Some background. From the minute that the cheese maker separates the curds from the whey, cheese is in a continuous state of dehydration. Fresher cheeses such as ricotta or fromage blanc are moist, even runny cheeses. Age a cheese and you get a progressively harder and firmer product like cheddar. Throughout the maturation process, cheese breathes and exchanges moisture with the surrounding air. This process sounds a little creepy, but in fact nurtures all of the various organisms that make cheese so amazing. The take home message here: be ready to commit to your cheese and spend some time with it to foster this process. Treated well, great cheese will be its own reward.

First things first. Cheesemongers repeat this mantra over and over–don’t buy more cheese than you can eat within a few days. Cheese shops have specially controlled refrigeration and the time and know-how to monitor the state of their cheeses, turning the wheels, trimming mould, bathing washed rind cheeses and otherwise maximizing the cheeses’ life span.

Wrapping Cheese. Once you buy a wedge of Cheddar, a hunk of French Cantal, or a gushy Epoisses, what should you do with it? Some cheese aficionados criticize grocers for wrapping their cheese in plastic. Plastic wrap is not totally evil–once you’ve cut a piece of cheese it needs to be protected from losing moisture–plastic wrap can help with this.

Opinions may vary on this point, but my feeling is that plastic wrap for a few days is not going to hurt your cheese. Better though to wrap cheese in porous material like waxed paper, freezer paper or butcher paper that allows cheese to breathe for short term storage.

If all you have is plastic wrap change it every couple of days, or each time you unwrap the cheese.” Fresher cheeses such as ricotta should be stored in a plastic container.

Controlling Humidity. In a perfect world, you would have a cheese ‘cave’ at home where you could store your cut cheese at around 12 degree and 80% humidity. Really, the simplest and most practical solution to the problem of where to store cheese is the refrigerator. Unfortunately, refrigerators desiccate whatever is placed in them. If your refrigerator allows you to control the humidity of some areas, store your cheese in a higher humidity area or drawer. Aged cheeses that have already lost a lot of moisture can handle lower humidity better than younger, moister cheeses, which will lose their character quickly if they’re allowed to dry out. Lacking humidity control, place wrapped cheese in a vegetable bin or other environment (even a large plastic container) that will shield the cheese from your refrigerator’s dehydrating air flow.

Learn to Love Mould. Mould and bacteria are an integral part of the cheese making process; they impart flavour and character to cheese. Soft ripened cheeses (of the Camembert genre) are intentionally sprayed with mould cultures, which leads to the development of the semi-firm rind that preserves the softer insides. Cheeses like cheddar or Stilton, which may be aged anywhere from eight months to several years, form a crusty, mouldy layer on the outside of the cheese that is generally wiped or washed off by the cheese maker periodically as part of the aging process. So if your aged cheese picks up mould while in the refrigerator, simply trim it off and enjoy what’s left. Mould on a softer cheese, however, most likely means that it’s well past its prime.

Other Suggestions:
• Store ‘like’ cheeses together. Parmigiano Reggiano is going to store much differently than a Reblochon or other soft ripened cheese, so it doesn’t make sense to wrap these two up together in the same piece of waxed paper. Aged cheeses are more durable and will store better than softer, fresher cheeses.
• Milder cheeses are best stored separately from stronger cheeses, which can impart their flavours to the milder ones. Blue cheeses should generally be stored on their own as the mould from the blue cheese can particulate over whatever is stored with it.
• Don’t freeze cheese! Freezing destroys its character. If you do freeze your cheese, use it for cooking rather than enjoying on its own.
• Trust your instincts. Ammonia smells, black mould and slimy surfaces are all good indications that your cheese may be too old for consumption. Different people have different levels of tolerance for this sort of thing, but here’s my suggestion: if it grosses you out, throw it out and don’t look back.
• Your results may vary. Remember, good cheese is a high maintenance gem; variables like room temperature, humidity, the temperature inside your refrigerator and the temperature outdoors will all affect the lifespan of cheese. Experiment with what works best.

Do you prefer your Manhattan up, or your Rob Roy perfect? Your martini shaken or stirred? Knowing the basic mechanics of cocktail creation is your first step towards receiving a drink you”ll enjoy (and staying on good terms with your favourite bartender).

My favourite, start-the-evening-with-sophistication cocktail is a Manhattan, for which the ideal recipe is:

Perfect Manhattan

60 ml Blended Whisky
15 ml Sweet Vermouth
15 ml Dry Vermouth
1 dash Angosture Bitters
Swirl with ice to chill, pour into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a maraschino cherry.

There are countless words that can be used to describe or order a cocktail, although this brief list is a good start to the key terms:

Chaser
A drink — either alcoholic or non — to be consumed directly after a shot. This can also be referred to as a back.

Float
To layer one type of liquor (or other ingredient) on top of another; the separation occurs due to the different densities of the liquids.

