The Ultimate Cheeseboard Workshop with Alice Choi

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The Ultimate Cheeseboard Workshop with Alice Choi

Article by Sara Tane

Photography & Recipes by HipFoodieMom1

This event and article was sponsored by out friends at Roth Cheeses and J.K. Adams. 

Everybody knows that holiday entertaining should start with one thing, and one thing only. An epic cheeseboard! Lucky for us, our friend and community member Alice Choi of @hipfoodiemom1 stopped by FeedfeedBrooklyn to host the ultimate cheeseboard workshop with Roth Cheeses. The crowd was treated to some seriously show-stopping boards (courtesy of J.K. Adams) as well as some mouthwatering produce from Melissa’s Produce. Guests sipped on wine from Crazy Beautiful Wines and filled out their boards with accoutrements from 34 Degrees crackers, Nutkrack candied nuts and Three Little Pigs charcuterie. Alice was also joined by long time Feedfeed community member Jessica Sennet of Cheese Grotto who helped answer all technical cheese-related questions! After the cheeseboard festivities, we sat down with Alice to ask her about all things food, blogging, cheeseboards, and holiday entertaining!

Q: How did you get into food and the food blogging world?

Growing up, food has always been a huge part of my life. Some families bond over sports or music, my family connected and bonded over food. We always came together in the kitchen and at the dinner table. My background is in advertising and marketing so when I decided to quit my job to stay at home full-time when my daughters were little, monetizing my food blog, which was just a hobby at the time, was a natural progression for me. I immediately connected with other food bloggers and the community, food brands and other foodies in general via social media.

Q: What's your favorite cheesy recipe on your site?

Classic stovetop macaroni and cheese! My tips: Always grate your own cheese and use a blend of different cheeses. I like to use fontina, cheddar and gruyere.

Q: How did you first get introduced to Roth Cheese? What's your favorite cheese from them? 

While I was living in Madison, Wisconsin, I was invited on a cheese maker/dairy tour by Wisconsin Cheese and that's when I met the clients and learned all about their cheeses. My favorite is their Grand Cru! It's their signature alpine-style cheese and made with milk in imported copper vats and is aged for 4+ months in their cellars. It's incredible! My favorite way to eat it: sliced with some fruit and a baguette and some wine. Perfection.

Q: What's your strategy for assembling your signature cheese boards?

My strategy is to create inviting cheese boards that show color and texture. I'm all about stacking, folding and cutting things in a way to make the board look interesting and inviting, which I think is key when you want to feed a lot of people. I always start with the cheese, the most important element on a cheese board, and everything else is just there to highlight and compliment the cheese.

Q: Aside from cheese, what other elements are crucial to a tasty board?

Charcuterie! My faves: salami and prosciutto, cornichons or something pickled, nuts/almonds/candied pecans, fresh preserves or jams, fresh fruit and bread or crackers. You basically want: creamy, salty, sweet, sour, fresh, crisp and a little heat is great too! I highly recommend the Sriracha Gouda from Roth Cheese for anyone who hasn't tried it.

Q: Any last minute entertaining tips for the busy holiday season?

1) Take Advantage of Ready Made Foods: You don't have to cook and make everything. If you're hosting a large party, have some food catered, pick up some ready-made foods from Whole Foods or your local grocery or specialty store, or ask your friends/guests to bring something. It's not about slaving away in the kitchen all day but spending time together and having fun. If the party is more casual, I serve a lot of finger foods and appetizers and a large cheese board. 

2) Have A Plan: When entertaining, for me, it’s all about making my guests feel at home and comfortable. I keep it simple, yet still delicious. If you’re planning to cook more elaborate dishes, plan accordingly. Set a schedule in which you plan to cook them. Prep as much as possible in advance and make sure you know when things are going into the oven, and in what order. 

3) Make it Self Service: Unless it's a formal sit down dinner or gathering, I always set everything up buffet or self-service style. It just makes things easier. Have everything ready to go: arrange your food platters and drink service. Try to have everything out and set-up before your guests arrive. The serving utensils next to the platters, and glasses next to the drinks. When your guests arrive, you just want to relax and enjoy yourself too, so try to avoid any last-minute scrambling. Arrange everything in a way that will make it easy for your friends to get food and pour themselves a drink.

We’d also like to thank our Studio Sponsors, Room & Board and GE for their help in creating such a great afternoon!
 
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