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That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life: Creative Gatherings and Self-Care with the Cheese By Numbers Method
A how-to guide for crafting beautiful and delicious cheese boards for entertaining and self-care, from the creator of the Cheese by Numbers method and the Instagram phenomenon That Cheese Plate
“[Marissa Mullen] takes the guesswork out of the coolest, most solid thing to bring to any party or potluck: the cheese platter.”—Rachael Ray
With her gorgeous, showstopping cheese boards, Marissa Mullen takes cheese to a whole new level. Her simple, step-by-step Cheese by Numbers method breaks the cheese plate down into its basic components—cheese, meat, produce, crunch, dip, garnish—allowing you to create stunning spreads for any occasion.
This beautifully designed book goes beyond preparation techniques. According to Mullen, cheese plates can be an important form of artistic self-care, like flower arranging or meditative coloring books—but you can eat the results! That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life celebrates the ways in which cheese brings people together, and how crafting a cheese plate can be a calming, creativity-bolstering act.
With fifty exquisite, easy-to-make cheese plates, this book will teach you how to relax, enjoy, and indulge— to find your cheesy bliss.
“[Marissa Mullen] takes the guesswork out of the coolest, most solid thing to bring to any party or potluck: the cheese platter.”—Rachael Ray
With her gorgeous, showstopping cheese boards, Marissa Mullen takes cheese to a whole new level. Her simple, step-by-step Cheese by Numbers method breaks the cheese plate down into its basic components—cheese, meat, produce, crunch, dip, garnish—allowing you to create stunning spreads for any occasion.
This beautifully designed book goes beyond preparation techniques. According to Mullen, cheese plates can be an important form of artistic self-care, like flower arranging or meditative coloring books—but you can eat the results! That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life celebrates the ways in which cheese brings people together, and how crafting a cheese plate can be a calming, creativity-bolstering act.
With fifty exquisite, easy-to-make cheese plates, this book will teach you how to relax, enjoy, and indulge— to find your cheesy bliss.
286 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 12, 2020
210 people are currently reading
2987 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
September 15, 2021
It's just before supper and I just finished this book, so can you guess what foods I'm now craving? If you guess cheese, you're only partially right as this appetizing and handy instruction manual offers up food boards featuring meats, produce, grains, sweets, spreads, and the finish, the elegant and often striking garnish. I want them all!
Everything looks delicious and for non-artistic sorts like myself, fear not, for this is food art made simple with a by numbers approach. Every possibility has a photo and the format is simple to follow, with the size and style of board/plate noted first, followed by the needed ingredients to prepare that particular plate. Turn the page and visual instructions show you where and what to start with in laying out your ingredients, then proceed through the pictures to finish assembling your board.
This is a great idea book, perfect for something special to bring to that family gathering or festive occasion. I love the visual instructions as we all want our creations to look as they should (in other words just as perfect as the cookbook photo) and the photos help you achieve that. Not all of the ingredients may be available in your area, but inspiration for substitutions can be found in the plentiful photos and ingredient lists. You may also find yourself coming up with custom creations centered around friend and family favorites.
My only concern is that once I've made something so appealingly attractive, I won't want to let anyone eat anything from it! I can only hope for lots of compliments as people partake of my palate-pleasing and perfectly gorgeous creations. 😊
Everything looks delicious and for non-artistic sorts like myself, fear not, for this is food art made simple with a by numbers approach. Every possibility has a photo and the format is simple to follow, with the size and style of board/plate noted first, followed by the needed ingredients to prepare that particular plate. Turn the page and visual instructions show you where and what to start with in laying out your ingredients, then proceed through the pictures to finish assembling your board.
This is a great idea book, perfect for something special to bring to that family gathering or festive occasion. I love the visual instructions as we all want our creations to look as they should (in other words just as perfect as the cookbook photo) and the photos help you achieve that. Not all of the ingredients may be available in your area, but inspiration for substitutions can be found in the plentiful photos and ingredient lists. You may also find yourself coming up with custom creations centered around friend and family favorites.