Garnish
A decorative piece of fruit or other solid ingredient not incorporated into the drink.

Neat
A liquor served solo in the glass, with no ice or other interfering ingredients.

On the Rocks
A single spirit or a cocktail served over ice.

Over
Similar to “on the rocks”: a liquor or mix of liquors served over ice cubes.

Perfect
A perfect Manhattan (or Rob Roy, for that matter) contains equal parts of sweet and dry vermouth (instead of selecting one or the other.)

Shaken
In a mixed drink, where the ingredients are combined in a cocktail shaker, typically over ice. Leads to a frothy, well-integrated final product.

Sour
Typically a fruit juice — lemon or lime — added to a spirit as a mixer.

Splash
A small amount of any mixer (soda, say) added to a completed drink.

Stirred
Integrating spirits and mixers without the extreme, ice-breaking agitation of the cocktail shaker.

Straight Up
A spirit with no ice. Used interchangeably with “neat.”

Twist
A slice — or curl — of lemon peel run along the edge of the glass, and often left as garnish.

Up
Shaken or otherwise prepared with ice, but strained (now cold) into an ice-less glass.

Virgin
Non-alcoholic. Also known as a “mocktail.”

Well
A “well” drink is a mixed drink made with generic, or simply unspecified, spirits.

4 cups milk
5 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups sugar (I prefer brown sugar)
2 1/2 cups light rum
4 cups light cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Combine milk, cloves, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and cinnamon in a saucepan, and heat over lowest setting for 5 minutes, then gently bring milk mixture to a simmer. In a large bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar. Whisk together until fluffy, then whisk hot milk mixture slowly into the eggs. Pour mixture into saucepan. Keep over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick (about 2 minutes). Do not allow mixture to boil. Remove cloves and let mixture cool. Stir in rum, cream, 2 teaspoons of vanilla, and nutmeg. Refrigerate until cold before serving.

If you want to share the drink around with everyone at Christmas split the cooling mixture into two and add rum to one of them; the non-rum version is great for children.

Muscadet and oysters has to be one of the greatest examples of complementary matching ever. Both the wine and the oysters share a mineral edge, bright, brisk flavours and a lightness on the palate. The interplay of acid and salt in the mouth is a gentle contrasting note that helps bind the two elements of this match together perfectly.

Last weekend I lined up four different oyster types, six different Muscadets, and let rip with the combinations. I served the first dozen oysters raw, the second also raw and with lemon, the third dozen I gilled with some fennel butter, and the last dozen I topped with spinach, parsley, cheese and a butter sauce and baked them. I served the wines at around 10 degrees.

Any of these would work as an entree course, but having the different oyster and wine types was just spectacular. My favourites were the oysters with fennel, which seemed to go best with a 2006 Domaine de l’Ecu Muscadet Cuvee Classique.

While there are many versions of Paella, one of the classics includes a variety of meats and seafood in saffron-flavoured rice.

With such a complex dish, opt for a simpler wine to offer a single contrasting background note. A young, fruity Spanish Rioja with bright acidity is just the ticket; bold enough for the intense flavours of saffron and chorizo, but light enough to not overpower seafood or chicken. One of my favourites is the Vina Herminia Tempranillo 2009. Our friends at World Wine sell this for $21 a bottle – http://tinyurl.com/2bcwmxq

Then, I’ll have a goat cheese paired with a glass of SB, and – ka-ching – instant redemption.

This is classic match-up, with deep roots in the eastern part of France’s Loire Valley, which produces sublime Sancerre (made from Sauvignon Blanc), paired with local goat cheese.

And, the pairing works across virtually all SBs and goat cheeses – though the best should be like the one in the picture here – aged, yellow, and served at room temperature.

The vivid flavours and vibrant acidity of Sauvignon Blanc cuts through the richness of the tangy goat cheese like a laser. This dance of wine and food features both the complimentary aspects of weight, texture and acidity, as well as the contrast between the fruity yet herbal wine and the creamy cheese.

aah … Champagne and caviar. One of the finest food and wine pairings imaginable.
Champagne and caviar is not simply one of “the” party pairings, it’s also a classic example of a complimentary food pairing. The lightness of texture and intensity exhibited by both elements helps to form a seamless experience. There is a hint of contrast here though as the fruit of the wine plays off of the salty tang of the caviar, further drawing out the complexity of both.

Guests usually sag at the knees when I serve Champagne and caviar – oh my gawd – you are so generous! – but in reality, whilst not cheap, a little caviar goes a very long way. Caviar is so exquisitely, tangily, saltily flavoursome that too much is almost counter-productive.

True caviar is defined as roe coming from one fish (sturgeon) from one place (the Caspian Sea). Along with Champagne’s many inferior imitators , there are many types of fish roe sold as caviar. I’ve tasted most of them, and none begin to come close to the flavour intensity of true caviar.