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Brie is one of France's most popular cheeses. It is a luxuriously soft cheese that is encased in a white rind and exhibits flavors of hazelnut, tangy fruit, and herbs. This is an extremely versatile cheese which is enjoyed equally when served as an ingredient a meal or on its own.

To properly serve brie, take it out of the refrigerator and allow it to warm to room temperature by sitting covered or in its wrapper for approximately thirty to sixty minutes. Once the cheese is at room temperature, slice it into wedges as you would a cake. The rind is edible, and it is up to your personal preference to decide to eat it.

Brie pairs well with French wine, especially Cote du Rhone, red Burgundy or Bordeaux, and Champagne. It is delicious with fresh fruits,such as strawberries, apples, and apricots, and with dried cherries and cranberries. Brie is also complimented by a variety of toasted nuts. One of the classic ways to serve brie is to scatter the wheel or the wedges with a colorful mix of dried fruit (apricots and cherries are favorite choices) and nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews, and pistachios).

Brie is also a wonderful cheese to melt with fondues, melt on top of hamburgers, or drizzled over toasted bread. One of my favorite ways to serve brie is to bake it inside a round sourdough loaf. I simply take the loaf of bread, cut a hole in the center that is the circumference and depth of the cheese wheel (saving the bread pieces I remove), place the cheese inside, and cover liberally with raspberry preserves. I bake it for about thirty minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit, or until the cheese begins to bubble through the preserves. Stir the preserves and cheese very lightly, just to get a swirl effect. Serve the loaf piping hot with bread pieces for dipping.

Learn more about this author, Erin K. Wiedemer.
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