I’ve been wondering when that classic 1950s and 60s cocktail party treat – the Cheese Ball – would resurface again. It’s been back a few times (if not for long times) since its hay day. But it’s always failed to stick on the menu. I’ve figured out why. And it’s not just me…
Other Great Culinary Thinkers have been applying their acu-men to the problem for decades. And a simple new fix has been suggested, in just the past few years, for the abiding ‘problem’.
What problem?
The problem, for he has always been many-fold. But it always pivoted on one key point: Those old, seed, herb and nut-studded cheese balls of yore were hard to make look appealing. And dif-ficult for diners to manage at the side-board. They were never quite firm enough to stay together without melt-ing, or soft enough to slice and spread easily. And the additions were often distributed unevenly and in inappro-priate proportions through-out and across the surface of the ball.
As a result, Cheese Balls developed a collective stigma. And no matter well executed they may have been in the latter days of their era, they were increasingly marginalized and left uneaten by snackers.
What’s not to love?
I still maintain Cheese Balls have all kinds of potential. They could have been successful as sweet or savoury. Or in complementary crossbreeds such as today’s Sweet and Spicy. But for some reason, folks never got he ingredients right. In some cases, they didn’t even choose proper additions to complement the cheese(s) they were showcasing.
I’ve always felt folks who made bad ones really understand how the cheese ‘binder’ and the addi-tions were supposed to work together.
To0 my thinking, some additions – such as nuts, were never shopped finely enough to suit the form-at. And others were so finely chopped or grated, they disappeared into the overall flavour and texture profile of the Ball. Which was not only a shame, but a waste.
New Cheese Ball Rules needed
Therefore… The First New Rule of Cheese Balls should logically be: Choose complementary cheese (if you must use more than one kind).
The Second New Rule should be: Choose additions that are complementary not only to the cheese you want to use, but to each other.
It’s also important to make sure (New Rule Three) that additions are all about the same size, prefer-ably ‘seed-sized’ pieces. Biting down unexpectedly on a big piece of walnut is like crunching on an olive pit or a chicken bone.
Though this one should obvious (New Rule Four)… The cheese(s) should remain the ‘lead’ flavour(s), with additions taking notable turns as talented supporting actors.
One New Rule that ‘rules’
However, there is one New Rule of Cheese Balls that must take precedence over all the rest: Cheese Balls must henceforth be presented as single-serving ‘hors d’oeuvres‘-style snacks.
To be effective and appealing as cocktail or snack treats, mini Cheese Balls must be no smaller than 3/4 in. / 2 cm, nor larger than 1. in / 2.5 cm. That’s enough material for nice single bit right off the cocktail pic, or a satisfying schmear on a cracker.
My take
I offer no specific suggestions for cheese blends or additions ‘associations’ for our nouveau-Cheese Balls. There are more than you could ever imagine. That’s that’s the fun part! And I’ll leave it up to you, as you reacquaint yourself with the whole heretofore-neglected Cheese Ball Concept.
~ Maggie J.