The Cheese Doesn’t Stand Alone

At Zuni Cafe, fruit and cheese pairings are always available. They’re perfect for odd-hour dining--and an elegant ideas for the holidays. Once you understand the unique fit of contrasting tastes and textures, you can experiment with your own combinations. Here are some of Zuni’s pairings:

* Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and fresh dates ( barhi , medjool, abada , etc.). Contrast of sweet and salty.

* Brillat-Savarin cheese and freshly sliced raw fennel. The crisp texture of the fennel is a good counterpoint to this rich, almost unctuous, triple-creme; the delicate sweetness of fennel is in balance with the subtle flavors of the cheese.

* Michigan Chester with Baldwin apples. This Cheddar-y cheese is good with something tart and crisp.

* Rond d’Anjou with marinated olives. A mild, cake-y goat cheese dusted with ash and served with a combination of Nicoise, picholine , golta and Nyons olives in a marinade of olive oil, bay leaves, thyme and orange zest.

* Epoisses cheese with Bosc pears. A strong, rich cheese, especially good with firm, richly sweet Bosc pears.

* Pierre doree and almonds. A rich cows’ milk crottin goes well with crispy nutty flavors.

* St. Marcellin with Muscat raisins in grappa . A fragrant fruity, creamy cheese (also slightly salty) is paired with branches of Muscat raisins macerated in fruity grappa mixed with water. The raisins stay slightly chewy, still containing their pits.