Dutch Cheeses at Tromp in Amsterdam. Photo: Henk van Kol

Usually, thinking of Dutch cheeses with spices in them conjures up wheels of cheese with the usual cumin seeds or cloves. However, in the last few years, a whole slew of new spices and herbs, ranging from chile to wasabi, have found their way into cheese.

On a recent trip to the cheese shop Kaashuis Tromp, at Utrechtsestraat 90 in Amsterdam, we discovered an entire universe of cheeses classified as Klaver and flavored with various herbs and spices from around the world.

According to the owner of Tromp, Henk van Kol, new flavors have been making their way into Dutch cheeses for the past five years. Besides chile and wasabi, other non-traditional flavors include tomato and garlic. There's even a cheese called Napoli that has sundried tomatoes, garlic and black olives inside. We tried some and it's delicious plain, but it seems as though it would make the perfect pizza topping -- spices included.

Continue reading about Klaver cheeses after the jump.

When I think of Dutch Gouda, the word Boerenkaas comes to mind. Boerenkaas means "farmer's cheese." Several years ago, when I began selling cheeses, I was shocked by the amount of industrial Gouda being sold as artisanal. When purchasing artisanal Gouda, look to see if the cheese is a Boerenkaas. Currently, there is an incredible array of different Boerenkaas cheeses being imported from L'Amuse cheese shop in Santpoort-Noord, Holland.

Many of the Boerenkaas cheeses from L'Amuse have a deliciously crunchy yet milky creamy texture with well distributed crystals. The paste color is a deep yellowish-brown, and its aroma has notes of hazelnut and caramel with some meaty and cellar notes. Depending on the type, it can have a particularly long finish with hints of caramel. Formaggio Kitchen sells several Boerenkaas cheeses that are worth trying.

I highly recommend the Boerenkaas Veenweidekaas (pictured above). This one comes from a four hundred year old farm built on a dike in Zoeterwoude. Lidia and Theo van Leeuwen ripen their cheese more slowly by adding less salt. This ripening process allows the cheese to develop incredibly rich pronounced tastes. Like many French cheeses produced under AOC regulations, Veenweidekaas must also be produced according to certain regulations. They require sustainable production in consideration of the land and the wildlife that share the farmland. After the jump, find out various ways to eat Boerenkaas cheeses.

• It's not a bad-a but a gouda! But actually, gouda is pronounced "how-dah," and Thunder Oak has a bunch of fresh-off-the-farm selections.
• You could buy them, or you could make your own vinegars. Recipes: Raspberry with Chili, Strawberry with Vanilla, or Wild Ginger infused vinegars.
  
• Scotch is good, and so is chocolate, and together, you can get a pretty darned good tasting. But there's also tips for chocolate indulgence on its own.
  
• Recipes: Pear and Watercress Vichysoisse, Tarragon Chicken, Sauteed New Potatoes with Peas, and Blackberry and Strawberry Sundaes.
• The good, the bad, and the ugly at Atelier Thuet.

OK, your guess is as good as mine.

I've been searching the interwebs, but I can't find anything that explains what this day means. I've found several sites that mention that it is indeed National Cheese Sacrifice Day, but none that go into detail as to what it is. When Wikipedia doesn't have something, you know it's odd. I guess we are left to speculate.

Does it mean that we buy some cheese and sacrfice it somehow, or does it mean we aren't allowed to eat cheese today, as a sacrifice?

Wikipedia does have a long page on cheese, so knock yourselves out. And here's out cheese category to browse.

Update: As a reader pointed out in the comments, it's actually Cheese Sacrifice Purchase Day. I've changed the headline but not the URL.

Whether you are hosting the game for a crowd or just having a few people over to your house, platters of meat and cheese always go over well. You can serve them with crackers, or even set out buns with condiments so your guests can make their own sandwiches, but I find most people just like to pick away at the plates as they are.

Most grocery stores sell pre-made meat or cheese deli platters, but you can expect to pay exorbitant prices for the convenience. With a couple of easy tricks, you can make your own which will look professionally done, yet will save you some money in the end.

If you are making a meat tray, buy the deli meat at the last possible moment for maximum freshness. Once deli meat has been sliced or shaved, it is more apt to spoil so you want to work quickly and get it back in the fridge as soon as possible.

So one of my duties this Christmas at my sister's house (I'm also making this) is to make a cheese and cracker platter that folks can munch on before and after the main meal. I've done them before, but they always turn out to be just very basic cheese and cracker snacks: a couple of different blocks of Kraft cheeses and a few different crackers. A very basic, low-cost type of thing, and it's OK.

But this year I want to do something different. I want to get a really good selection of nice cheeses and several different types of crackers to place around them. So I need your help! What kinds of cheeses and crackers would make a good selection for my family? Any tips or tricks you can give me to make it just a bit more than the usual "cheese and Ritz cracker" affair? Anything besides the cheese and crackers you'd put on the platter too? Fruit? Chocolate?

That pic on the right looks like a cool presentation.