How to Trap Appetites With Tasty Cheese

One of the most common foods eaten by people around the world, from the poles to the tropics, is cheese in its endless varieties. Cheese has the reputation of being one of man's oldest here-to-stay foodstuffs. Not only are there hundreds of varieties made from the milk of cows, goats, sheep, ewes and yaks, there are even far more ways than that of serving them.

Some countries have excelled in the art of cheese making, with some exporting large quantities for the enjoyment of people around the globe.

There is an almost unlimited number of hors d'oeuvres in the cheese family that will excite the appetite of young and old alike. Try just setting out small cubes of several different kinds of cheese for your guests to sample, and then dress up some of the little cubes with a variety of toppings-pickled onions, gherkin pickles, confitured cherries, walnuts, dates, pieces of ham, bits of sausage meats, and sprinklings of seasonings, like ginger. On the side include an assortment of salty crackers. Then if an even larger display of goodies is desired, add several cheese dips to the menu.

If the occasion warrants, serve a little wine or other alcoholic drink along with these cheese snacks. Milk is also compatible with cheese and is much better for children and many older ones.

This is important: before-the-meal hors d'oeuvres should excite and tease the appetite, not kill it. So, be generous in the variety, but sparing in the quantity served. Let your guests come hungry to the meal that follows.

Other Interesting Suggestions

For a snack or light meal that is more substantial than just appetite teasers, here are some combinations you can try. Many people like a cheeseburger (a hamburger topped with a slice of cheddar cheese), or a toasted cheese, bacon and tomato sandwich. If you enjoy Danish blue cheese, slip a generous slice into a regular hamburger instead of pickles. Beer goes well with these.

Or try this one-pineapple coupe. Mix yeast extract with soft cheese and spread generously on toast. Then top with a slice of pineapple and in its center insert a slice of bacon. Now slide under the grill until the bacon is crispy.

Mini pizza is a contribution from Italy. For the base, use cream crackers or toasted halves of English muffins on which you smear anchovy paste from a tube. Lay on each a slice of mozzarella cheese and top with tomato paste or catsup, or a slice of tomato. Add a dash of olive oil, a sprinkling of crushed oregano and powdered garlic. Place on a baking tin and leave under the grill until the cheese is melted.

Here is a Spanish dish that is different: For each serving take a pork or veal cutlet about three eighths of an inch thick. Salt and rub with olive oil; then brown in butter for three or four minutes. Top this with a slice each of ham and cheese, and continue the frying until the cheese is melted. Serve along with fruit salad to which a dash of sherry wine has been added.

Another treat is Swiss raclette. Butter individual heat-resistant bowls and lay in each a half-inch-thick slice of a rich cheese like Tilsiter. Place in a preheated oven so the cheese starts to melt. Peel previously cooked potatoes and lay two or three alongside the melted cheese in each bowl. Add onions and gherkins and give the pepper mill a few turns over the top.