Cheese
Cheese. Once again in front of the camera.
Crumbled
WEDGE SAL AD with B L U E C HE E S E DRE S SIN G serves 4 Friends pairs with Vinho Verde
instructions
dressing ingredients
Mix blue cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, lemon juice, and garlic powder in a medium bowl to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
1 1/2 c. crumbled blue cheese
Divide lettuce between four dishes. Top each with bacon, radishes, and tomatoes. Drizzle the salads with blue cheese dressing, being sure to work the dressing in between the leaves of the lettuce. Top with chopped herbs, everything bagel seasoning, and crumbled blue cheese.
1/2 c. buttermilk
3/4 c. mayonnaise 3/4 c. sour cream, or full fat greek yogurt 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice 2 tsp. garlic powder salt & pepper to taste salad ingredients
4 heads little gem lettuce, quartered 3/4 c. cooked bacon, crumbled 4-6 radishes, sliced 1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half 1/2 c. chopped tender herbs, such as dill, chives or parsley 2 tbsp. everything bagel seasoning 3/4 c. crumbled blue cheese
M A R I N AT E D F E T A and O L I V E S serves 6-8 Friends pairs with Assyrtiko or Sancerre
instructions
ingredients
Place garlic, olives, olive oil, fennel, pink and black peppercorns, thyme, and lemon peel in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
3 cloves garlic, smashed
Meanwhile, slice or crumble feta and arrange in serving bowl. After 10 minutes, carefully pour the warmed olives and seasonings over feta and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Serve warm with crusty bread for dipping.
1/2 tsp. pink peppercorns, lightly crushed
5 oz. olives 3/4 c. olive oil 1 tsp. fennel seed
1/2 tsp. black peppercorns, lightly crushed 2 sprigs fresh thyme peel of one lemon 6 oz. feta cheese
B U R N T B A S Q U E G O AT C HE E S E C A K E with S IMP L E B E R RY S A U C E serves 8 Friends pairs with Sparkling Crémant
cheesecake instructions
cheesecake ingredients
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 10-inch springform pan with three overlapping pieces of parchment paper, making sure the paper comes at least two inches above the edge of the pan.
16 oz. goat cheese, crumbled, room temperature 16 oz. cream cheese, cubed, room temperature 1 1/2 c. superfine sugar
Place the softened goat cheese, cream cheese, and sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Beat on medium-low speed using the whisk attachment until soft peaks form, stopping to scrape down sides of the bowl, about two minutes.
6 large eggs
Increase speed to medium and add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition, until combined.
1/3 c. all purpose flour
2 c. heavy cream 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla bean paste 1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
sauce ingredients
Add cream, vanilla bean paste, and kosher salt and beat until combined. Turn off the mixer and sift flour evenly over the mixture. Beat on low speed until incorporated, about 15 seconds. Scrape down sides of the bowl and beat an additional 15 seconds until mixture is silky smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 50-65 minutes until the top is deep golden brown and still very wiggly in the center. Allow to cool for 1 hour, then remove the spring form. Refrigerate until chilled. sauce instructions
Just before serving, make berry sauce. In a medium bowl, combine blackberries, raspberries, sugar, and vanilla bean paste. Muddle with back of a spoon until sugar is dissolved. Serve alongside cooled cheesecake.
1 pint blackberries 1 pint raspberries 1/4 c. superfine sugar 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste
Shredded
K ALE PESTO serves 4 Friends pairs with Gavi
pesto instructions
pesto ingredients
Add almonds, parmesan cheese, and garlic to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely ground, about one minute. Add kale and basil, and pulse to combine. With the motor running, add olive oil in a steady stream until pesto is smooth, about one minute. Add kosher salt and pulse to combine.
1/2 c. roasted salted almonds, roughly chopped
pasta instructions
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid.
3 oz. grated parmesan cheese 2 cloves garlic, finely grated 3 c. torn kale leaves 3 c. basil leaves 3/4 c. olive oil 1 tsp. kosher salt pasta ingredients
Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add capers to pan. Stirring occasionally, cook until capers are sizzling and crispy, 2-3 minutes. Drain capers on a paper towel lined plate and set aside. Add butter and pesto to a large bowl. Add hot pasta and half of the reserved pasta cooking liquid. Use tongs to toss, adding more pasta liquid if needed, until all noodles are evenly coated with pesto. Season with salt and pepper, and top with remaining almonds, fried capers, and parmesan cheese.
12 oz. spaghetti 2 tbsp. olive oil 1/4 cup capers, drained and rinsed 2 tbsp. salted butter, cut into pieces 1/4 c. roasted salted almonds roughly chopped parmesan cheese for serving
HERBED PA R M E S A N C R I S P S serves 8-10 Friends pairs with Pinot Grigio
instructions
ingredients
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the grated cheese, rosemary, and thyme in a bowl and mix to combine. Place tablespoonfuls of the cheese mixture on parchment lined baking trays, spaced 3 inches apart. Sprinkle each mound with black pepper.
4 c. parmesan cheese, grated
Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until melted and lightly golden brown around the edges. Allow to cool on trays for 3 minutes and then transfer to wire racks to finish cooling completely.
1/4 c. fresh rosemary, stems removed 1/4 c. fresh thyme black pepper, freshly cracked
CRISP Y AR AN CINI with P E A S and M I N T serves 8-10 Friends pairs with Nero d'Avola
instructions
ingredients
1. Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add shallot and cook with a pinch of salt until softened, 7 to 10 minutes.
