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For those of you for whom cooking essentially means hitting the start button on your microwave, the notion of putting together an elegant and tasty party spread based on your meager culinary talents might be enough to make you think you should leave the party hosting to other folks. But before you start twiddling your thumbs as you wait for someone else's party invitation or for your cooking skills to improve, I offer two little words of advice. Cheese. Plate. This grown-up party staple is always popular, ever stylish, and best of all, absolutely easy to prepare. So even those of you who get a panic attack at the mere idea of using that big heating appliance in your kitchen can rest assured that you can have a few folks over for a shindig, and provide your guests with some proper hors-d'oeuvres. Just check out our handy guide… where to
get your cheese Still, for most of us, budget concerns probably are an issue. If you don't want to blow the entirety of your party funds on cheese, you may be better off avoiding temptation and going the chain grocery store route. If you live near a Trader Joe's, you're in luck; you'll find very good deals on a wide array of decent specialty cheeses that your regular supermarket just won't stock. Discount grocery stores -- the kind that offer overstock, off-season and weird regional food stuffs for way cheaper than at a regular shop -- can also be a good source, although you'll want to unwrap your cheeses once you get them home and give them the ol' touch and sniff test before setting them out for guests. ---------------------------> lounge . nourish . host . laze . home . |