My only concern is that once I've made something so appealingly attractive, I won't want to let anyone eat anything from it! I can only hope for lots of compliments as people partake of my palate-pleasing and perfectly gorgeous creations. 😊
Want to read
March 5, 2020i am not being even a little bit sarcastic when i say that i believe this book will indeed change my life.
this is the only meal-shape i acknowledge and i must have this book please and thank you.
this is the only meal-shape i acknowledge and i must have this book please and thank you.
February 18, 2022
This did not end up changing my life.
April 27, 2020
I was able to see a preview of this book and it's beyond gorgeous!! Can't wait to own a copy of my own. Such unique cheese plates and beautiful food styling.
August 3, 2020
Delicious pages you'll want to eat!
Well done photography and layout of a lot of different cheese plate ideas.
Well done photography and layout of a lot of different cheese plate ideas.
December 13, 2020
A gift from a friend-- and if I'm going to own cookbooks or books about food and drink, this is the kind of book I want to have on display and USE. It's fabulously laid out the way it's like "paint by numbers" with the real legitimate cheese board and then the "by the numbers" style illustration of how number 1-6 gets laid out along with some basics of building the board.
The colors pop on every page. It's sophisticated but accessible. And delectable. I can't wait to get started on building these amazing and delicious boards!
The colors pop on every page. It's sophisticated but accessible. And delectable. I can't wait to get started on building these amazing and delicious boards!
May 14, 2020
I received an ARC of That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life. I love cheese. This a great guide for entertaining with cheese. Healthy snack ideas. Nice for holidays.
April 25, 2020
It was a good read.
March 5, 2021
Nice recipes and great, helpful photos. The tone of the writing was too Americana for me. The author is not a cheese connoisseur, and while she never claims to be one, I guess I kind of assumed there'd be some information about the cheeses mentioned in a book entirely dedicated to cheese. There's no explanation at all—not even about the taste or texture of different selections. I would have loved either a factual or personal exploration of each recipe, but instead it's just hokey puns and treating salami-slicing like it's astrology or crystals—just this weird, new agey (?) vibe that I didn't care for. That's definitely some people's flavor, but not mine.
The cheese-by-numbers method works, and the pictures are clear. My cheese plates have a little more oomph to them now. I like her ideas for platters; I've done two of them so far and they were delightful—and better than the cheese plates I was putting together for myself. So the goal is accomplished. The rest is garnish.
The cheese-by-numbers method works, and the pictures are clear. My cheese plates have a little more oomph to them now. I like her ideas for platters; I've done two of them so far and they were delightful—and better than the cheese plates I was putting together for myself. So the goal is accomplished. The rest is garnish.
September 29, 2020
So, I should have just looked at the title and realized that this book was going to be pretentious. But oh how I was blindsided by the ridiculousness that is this author.
Beautiful cheese plates with wonderful how-to instructions? Check.
And that is where she should have left it. But descriptions of mindfullness whilst folding a "salami river"?! A cheese plate is not going to change your life. Period.
If you can't write interesting sidebars about your recipes...Just. Don't.
Beautiful cheese plates with wonderful how-to instructions? Check.
And that is where she should have left it. But descriptions of mindfullness whilst folding a "salami river"?! A cheese plate is not going to change your life. Period.
If you can't write interesting sidebars about your recipes...Just. Don't.
June 12, 2020
I have not made anything from this book yet, but this blows my mind! I am not a bit meat-eater, however, I love cheese! THAT CHEESE PLATE WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE is a fantastic read that makes me want to devour every recipe in this book. I believe everyone will LOVE the recipes in this delightful book.
July 18, 2023
I wish there was more cultural variety. So much salami.
