Herald spring celebrations with a tray of international delights
The season of celebration is upon us: holidays, graduations and weddings, for starters. And if you’re playing host to any good-cheer gathering, simplify at least one thing on the to-do list: the cheese tray.
Ryan Sciara, managing partner at Cellar Rat, 1701 Baltimore in the Crossroads District, is as knowledgeable about charcuterie as he is Cabernets. And with just a bit of input from you, Sciara will assemble an exquisite tray for two to 20.
He stocks about a dozen cured meats and more than 40 cheeses from around the world. Provide a few details and let Sciara handle the rest.
For example, he may splay slices of chewy Tuscan Salametti, a cured pork salami, its heavily marbled meat redolent of roses and lavender. Or feather wispy slices of magenta-red, dry cured beef Bresaola, perfumed with autumn spices such as cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Then there are the translucent rectangles of Jamon Serrano, an air-cured ham from Spain. Deep swaths of creamy fat lace the sweet-salty ribbons of meat.
The cheese trays will also be a medley of tastes, textures and milks. Fete guests with triangles of French Petit Basque cheese — buttery, nutty and clean. And entice them with nuggets of tawny yellow Parmesan Reggianito from Argentina. The hard cheese crumbles with every bite, its texture granular and coarse.
The ultimate soft cheese: batonnets of wine-soaked Spanish goat cheese. The surface edges are inked a deep burgundy red. The ivory-colored cheese has a refined barnyard flavor and a texture that simply melts away.
Portions are as generous as the flavors are robust. Sciara allots two slices of each meat and approximately two to three ounces of cheese per guest.
The charcuterie is handsomely arranged on white porcelain serving trays; Cellar Rat stocks a variety of crackers. He can also make wine-pairing recommendations on just a few hours’ notice.
Cellar Rat: 1701 Baltimore Ave., 816-221-9463
By LAUREN CHAPIN, The Kansas City Star