Our growing appetite for cheese is reflected on many local menus. More and more Boston-area restaurants at all price levels now consider an artisanal-cheese plate a menu mainstay, available as an appetizer, bar snack, pre-dessert course, or dessert. The list of cheese-friendly zones includes L’Espalier, No. 9 Park, the Elephant Walk, Eastern Standard, Rendezvous, Rialto, Vinalia, UpStairs on the Square, 33, Fireplace, Flora, and Tryst, among others. But eating fancy cheese is something you can also try at home. If you need a primer to boost your curd quotient, Formaggio’s Aguilera is ready to assist. “Never buy a cheese that you can’t taste,” he advises. “Don’t be fooled into buying a cheese that’s already all wrapped and cut, unless you really know the cheese and know how often the cheese store turns its inventory. Never taste less than two cheeses at a time, or you won’t be able to calibrate your palate, because cheeses can differ so much from animal to animal. And, with every new cheese, you have to take three bites. The first bite will overwhelm you, the second will set your palate, and the third bite will deliver the flavor punch.”
Go cheese shopping with an open mind, looking for flavor or consistency rather than for a specific cheese, adds Aguilera. “Knowing that you want something oozy, runny, creamy, smelly, or sharp will help the cheese monger pick cheeses that you might like but wouldn’t have thought to buy. Let’s say you want a sharp cheese. It doesn’t have to be cheddar; you might end up falling in love with a sheep pecorino from Tuscany. Buy cheeses from three different animals — goat, cow, and sheep — with one of them a blue cheese. You’ll get a huge variety in the flavors.” What condiments best complement cheese? “Dried apricots are the number-one palate cleanser,” Aguilera says. “They give you a clean but not citrusy mouth. Second choice is fried, salted Marcona almonds, and the third is honey, from lavender to truffle — any kind of honey will highlight the flavor of almost any cheese.” As for assembling the perfect cheese course, Aguilera suggests the three Cs: “Compare, contrast, and complement.”
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