May 13, 2020
Back when I was in my 20s, I decided to give up dairy. I figured I’d last a week or so and then collapse into a pile of ice cream, a failure. But you know, it turned out I was okay not having ice cream. I was okay not drinking milk. It was not getting to have cheese that broke me. I decided that dairy-free was not the life for me. (To be fair, that was more than a few years ago, and non-dairy cheeses have come a long way in since then.)
So when I was gifted this book, That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life, I was immediately all in. I love a cheese plate, but I’ll be the first to admit that there is very little art in my game. I can slice cheese and put it on a board with some crackers, and that’s usually when I call it done. I have a feeling I won’t be satisfied with that anymore, especially since I know that there could be a salami river there.
Author Marissa Mullen has spent years making cheese plates, eating them, photographing them, posting them on social media, teaching others how to make them, and sharing them with family and friends. And she has come up with a foolproof way to cheese by numbers, making it easy to create the perfect cheese plate. You just follow her simple six-step formula, and you can make your own perfect cheese tray. Or you can try one of the dozens she’s already perfected and just fill them in according to her directions.
There’s That Back to Basic Plate that’s for beginners or That Cheese Party Plate, perfect for any gathering. A plate for lovers of goat cheese, French cheese, even a non-dairy cheese plate. And all that is just in the first chapter. You haven’t even gotten to the salami river yet.
Using Mullen’s paint by cheese method, you start with cheese, then meat, produce, crunch, dip, and garnish. And the cheese plates in this book take you through that step by step. First you learn a cheese plate that is about the cheese, then you move on to adding meat (the river). Next comes the produce, and on through the entire method. These plates give you so many options for picnics, for tailgating, for the different seasons, for meat lovers, for brunch, for dessert, for any group or gathering you can think of.
In addition to all the information you could ever need about cheese or cheese plates (not really—learning everything about cheese could take a lifetime, but this certainly gives you everything you need to get started), Mullen includes a handful of helpful recipes to up your game even more when you’re ready, like the Buffalo Mozzarella with Roasted Tomatoes and Balsamic Glaze, Prosciutto-Wrapped Melon with Goat Cheese and Basil, That Quick Pickle, and Dark Chocolate-Covered Strawberries.
I am thrilled that That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life is a thing in the world that really exists. I know that I will use this as a resource often, for holidays and dinner parties and even for those nights that I don’t want to cook. Forget the spa days and pedicures, cheese is my new self-care!
I received a free copy of That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life from The Dial Press in exchange for a free and unbiased review, with many thanks.
So when I was gifted this book, That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life, I was immediately all in. I love a cheese plate, but I’ll be the first to admit that there is very little art in my game. I can slice cheese and put it on a board with some crackers, and that’s usually when I call it done. I have a feeling I won’t be satisfied with that anymore, especially since I know that there could be a salami river there.
Author Marissa Mullen has spent years making cheese plates, eating them, photographing them, posting them on social media, teaching others how to make them, and sharing them with family and friends. And she has come up with a foolproof way to cheese by numbers, making it easy to create the perfect cheese plate. You just follow her simple six-step formula, and you can make your own perfect cheese tray. Or you can try one of the dozens she’s already perfected and just fill them in according to her directions.
There’s That Back to Basic Plate that’s for beginners or That Cheese Party Plate, perfect for any gathering. A plate for lovers of goat cheese, French cheese, even a non-dairy cheese plate. And all that is just in the first chapter. You haven’t even gotten to the salami river yet.
Using Mullen’s paint by cheese method, you start with cheese, then meat, produce, crunch, dip, and garnish. And the cheese plates in this book take you through that step by step. First you learn a cheese plate that is about the cheese, then you move on to adding meat (the river). Next comes the produce, and on through the entire method. These plates give you so many options for picnics, for tailgating, for the different seasons, for meat lovers, for brunch, for dessert, for any group or gathering you can think of.