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2. Stir in broth and 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Add rice and reduce heat to medium; simmer rice until al dente, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid (there won’t be much liquid left). Transfer rice to a bowl.
1 c. vegetable or chicken broth
3. Rinse out the pot and return it to medium heat. Add butter and cook until foaming, then whisk in 1 tablespoon flour. Cook, whisking frequently, until mixture is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. 4. Whisk in the reserved rice cooking liquid and milk, a little at a time, until fully incorporated, then whisk in Parmesan. Season with thyme, lemon zest, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
1 shallot, coarsely chopped
1 c. arborio rice 1 tbsp. unsalted butter 5 tbsp. all-purpose flour, divided 1/4 c. whole milk 2 1/2 oz. parmesan, 1 1/4 c. grated 2 tbsp. thyme, chopped 1 tsp. lemon zest, finely grated
5. Fold the milk mixture in with the rice; taste and add more salt if needed. Fold in the peas and mint. Let cool completely, then mix in the eggs. If you’re not frying the arancini balls immediately, cover the pan and refrigerate until needed, up to 24 hours.
3/4 tsp. kosher salt 1/4 tsp. black pepper 2 tbsp. fresh mint, chopped
6. Place remaining 4 tablespoons flour (1/4 cup) in a small bowl; slowly whisk in 1/2 cup water until a smooth slurry forms. Place breadcrumbs in a separate bowl. In another bowl, mix together the fontina and mozzarella. 7. Using a melon baller, scoop the rice mixture into your hands and form into a flat disk. Place a teaspoon of cheese mixture in the center of each patty. Mold the rice around the filling to fully enclose it, and roll between your palms to form a ball (try not to get any cheese on the exterior of the ball). Dip the ball in the slurry, then into the breadcrumbs, rolling it around to make sure it is well coated. Transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Balls can be refrigerated for up to 4 hours before cooking. 8. When ready to fry, fill a pot with several inches of grapeseed oil and heat until a drop of water added to the pan sizzles (about 375 degrees on a thermometer). Working in batches, lower a few rice balls into the oil at a time and fry, turning occasionally, until uniformly golden, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel lined plate and immediately season with salt. Serve immediately with pesto for dipping.
3/4 c. peas, fresh or frozen 2 large eggs 1 1/2 oz. plain dried bread crumbs or panko 2 oz. fontina cheese, coarsely grated 2 oz. fresh mozzarella, coarsely grated grapeseed or safflower oil, for frying pesto, for serving
Sliced
G R IL L E D C HE E S E with C AR A MEL I Z ED ONIONS and G R E E N S serves 2 Friends pairs with Off-Dry Riesling or Gamay
instructions
ingredients
Begin by assembling sandwiches. Evenly divide the sliced cheese between two slices of bread. Top the cheese on each sandwich with half of the caramelized onions, and then the sautéed greens. Spread 1 tablespoon of mustard on each of the remaining slices of bread and place on top of greens to close the sandwiches.
4 slices of crusty bread
In a large cast iron skillet, melt one tablespoon of butter over medium heat, swirling to coat the pan. Once butter is melted and pan is hot, add the sandwiches. Cook until the bottom slice of bread is golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the skillet and carefully flip the sandwiches. Gently press down, and cook until the cheese is completely melted and the bottoms of the sandwiches are golden brown, 3-4 minutes more.
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
4 oz. gruyere cheese, sliced 1/2 c. caramelized onions 1/2 c. sautéed greens, such as kale or swiss chard 2 tbsp. grainy mustard
S OUF F L É O MEL E T T E w i t h M E LT Y B R I E serves 2 Friends pairs with Champagne
instructions
ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together the 6 egg yolks with salt and pepper.
6 eggs, separated
Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip to soft peaks. Gently fold yolk mixture into whites until just incorporated.
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar 2 tbsp. butter, divided 3 oz. brie, sliced
Heat two small nonstick skillets over low heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter to each pan to melt. When butter begins to bubble, divide the egg mixture between the pans and cook for 3 minutes, or until puffed and golden on the bottom. Top each omelette with half of the sliced brie and gently fold over to enclose, sliding onto plate to serve. Serve with simple green salad.
C H E E S E and C HARC U T ERIE B OARD serves 8-10 Friends pairs with Pinot Noir or Rosé
instructions
ingredients
You will need a large board for serving, a few small dishes for the extras, and cheese knives for slicing.
3-5 cheeses of your choice
Start by arranging 3-5 cheeses of your choice on the board. Be sure to select a variety of cheeses made from different milk types: cow’s milk, sheep, and goat. It’s also important to choose cheeses with different textures – make sure to include a hard, soft, and semi-soft cheese.
crackers
Next, place the cured meats on the board. Fan out hard salami and ruffle ribbons of prosciutto to add volume and to make it easier for your guests to pick up. Last, fill in the board with all of your extras. Sliced baguettes should live near the soft cheese, honey or preserves in a small dish close to blue cheese, fresh fruit alongside the cheddar, and everything else in between.
2 cured meats sliced baguette
fresh fruit honey or preserves olives pickled vegetables
Photography J O S I A H H U L L o f B U RK L E H A G E N P H O T O G R A P H Y
Food Styling & Recipe Development C L A IRE V RE D E V O O G D
Design S E C RE T C RE AT I V E O RG .
Copywriting JENNY BU CK
Recipe Notes
B U RK L E H A G E N. C O M