The Seattle Times: Pacific Northwest Magazine: Incidental Turns Integral

"THE POETS," wrote G.K. Chesterton, "have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese." But Chesterton did not have the advantage of the Internet. Not long ago, a quick search led me to dozens of cheese quotes.

Granted, cheese has not inspired the kind of rapturous talk prompted by falling in love or gazing at cherry blossoms, but for the curdled remains of milk, the stuff has done pretty well for itself. Clifton Fadiman, a book reviewer for The New Yorker, once described cheese as "milk's leap toward immortality."

Tips for Presenting
A Proper Course

1. Cheese that's mass produced is merely an ingredient, not a treat in and of itself. So choose "artisanal" cheese, made and ripened in the traditional way without additives.

2. Served at the same time, cheeses that are too similar in texture or flavor would be redundant. Seek out three cheeses with contrasting ages, styles or characters. A semi-soft goat cheese, a semi-firm cow's milk cheese and an intensely flavored blue make a nice trio.

3. Always serve good cheese at room temperature. About two hours before serving, pull the selection of cheeses out of the refrigerator.

4. Present the cheese in an attractive way; arrange them on a platter lined with unsprayed, non-toxic leaves such as fig leaves, chestnut leaves or grape-vine leaves. If these are unavailable, most groceries stock paper leaves made specifically for lining cheese plates.

5. Serve the cheese with at least two accompaniments, a sweet like chestnut honey or preserved fruit and something savory like a dark-brown bread or toasted walnuts.

Like the poets, American chefs have been slow to accept cheese as an integral part of their vocation. Cheese has been more an incidental ingredient than a featured player. Perhaps this is because American cheeses have been, at least until very recently, less than inspirational, and access to good imported cheeses was not all that great, either. Without access to great cheese, chefs and home cooks alike were less than passionate about it. Nevertheless, cheese is definitely coming into its own. In restaurants all over North America, a cheese course is now more or less a standard feature.

This is especially true in big cities, and Seattle is no exception. In fact, it could be argued that Seattle is leading the way. In part, Seattle's love affair with cheese has been due to the willingness of a few dedicated purveyors to stock great imported and domestic artisanal cheeses, even though they demand a level of attention not required by the processed dairy foods that have given American cheese a bad name.

Finding good cheese means finding a specialist willing to afford it the care and attention it deserves, and Seattleites have long understood that the folks behind the cheese counter at DeLaurenti's Specialty Food & Wine — manager Connie Bennett and store owner Pat McCarthy — know and love great cheese. "Ever since I bought the store," says McCarthy, "I have known that cheese was the most valuable part of my inventory. People come here looking for great cheese because they know that we stock the good stuff."

Seattle über chef Tom Douglas put a long list of artisanal cheeses at the top of his menu when he opened Palace Kitchen in 1996, and the list has deepened and grown more popular with every passing year. When I was the executive chef at Canlis restaurant, notes on the cheese offerings became a regular part of our daily pre-shift staff meetings, and former maitre d' Francois Colas spent much time making sure the cheeses were always presented in perfect condition and at the right temperature.

This spring, on May 14 and 15, De Laurenti's is taking Seattle another step ahead of the pack by launching the first of what its founders hope will be an annual cheese festival at Pike Place Market. For two days, cheese makers from around the world will operate booths along the cobbled lane that runs through the heart of the market. And upstairs at the "Top of the Market" conference center, experts on cheese will offer educational seminars to both professionals and the public.

The 45- to 60-minute talks will cover topics such as "The Art in Artisanal Cheese Making" and "Perfect Pairings" on how to match cheeses with wines. While most of the festival will be free and open to the public, the seminars cost $15 each; a $50 fee pays for all six programs.

A $5 fee will afford entrance to a wine garden featuring Northwest wines from noon to 5 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the Market Foundation. And for the younger set, Beecher's Handmade Cheese is hosting a scavenger hunt through the market that promises to help kids gain a better understanding of cheese and how it is made.

Meanwhile, during festival week (May 9-15), a number of Seattle restaurants — including Union, Maximilien, XO Bistro, Campagne, Fish Club, Tulio and Sazerac — will be offering a dish made with cheese to show off their "Cheese Fest Best." Among the dishes will probably be some very straightforward offerings that amount to little more than putting an excellent cheese at the right temperature with a couple of appropriate accompaniments, a bit of conserved fruit, a few toasted nuts.

In "The Physiology of Taste," Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin wrote, "A dinner that ends without cheese is like a beautiful woman with only one eye." And for those who love cheese, no dessert can compare to a proper cheese plate.

Greg Atkinson is a contributing editor for Food Arts magazine and a culinary consultant. He can be reached at greg@northwestessentials.com. Barry Wong is a Pacific Northwest magazine staff photographer.