In addition to all the information you could ever need about cheese or cheese plates (not really—learning everything about cheese could take a lifetime, but this certainly gives you everything you need to get started), Mullen includes a handful of helpful recipes to up your game even more when you’re ready, like the Buffalo Mozzarella with Roasted Tomatoes and Balsamic Glaze, Prosciutto-Wrapped Melon with Goat Cheese and Basil, That Quick Pickle, and Dark Chocolate-Covered Strawberries.
I am thrilled that That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life is a thing in the world that really exists. I know that I will use this as a resource often, for holidays and dinner parties and even for those nights that I don’t want to cook. Forget the spa days and pedicures, cheese is my new self-care!
I received a free copy of That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life from The Dial Press in exchange for a free and unbiased review, with many thanks.
May 9, 2020
Who knew a cheese plate could be a work of art? That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life is a new book by Marissa Mullen, creator of the Cheese By Numbers method. In this method, the cheese plate is broken down into the following categories: cheese, meat, produce, crunch, dip, and garnish. Likewise, the book itself is separated into these same sections. Within each section, the author briefly discusses each element making sure to touch upon alternatives that ensure that every cheese plate is adaptable to any dietary needs whether they be dairy-free, meat-free, or gluten-free, among others.
But enough with the technical details of this book. Where this book really wows is in the concept and the photography. I have never seen such mouth-watering photographs in any book. One highlight is what the author terms the "salami river." It is exactly what you would imagine. A vein of artfully folded salami which is arranged to wind through all of the other ingredients. For those avoiding meat, cucumber slices are a simple, yet just as attractive substitute.
For Ms. Mullen, arranging a cheese plate is meditative and restorative and after trying some of her ideas, I have to agree. They are a little time consuming; however, no more time consuming than cooking many other meals. There was not one single plate in this book that I did not want to try and I have never said that about any other food-related book. I hesitate to call this a cookbook because there are only a handful of simple recipes for things that will jazz up your cheese plate. My favorite being a recipe for baked brie with caramelized pears, toasted walnuts, and pomegranate seeds. However, there are forty-eight cheese plate designs in total and each is very carefully broken down and photographed each step of the way so it couldn't be easier.
I can't promise that this book will change your life, but it will certainly change your thoughts about the common cheese plate and I will say that it is impossible to gaze upon any of these cheese plates and not smile. They are just that beautiful.
Disclosure: I received a free copy from The Dial Press in exchange for a free and unbiased review.
But enough with the technical details of this book. Where this book really wows is in the concept and the photography. I have never seen such mouth-watering photographs in any book. One highlight is what the author terms the "salami river." It is exactly what you would imagine. A vein of artfully folded salami which is arranged to wind through all of the other ingredients. For those avoiding meat, cucumber slices are a simple, yet just as attractive substitute.
For Ms. Mullen, arranging a cheese plate is meditative and restorative and after trying some of her ideas, I have to agree. They are a little time consuming; however, no more time consuming than cooking many other meals. There was not one single plate in this book that I did not want to try and I have never said that about any other food-related book. I hesitate to call this a cookbook because there are only a handful of simple recipes for things that will jazz up your cheese plate. My favorite being a recipe for baked brie with caramelized pears, toasted walnuts, and pomegranate seeds. However, there are forty-eight cheese plate designs in total and each is very carefully broken down and photographed each step of the way so it couldn't be easier.
I can't promise that this book will change your life, but it will certainly change your thoughts about the common cheese plate and I will say that it is impossible to gaze upon any of these cheese plates and not smile. They are just that beautiful.
Disclosure: I received a free copy from The Dial Press in exchange for a free and unbiased review.
May 22, 2020
I received my copy of this book as part of a Goodreads Giveaway. I had no previous knowledge of Ms. Mullen’s Instagram or of cheese plates as a thing. I was merely intrigued by the title. I am a complete convert to the power of cheese plates. The pictures in the book are lovely and the step by step directions are very clear. Ms. Mullen’s writing gives the reader confidence to create these beautiful plates. I beautifully composed cheese plate provides a vehicle for non-cooks to create something for entertaining. I am looking forward to making my own creations. A cheese plate will definitely be the star of my next book club.
