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How to make the perfect cheeseboard.

For as long as I can remember I have had an immense love of cheese. Everyone that knows me, knows that the key to my heart is with cheese. In fact, on numerous birthdays friends and family have surprised me with cakes made entirely out of cheese (no, not a cheesecake but a cake of cheese.) I have made countless cheeseboards over the years to serve at dinner parties and I thought it might be fun to share some tips with you today on how to make the perfect cheeseboard:

First of all, you should chose a variety of different types of cheese. A well-balanced cheeseboard has one of each of the following categories: fresh, soft, semi-soft, hard, and blue. There are many examples of each type of cheese, but here are a few basics to get you started:

Fresh: feta, ricotta, mozzarella, mascarpone

Soft: brie, camembert, capricorn goat

Semi-soft: edam, havarti, taleggio, gouda

Hard: manchego, emmental, grana padano parmesan, aged cheddar

Blue: stilton, roquefort, gorgonzola, cambozola

Once you have decided on the cheeses you would like to serve, your next decision is the accompaniments. Here are a few examples of delicious things you can pair your cheeses with:

Fresh fruits: blackberries, strawberries, grapes, green apples, figs (if they are in season)

Dried fruits and nuts: apricots, cranberries, figs, various mixed nuts

Spreads: chutney, jam, mustard, olive oil & balsamic vinegar

And of course plenty of crackers and crusty french baguette.

(You can also add some cured meats to the plate as well, such as prosciutto and capicollo)

Next, take time to arrange the cheeses in a pleasing way and serve them on your favorite wooden platter or slate board. If you don't have either of those, you could also use a wood or plastic cutting board. Also, don't forget to include a knife or two for guests to help themselves.

*Tip: Take the cheeses out of the refrigerator an hour before you serve them so that they become room temperature. By doing this you are maximizing the flavor potential of the cheeses.*

For my cheeseboard I used: feta (fresh), soeur angele which is a brie made of both cow's and goat's milk (soft), douanier (semi-soft), 4 year aged cheddar (hard), and gorgonzola (blue). For the accompaniments I used fresh figs, dried apricots, green grapes and mixed nuts (and plenty of baguette of course!)

Have fun trying new cheeses and experimenting with different flavor combinations! I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!  XO, Stef

All information taken from the book World Cheese Book by Juliet Harbutt.

40 Carats (1973)

If Harold and Maude is the most interesting older woman/younger man picture released during the ’70s, then 40 Carats is quite possibly the least interesting. Originally produced as a stage play, the piece is painfully contrived and old-fashioned, its artificiality exacerbated by terrible casting. Liv Ullman, so great in Ingmar Bergman’s chamber dramas and other serious-minded European films, flounders delivering cutesy rom-com banter. Her costar, Edward Albert, the would-be leading man whose career sputtered from dubious promise to an indifferent level of accomplishment throughout the early ’70s, plays fluffy scenes with too much intensity and heavy scenes without enough substance. Together, they achieve supreme mediocrity. The story begins in Greece, where vacationing New Yorker Ann (Ullman) meets Peter (Albert), a young American roaming the Continent on a motorcycle. They enjoy an unexpected sexual tryst, and Ann withdraws the next morning, expecting never to see Peter again. Yet upon returning to New York, Ann discovers that by sheer coincidence, Peter has been fixed up for a date with her adult daughter (Deborah Raffin). Unfortunately, he still wants Ann. Meanwhile, a wealthy Texan (Billy Green Bush) is fixed up with Ann, but he secretly wants Ann’s daughter. The resulting slog of trite misunderstandings drags on for the better part of an hour. Eventually, the movie gets a smidgen of energy once Ann and Peter throw aside social conventions to pursue their relationship. For instance, a long scene in which Peter’s nasty father (Don Porter) tears apart his son’s romance has edge, so Ullman finally gets to showcase dramatic chops. Alas, far too much of the movie comprises limp dialogue like this exchange between Ann and her charmingly irresponsible ex-husband, Billy (Gene Kelly). “You are a multi-carated blue-white diamond,” he coos. Then the phone rings, so Ann says, “That must be Van Cleef & Arpels.” 40 Carats tries mightily to entertain, and watching the filmmakers exert so much wasted effort is exhausting. (Available through Columbia Screen Classics via WarnerArchive.com)

40 Carats: FUNKY

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PREPPY ESSENTIALS SS 2013

In the February issue of the American GQ, the band Fun. where asked to bring their spirit to the five essentials pieces of preppy clothing. The idea? Crank the go-to-hell attitude as loudly as possible:

nr. 1 the Cricket sweater

nr. 2 the Golf Jacket

nr. 3 the Sports coat

nr. 4 the Button down shirt

nr. 5 the Striped polo

Our cozy outfits for work.

With our temperatures rising and then dropping quickly, we've been having a hard time deciding what to wear! So lately we've been layering sweaters over most of our dresses, as well as toques, knee-highs and boots. Are you guys as ready for Spring as we are? We are officially over Winter.

Erin's outfit details:
Knit toque: Target
Brown sweater: Forever 21
Polka dot dress: Market in Bangkok
Brown tights: Target
Slate grey knee high socks: Market in Tokyo
Roper boots: Thrifted
Acorn necklace: Market in Bangkok (available in our shop Rhymes With Orange)

Stef's outfit details:

Navy sweater: Forever 21

Red polka dot peter pan collar dress: Forever 21

Knit toque: Thrifted

Navy knee-high socks: Market in Tokyo

Roper boots: Vintage from Etsy