serve with your queso is almost as important as which variety you lay out.

"When people think about serving cheese, they tend to go overboard," says Laura Werlin, author of "Cheese Essentials: An Insider's Guide to Buying and Serving Cheese" ($30, Stewart, Tabori & Chang). "If you serve 10 cheeses, it can be overwhelming."

If you're hosting an all-fromage fete, plan on four to six different cheeses. If you're making cheese a part of a dinner or cocktail bash, keep it to no more than three types.

And mix things up by including different textures (creamy, semi-hard, hard) and milk sources (cow, goat, sheep). "If you have three hard cheeses it gets a little monotonous," says Werlin.

Once you've chosen your dairy delights, round up cheese's fave dance partners, from bread and chutneys to wine. If you invested time and cash lining up several nice hunks of curd, don't scrimp on the accompaniments. "One of the pitfalls people fall into is pairing great cheeses with a Ritz cracker," says Michael Harr, chef at Butterfield 9 (600 14th St. NW), who dishes up cheeses with complements like macerated berries or lavender honey.

For a something to plop snacks on, don't reach for flavored crackers. Instead, try a toasted whole-grain baguette or buttered brioche, neither of which will mask the taste of an aged Stilton or young chevre.

Both savory or sweet sauces and foods can help highlight or cut through the fattiness of fromage. "It's kind of about following your intuition with your taste preferences," says Werlin, who prefers savory accompaniments like olives and meat with cheese before dinner. Thinking geographically can create tasty pairings, which means an olive spread with Greek feta or slices of Italian prosciutto with a buttery taleggio.

Fruit, with its punch of acidity and sweetness, also acts as a good foil to the creamy richness of cheeses. Think the tart crispness of a pear or apple with a cheddar or a cherry chutney with brie. "Lightly caramelized pears and apples go very well with cheese," says Harr. "So do roasted apricots, berries and honey."

"Wine and cheese are ageless companions, like aspirin and aches or June and moon," legendary food writer M.F.K. Fisher once said. But matching them requires a little know-how. "If you"re not sure which wine to pair with a cheese, go with the region," says Kerry Carlsen, wine director at Planet Wine (2004 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria). "If you have a great Barolo, find a cheese from that Italian region, like a fontina. That's what they'd be eating and drinking naturally."

In general, Carlsen says white wines with a bit of sweetness, (Rieslings, Gewürztraminers), or fruitier, medium-bodied reds (Pinot Noirs, Zinfandels), combine well with most cheeses. "And for champagne, creamy cheeses like brie are great," she says. "The bubbles and creaminess create a nice contrast."

Whatever you serve your cheese with, be sure to take it out of the fridge an hour before guests arrive to allow flavors and aromas to open. And don't crowd your dairy delights all on one plate. "If you have a particularly strong cheese or a runny cheese, give it its own showcase," says Werlin. Because some cheeses, perhaps, really should stand alone.

Written by Express contributor Kelly DiNardo

» BRIE TOAST WITH CHARDONNAY RAISINS
Makes 24
» 1 1/2 cups water
» 1 cup Chardonnay
» 1/4 cup plus 2 tbs. sugar
» 1 vanilla bean, halved vertically
» 1 cup golden raisins
» 12 oz. sliced brie (24 pieces)
» 24 slices baguette, 1/4 inch thick
» 4 tbs. unsalted butter, melted

» NEXT DAY: combine water, wine, sugar; simmer until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat; simmer for 5 min. Turn off heat. Scrape insides of bean into liquid; add bean. Steep for an hour at room temperature. Refrigerate overnight.

» DRAIN RAISINS: reserve liquid. Discard bean. Put liquid back in pan; bring to boil. Reduce to about 1/3 cup. Cool.

» TOAST BAGUETTE: slices; brush with butter. Top each toast with cheese and drizzle with raisins and syrup.