An Invitation To A Cheese Ball

That’s right, cheese lovers, I’m ringing in 2012 with a CHEESE BALL. I hope you’ll bring a wedge for the giant cheese board I plan to create. And I hope you’ll put on a cheesy outfit, but it’s not required.

Why a Cheese Ball? Well, I just feel we should meet face to face. After all, I’ve been blogging for three years, and a grrl gets tired of tapping keys. I want to tap my foot to a beat. I want to go cheese Gaga.

Here’s the line-up for the night at RUBA:

8 p.m. Doors Open

We dance cheek to cheek to some live jazz, we feast.

10 p.m.  Raffle Winners Announced

Uh, that’s right. I’ve got a Mike Geno cheese print to give away.

11:00 p.m. The Coronation

Will you be crowned King or Queen of the Cheese Ball? Perhaps. If so, we must disco. 

DJ Raclette will be making a special appearance from Wisconsin.

Midnight: The private party officially opens to RUBA Social Hall members. RUBA is open until 3 a.m. You can stay and meet handsome Russians or head home to recuperate.

The Cheese Ball does not require tickets. You must love cheese to attend. 

Note: The invitation above is courtesy of the daringly awesome Stefania Patrizio Design. 

Creme Brulee in a Glass

The Blue Cheese Goddess with her signature cocktail

My friend Tracy, a.ka. the Blue Cheese Goddess makes a holiday drink that has become legendary in dairy circles. It begins with a martini glass (don’t stop reading now!) dipped in lemon juice and brown sugar, then filled with a boozy Crème Anglaise concoction. Yes, it really does taste like Madame’s favorite scorched dessert, Crème Brulée.

If you're looking for a naughty New Years Eve libation, may I recommend this extraordinary composition? The BCG inherited the recipe from her mother Elaine, who claims the recipe comes from the Ritz Carlton.

On Christmas Eve, this drink overshadowed my cheese plate. I didn’t complain. It’s everything a person could want from the dairy case mixed with the liquor cabinet. Prepare to shiver.

Tracy and Elaine’s Crème Brulée Martini

1 lemon wedge

A saucer of brown sugar

1 1/2 oz Grey Goose vodka

Splash of Frangelico

Splash of triple sec or other orange liqueur

2 1/2 oz crème anglaise (5 tablespoons, recipe below)

Ice

Rub the lemon wedge along rim of a martini glass, then roll the rim in brown sugar. Chill the glass. Pour vodka, Frangelico, orange liqueur, and crème anglaise into a shaker half filled with ice. Shake and strain into a glass. Serve with a smooch.

Crème Anglaise

2 cups milk, scalded

5 tablespoons sugar

4 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Heat milk, sugar, and salt in top of a double boiler, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Stir a little milk mixture into the egg yolks, then add the eggs to the milk mixture. Set the mixture in the pan over barely simmering water. Cook, stirring until thickened, 3-4 minutes or until the mixture coats the spoon. Mix in the vanilla. Cool quickly by setting the pan in ice water and stirring briskly. Refrigerate until ready to use.