Whether you're preparing a plate or platter, or hosting a cheese-tasting party, you need to know how much to buy and serve, and then how to present the cheese in its best light.

Generally speaking, 3 ounces, or a little under ¼ pound of cheese per person, will suffice for appetizers, desserts, and cheese courses. In addition, you should take into account the heartiness and quantity of other foods. If there are lots of other appetizer or dessert choices, serve about 2 ounces per person. However, if you are serving more than one cheese, assume everyone will have a piece of each cheese, and be sure there are about 3 ounces of each cheese per person.

Cheese platters are a great way to present several varieties of cheeses at one time: mild to strong, soft to hard, no rind to wax rind, different milk types, or cheeses from certain regions or countries. Regardless, the platter should be arranged to emphasize variety and show off the full spectrum of colors, textures, and shapes.

Cheese Presentation

Starting with the platter, choose one that promotes the cheese. For example, a dark platter highlights white and cream-colored cheeses. A white platter serves as a nice backdrop for a variety of different cheese colors. Rustic cheeses present well on a straw mat, and a clear glass platter or cake stand serves small crottins or Chevrots quite well. Wood platters or cutting boards always make nice cheese presentations, as do marble or slate platters.

The size of the platter is important, too. A large platter with small pieces of cheese suggests small portions and restrained tasting. A platter just large enough for the cheese to fit on may look crowded and out of balance, or it can appear pleasingly abundant. A platter with room for each cheese but not much other space lets the cheese speak for itself, without comment from too little or too much space. Whatever you choose, it's good to choose something that allows cheese to shine.

Arrange cheeses in a pattern suggested by the cheeses' shapes. For example, three cheeses, one round, one stocky triangular wedge, and one slender wedge, can be grouped as if they were the points of a triangle, which allows each shape some room of its own. Closer together, the round cheese can be framed by the different wedges. If you have several large squares of cheese, cut a few into smaller squares or triangles before plating to provide a nice balance of shapes.

Don't Forget the Garnish

Garnishes are terrific on a cheese platter. Fresh, bright green leaves placed partway under cheese look lovely, as do fresh, edible flowers along the sides. You can also put small mounds of jams, preserves, or chutneys; small piles of figs or grapes; a pleasing row of vegetables; some olives; or nuts on a platter.

Depending on the cheese, you'll want to put crackers or sliced baguettes on the platter or on a tray near it. If the cheeses are soft and runny, put the crackers and bread on a separate plate. If the cheeses are firm, the crackers and bread can be on the same plate.

Cheese at Room Temperature

With platters, think about the weather and how long the cheese will be out. Soft cheeses do best when left out for short periods of time in temperate weather. Hard cheeses can withstand higher temperatures and be left out much longer before losing too much moisture. And highly pungent cheeses will begin to take over a room if left out too long. Finally, to keep the flavors of each cheese true, make sure each cheese has a knife of its own.