Cheese is an excellent food by itself and is also an ingredient in many recipes. The protein in cheese puts it in the class of meat, poultry, eggs and fish. As a milk based product cheese is a concentrated source of all the nutrients found in milk.

When cheese is served as an appetizer it should be at room temperature for the fullest flavor. The only exceptions are cream cheese and cottage cheese which should be refrigerated until serving to prevent spoilage.

When selecting cheeses for appetizers choose different colors, textures and flavors for variety. A variety of crackers and grapes go very well with cheese appetizers.

If you are shredding, grating or slicing cheese, it is easiest if the cheese is cold. Four ounces of cheese produces about one cup of shredded cheese.

Cheese must be refrigerated as it is a perishable food. It should also be well wrapped. The refrigerated storage life of cheese is a function of the type of cheese it is. Natural and pasteurized process cheeses can be refrigerated several months. Cream cheese and other soft cheeses about ten days. Cottage cheese and ricotta cheeses will last about a week.

Mold easily develops on the surface of harder natural cheeses. This can simply be trimmed away. There is nothing wrong with the cheese.