Where Does Dessert Go For You?
Where Does Dessert Go For You?
This question is something I have to mentally debate whenever I do a formal dinner (doing one in November and so once again renewing the old struggle).
Do you have a cheese course with a final wine as they do in France followed by sweets, or a dessert followed by the cheese and final wine afterward, as they tend to do in Britain?
On one hand, a sweet dessert does no good to an interesting and often venerable wine served after it. On the other hand, a short break between all the earlier wines and the final usually higher alcohol wine can be beneficial.
I almost always end up going with cheese and Port or Sauternes or what have you first and then am content to abandon the field to the 'pastry people' (I am not a dessert fan). I wondered what the most common practice was among wine fans. I prioritize the wine over food, so opt for whichever will affect my enjoyment of the wine the least.
Or sometimes I dodge the whole issue by reviving the fine English tradition of having a savoury course in place of a sweet one which serves as a palate cleanser before the final wine. I have found that things like an unsweetened Roquefort and walnut tart works perfectly in that role. I have also used savouries like Devils on Horseback, but not the version wrapping dates in bacon, the one wrapping small oysters, or a small piece of toast with some anchovy paste.
Either way, for me the sweet comes last after it can do no harm to the wines being enjoyed that evening (if I serve one at all).
Do you have a cheese course with a final wine as they do in France followed by sweets, or a dessert followed by the cheese and final wine afterward, as they tend to do in Britain?
On one hand, a sweet dessert does no good to an interesting and often venerable wine served after it. On the other hand, a short break between all the earlier wines and the final usually higher alcohol wine can be beneficial.
I almost always end up going with cheese and Port or Sauternes or what have you first and then am content to abandon the field to the 'pastry people' (I am not a dessert fan). I wondered what the most common practice was among wine fans. I prioritize the wine over food, so opt for whichever will affect my enjoyment of the wine the least.
Or sometimes I dodge the whole issue by reviving the fine English tradition of having a savoury course in place of a sweet one which serves as a palate cleanser before the final wine. I have found that things like an unsweetened Roquefort and walnut tart works perfectly in that role. I have also used savouries like Devils on Horseback, but not the version wrapping dates in bacon, the one wrapping small oysters, or a small piece of toast with some anchovy paste.
Either way, for me the sweet comes last after it can do no harm to the wines being enjoyed that evening (if I serve one at all).
Bill in BC
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Re: Where Does Dessert Go For You?
When the French and the English disagree about food, side with the French. Always.
But not after the last wine, with the last wine, the last wine being a dessert wine.
But not after the last wine, with the last wine, the last wine being a dessert wine.
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Re: Where Does Dessert Go For You?
And bellies. You win this one, Victor!
I don't serve dessert. My wife does.
I don't eat it.
P Hickner
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Re: Where Does Dessert Go For You?
Given the choice I will always choose cheese over dessert. I am not big on sweet desserts, but there are some more savory desserts I can enjoy. Have a bit of a thing for good olive oil cake for example.
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Re: Where Does Dessert Go For You?
Flawed poll. We eat dessert after dinner. Cheese has nothing to do with it and wine is going with dessert. It can be berries, dark chocolate M&Ms, Coffee Buzz Buzz Ice Cream with caramel sauce, sliced apples dipped in caramel sauce. The question is what wine do you serve with your desserts. Oh, the caramel sauce, Mrs. Richardson's. Try it and get back to me.
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Re: Where Does Dessert Go For You?
Complicated subject.
I'll start by saying neither are regularly served after dinner at our home. Only with company or on the occasional weekend night.
Generally I prefer cheese over dessert.
My wife (and kids when home), prefers dessert and will leave the cheese for me most of the time. Because of that, if I happen to have decent cheese in the house, I'll usually wait an hour or so after dinner and have a bit with a glass of wine on my own.
If a wine focused dinner - never dessert, only cheese.
If I was serving both (as we do with only a few friends who coincidentaly are French), then dessert is served before cheese. Cheese does tend to 'close' the stomach or stop hunger, so serving it before another planned course isn't logical even if that is a traditionally French order.
I prefer cheese to end myself as I find the way someone eats cheese tends to be a bit more slow & comtemplative than say eating a piece of cake or a tart, so the end of meal discussions flow in many directions.
