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It's a rare party indeed where cheese, in one form or another, is not the guest of honor. Whether it's a simple wheel of Brie festooned with edible flowers, or a log of goat cheese covered in a blanket of fresh herbs and bathed in olive oil, cheese can be one of the most inviting and popular foods at a party, and is usually the first item on the shopping list. It is another example of the extraordinary versatility of cheese that it is as equally at home on the table of a swank soiree as it is at a rustic picnic or on a ham sandwich at the local deli. In the first two parts of our cheese series so far this year, we looked at the controversy swirling around raw-milk cheeses, examined the pros and cons of pasteurization, and covered merchandising and promoting the Cheese Department. In this, our third and final chapter in the series, we will focus on cheese as a vehicle for entertaining and what that means for the retailer. So put out the cutting board, sharpen your cheese knives, and get ready to party with one of America’s favorite foods.

CHEESE AND THE PARTY
Cheese is the quintessential party food. The reasons for this are many:
1. Most people like cheese and are immediately drawn to it at a buffet table. It is a welcome and familiar sight. For this reason, unless you are entertaining a particularly cheesey or foodie crowd, avoid cheeses that are too strong, smelly, or assertive.
2. Cheese requires very little preparation time or expertise. Assuming one is not starting with large, whole wheels, the cheeses likely need only be unwrapped and placed with some thought to composition on a table or platter, and surrounded by various condiments, bread, crackers, and so on.
3. Cheese goes with an astonishing array of foods, from deli meats and roasts to salads, antipasto assortments, and crudité, as well as a host of condiments like chutney, preserves, mustard, pickles, and olives, to name a few.
4. Cheese marries well with all sorts of beverages, such as wine, beer, cider, cocktails, or non-alcoholic fruit drinks. In fact, about the only beverage that simply doesn't pair well with cheese is plain water. In a pinch, choose sparkling water.
5.If all those weren't enough reasons to love cheese at a party, consider also that cheese is perfectly happy sitting out for hours, with little or no danger of going bad or spoiling, unlike, say, that salmon mousse you're famous for. The only real problem in serving cheese at a party is that too many otherwise well-meaning hosts due to lack of knowledge or lack of a good cheesemonger, buy boring cheese.

Why do they do it? Why do so many party-givers seem content with drab selections of deli cheese on a plastic tray? Cost? That's too easy an answer and in most cases, it is simply not an issue. Sometimes, customers order the same old cheeses because they are afraid to order a cheese that might be too stinky or just plain weird. More often, it's because of what I have come to call the "Merlot Syndrome." At restaurants, people order a great deal of Merlot and Chardonnay -— not because they could pick out a Merlot or Chardonnay in a blind tasting if their life depended on it, but simply because they can say Merlot and Chardonnay. In familiarity, they derive comfort. Those same consumers will continue to buy industrial versions of Cheddar and Brie, cheeses that too often lack any discernable style or character, because that's what they know. That block of orange Cheddar might be just the thing for a good cheeseburger, but hardly will elicit praise from the guests as it sits in the center of your customer's cheese display. That's where the retailer comes in and can help those who are entertaining do much better for their guests. Following are some points to consider when helping your customers buy cheese for their next party. If you simply think in terms of how you would do it yourself, you’ll be of great benefit to your shoppers.

THE CHEESE TABLE
Knowing how to plan a party of your own with cheese will be a great boon to your customers when they come to you to help plan theirs. Here is an opportunity to sell not only a goodly quantity of cheese, but a host of accompaniments as well (see sidebar in the next column). The cheese should be the focus, or the star of the buffet table, surrounded by all kinds of complementary foods, condiments, and fruit and nuts. All of these other foods will only serve to enhance the cheese selection, will make the table seem more festive, and will help make a meal of the offerings.

