Peppered Cheese Wheel

2 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (8 oz.)
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. Fines Herbes
1 tsp. minced chives
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 - 4 T. fresh course ground five pepper blend
Triscuits or other favorite snack crackers

In a medium bowl, combine shredded Jack cheese, cream cheese, Fines Herbs, chives, Worcestershire and garlic. Shape mixture into a 5" ball and flatten slightly. Chill slightly, then roll in pepper until completely covered. Wrap and chill for 6 hours or overnight. Can be stored for several days in refrigerator. Serve with your favorite crackers.

Creamy Whipped Brie With Cranberry Salsa

Prep time does not include refrigeration time. With the white cheese and red salsa, this would be great for Valentine's Day or Christmas!

Salsa
2 cups fresh cranberries
3 medium green onions, finely chopped
1 small red jalapeno chili, seeded and minced
6 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons peeled and finely minced fresh ginger root

Whipped Brie
3/4 lb brie cheese, room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon, zest of
cracker, of your choice

To prepare the salsa: Pulse the cranberries in a food processor until very finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in the green onions, jalapeno, sugar, salt, cilantro, lemon juice and ginger. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, stirring occasionally.

To prepare the whipped brie: Remove the rind from the brie and put the cheese into a food processor with the cream cheese, pepper and lemon zest. Process until nice and smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate. (This can be made 24 hours in advance.) Bring to room temperature about 1 hour before serving.

Serve with crackers and the salsa on the side.

Cheese And Pine Nut Phyllo Triangles

4 oz. feta cheese
4 oz. ricotta cheese
2 T. chopped fresh basil
1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted
1 egg, lightly beaten
14 sheets phyllo pastry
4 oz. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix cheeses, basil, pine nuts, and egg. Season well with salt and black pepper. Place a sheet of pastry on a work surface and brush all over with the melted butter. Top with another sheet of pastry and brush with the butter. Cut the pastry lengthwise into 4 strips. Place 3 level teaspoons of the mixture on the end of each strip. Fold the pastry diagonally over and up to enclose the filling and make a triangle. Brush the triangles with butter and place on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling. Bake the triangles for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Brule Of Brie & Artichoke

presented by The Inn at Weston

8 oz. of GOOD Brie (hating to sound snobby, but imported is best). Cut into 1/2 inch squares
6 oz. of Steamed Artichoke Hearts, (canned are Ok, just soak in fresh water and drain thoroughly, pat dry), coarsely chopped
4 oz. Blackened Red Pepper (again, canned roasted peppers are ok, soaked and drained), Finely chopped
2 Heads of Elephant Garlic, roasted to caramelized state and peeled into individual cloves, then added whole
1/3 cup of Mayonnaise (preferably extra heavy)
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives or scallions
1 tbs. of Lemon Pepper
2 tbs. of Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
2 tsp. of Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Mix All Ingredients in a Large Bowl, making sure that everything is well incorporated. Spoon mixture into a casserole, with depth of approx. 1 inch. Bake at 375 for approx. 20 min, until top starts to form a brown crust. If pools of oil start to form, remove immediately. Serve with small bowls and serving spoon and provide guests with an array of crackers.