I'll start by saying neither are regularly served after dinner at our home. Only with company or on the occasional weekend night.
Generally I prefer cheese over dessert.
My wife (and kids when home), prefers dessert and will leave the cheese for me most of the time. Because of that, if I happen to have decent cheese in the house, I'll usually wait an hour or so after dinner and have a bit with a glass of wine on my own.
If a wine focused dinner - never dessert, only cheese.
If I was serving both (as we do with only a few friends who coincidentaly are French), then dessert is served before cheese. Cheese does tend to 'close' the stomach or stop hunger, so serving it before another planned course isn't logical even if that is a traditionally French order.
I prefer cheese to end myself as I find the way someone eats cheese tends to be a bit more slow & comtemplative than say eating a piece of cake or a tart, so the end of meal discussions flow in many directions.
Chris
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Re: Where Does Dessert Go For You?
It goes to my mid-section/waist.
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Re: Where Does Dessert Go For You?
The question only arises for me because some of the wives are rabid sweet seekers and demand dessert, so the best I can do to stem this tide is to delay it until after the final wine and then let them have at it.
Bill in BC
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Re: Where Does Dessert Go For You?
In our house, we very rarely do either. We NEVER do both. Doing both a dessert course and a cheese course, in my opinion, would be way too much. That said, if I was to do both for some reason, I would end with cheese I suppose. It would be more satisfying to me to end with a bit of salty/savory and the last of the wine/beverage than with something sweet. We do more dessert than cheese to end a meal (mostly because our kids love it), but still rarely either.
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Re: Where Does Dessert Go For You?
Cheese with the last wine/dessert wine and then dessert.
Almost everyone I know with an experienced palate who also has an appetite for both cheese and dessert prefers cheese before dessert. When you serve the cheese, you can state that dessert will be next, and everyone can then proceed to eat one, both, or neither at their pleasure.
Almost everyone I know with an experienced palate who also has an appetite for both cheese and dessert prefers cheese before dessert. When you serve the cheese, you can state that dessert will be next, and everyone can then proceed to eat one, both, or neither at their pleasure.
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Re: Where Does Dessert Go For You?
That has been my practice. Although when I do a printed menu (which helps those who like to keep notes on the wines) my wife got a bit shirty when I once put in "Whatever" instead of "Dessert" as the final item.Nowell Karten wrote: ↑October 19th, 2019, 1:36 am Cheese with the last wine/dessert wine and then dessert.
Almost everyone I know with an experienced palate who also has an appetite for both cheese and dessert prefers cheese before dessert. When you serve the cheese, you can state that dessert will be next, and everyone can then proceed to eat one, both, or neither at their pleasure.
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Re: Where Does Dessert Go For You?
Prefer cheese to sweets, and in general can do without desserts, but would put dessert last if I was doing both. Transition back to savory cheeses, even with sweet or fruity accompaniment, doesn't work well for me.
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Re: Where Does Dessert Go For You?
Same.Michae1 P0wers wrote: ↑October 20th, 2019, 9:37 am Prefer cheese to sweets, and in general can do without desserts, but would put dessert last if I was doing both. Transition back to savory cheeses, even with sweet or fruity accompaniment, doesn't work well for me.
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Re: Where Does Dessert Go For You?
Definitely cheese before sweet dessert for me. And I would serve the sweet wine with the cheese rather than with dessert.
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Re: Where Does Dessert Go For You?
If cheese is part of the equation, it makes sense to have cheese before dessert. This assumes that there is some dry table wine that will still go with cheese and then you can move onto something sweet with dessert. I also think our bodies register that a meal is over when you finish with something sweet.
Wit regards to cheese, I almost always prefer to serve a white wine with the sort of cheeses I tend to eat (think Comte, Morbier or Pont L'Eveque). Almost never does red wine pair better with cheese. If having blue mold cheese a botrytis affected sweet wine is a no brainer.
Wit regards to cheese, I almost always prefer to serve a white wine with the sort of cheeses I tend to eat (think Comte, Morbier or Pont L'Eveque). Almost never does red wine pair better with cheese. If having blue mold cheese a botrytis affected sweet wine is a no brainer.
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