Four is a good place to start when planning a cheese selection whether one is entertaining eight or 80. Of course, the larger the group, the larger the amount of cheese you will need, but four cheeses can still suffice. Unless you are conducting a cheese tasting, four cheeses create a nice range of textures and styles without overwhelming anyone's palate. For example, you could offer a soft-ripened cheese (Brie, Camembert); a firm cheese (Cheddar, Comté); a soft, spreadable variety, such as a fresh goat cheese; or a fromage fort (see recipe on the next page), and a blue cheese. The choices can vary depending on one's preferences, of course, and the count can be cut to three or expanded to five without committing any grave error just so long as the selection is an intelligent one that offers a range of flavors, textures, shapes, and sizes. In other words, a comparative tasting of several farmhouse Cheddars might be an interesting exercise in cheese analysis, but in most cases, that is not what a party is about.

"There is no need to serve more than three or four types of cheese," we are advised by the master in his seminal book, Steven Jenkins' Cheese Primer (Workman). "Indeed, serving more would be disrespectful since it makes it very difficult to focus on the merits of any one cheese long enough to make tasting it a meaningful experience."

In her excellent book, The Cheese Lover's Cookbook & Guide (Simon & Schuster), author and cheesemaker Paula Lambert offers this approach: "The cheese should reflect your preferences. Let them be an expression of your mood. One simple and classic approach is to choose one soft-ripened cheese (like Brie or Camembert), one mild cheese (like a locally made Chèvre), one sharp and tangy blue cheese (like Roquefort or Stilton), and one mellow aged cheese (like Gruyére or Gouda). Generally, I recommend that one cheese always be mild and plain and another be sharp. The remaining cheeses should contrast with the others. One might be a cheese flavored with herbs or a soft-ripened cheese, another might be a very rich cheese, or a blue cheese, or a stinky washed-rind cheese. It's always nice to have one farmhouse or artisanal cheese. The secret here is variety and contrast."

The next big consideration is also one of the questions consumers ask most frequently when they are planning to entertain with cheese — "How much do I buy?" The short answer is to plan on 3 to 3 ounces per person. This depends, however, on the time of the event, how much other food is being served, and whether or not it is a prelude to dinner. Ideally perhaps, the last piece of cheese should disappear with the last pang of hunger of the last guest as he or she walks out the door. In practice, however, this rarely happens and it should be assumed that in planning a party, plan to not run out of cheese.

Lambert makes a few good suggestions that can help make planning a party a success. For example, she points out that for a large party where lots of other foods will be on the buffet table, about half an ounce per person is enough. Conversely, she advises, "If you are serving only cheese at cocktail time and you expect everyone to be hungry, you should serve up to three or four ounces per person. If you are serving cheese as a prelude to a light dessert, plan on a very small amount per person, about a half ounce to an ounce."

With some creative thought and a bit of work at the word processor, you can make your Cheese Department or cheese shop known as party central, the place your shoppers will turn to when they are planning to entertain. There is no need to reinvent the wheel each time someone comes in to purchase cheese for a party. Create a series of menus that feature 3, 4, or 5 different cheeses along with appropriate accompaniments — all of which can be procured at your store, of course. Arrange the menu by theme. These can be by country — France, Italy, or Spain, for example — or they can reflect a more eclectic approach by offering unique cheeses from around the world or around our own country (see page 33). Be aware of the season too when you think about the menus, especially in terms of accompaniments. Winter parties call for heartier fare, while summer gatherings can rely more on fresh fruit and lighter cheeses, as well as outdoor dining. Be sure to also stock a variety of moderately priced serving vessels and utensils to facilitate one-stop shopping. You can also assemble a selection of serving pieces that one could rent for their party.

Have cocktail napkins printed with your store name or logo (and phone number and web site!) so everyone enjoying the party will know where all the great food came from when they go to plan their next bash. If staffing allows, offer to set up the cheese buffet, arriving at the appointed hour with all the cheese, accompaniments, serving pieces, utensils, and table decorations — everything but the guests.

To what extent you offer your services will depend on you, but creating a destination for party planning is a way to expand the sales of your cheese section, as well as other areas of the store well beyond the everyday transactions. Cheese is the quintessential party food, and the opportunities inherent in helping to plan for those parties are enormous.