I would have liked to see more information on cheese substitutions. It seems that some of the cheeses listed may be hard to find. Also, I won a copy of the KindleEdition. I much prefer and recommend physical copies of cookbooks.
I would have liked to see more information on cheese substitutions. It seems that some of the cheeses listed may be hard to find. Also, I won a copy of the KindleEdition. I much prefer and recommend physical copies of cookbooks.
August 9, 2023
The Cheese By Numbers method became all the rage a few years ago thanks to author Mullens, and this book beautifully illustrates the technique with more how-to info than her usual Instagram posts. It really goes step-by-step and provides advice on how to innovate. A few things bothered me, though. Many of the boards don't seem practical. How do you move boards loaded like that? How is anyone supposed to get pieces of cheese (or anything else) if everything is so prettily crammed-full? The balance of items was again impractical for actual use. Mind you, the boards are stunningly gorgeous, but I also wish they were more pragmatic--that would make them even better examples for imitation. It's still a good book for reference, though.
Read
January 3, 2021I absolutely love charcuterie boards, but have always thought they looked so intimidating to put together. This book breaks the ingredients and process down step by step with fantastic, easy-to-follow pictures. I started daydreaming about eating only charcuterie for the rest of my life and then got to “the cheap plate” example, which I learned was “only $30.” Maybe I won’t be subsisting on $$$$ charcuterie, but I can’t wait to make one for a future party, whenever we’ll be able to have those again!
January 28, 2022
This is a COOL book. If you like cheese plates, of course.
What I love most about it is the numbered pictures that show you just where to place your meats, cheeses, crackers, fruits, etc. I would definitely need to sub some of the fancy cheeses out for ones that I can actually find at my local grocery store, but other than that, these plates look doable! (Maybe… I’m really bad at presentation, so who knows if mine would turn out pretty.)
If you love cheese and want to make a cheese plate, this is a fun book!
What I love most about it is the numbered pictures that show you just where to place your meats, cheeses, crackers, fruits, etc. I would definitely need to sub some of the fancy cheeses out for ones that I can actually find at my local grocery store, but other than that, these plates look doable! (Maybe… I’m really bad at presentation, so who knows if mine would turn out pretty.)
If you love cheese and want to make a cheese plate, this is a fun book!
December 31, 2022
3.5 out of 5
This is a great “paint by numbers” guide to making some beautiful and tasty cheese and charcuterie boards. Marissa’s method is very approachable and easy to follow, with step by step instructions and accompanying illustrations. It’s easy to riff on the boards she suggests and you can always swap out ingredients for something else if you prefer.
This is a great “paint by numbers” guide to making some beautiful and tasty cheese and charcuterie boards. Marissa’s method is very approachable and easy to follow, with step by step instructions and accompanying illustrations. It’s easy to riff on the boards she suggests and you can always swap out ingredients for something else if you prefer.
January 12, 2025
STUNNING book with wonderful ideas, gorgeous illustrations and fantastic recipes. Useful, charming, and beautiful - would make a beautiful coffee table book, and a lovely gift. One of my new favorites.
May 19, 2020
I love anything cheese, so if you are a cheese lover like myself, you will truly enjoy this book. I thought I knew a lot about cheeses, however, this little book opened my eyes to a greater variety of cheeses I haven't heard before. Beautiful and detailed pictures that will help you create these amazing plates. I already have tried one of the cheese plates mentioned and can't wait to try the others.
Thank you Ms. Mullen for letting me receive a free Kindle version of this book in a recent giveaway.
Thank you Ms. Mullen for letting me receive a free Kindle version of this book in a recent giveaway.
November 13, 2020
This book is porn for cheese lovers. If only I could eat this every night for dinner! Who knew a charcuterie board could be so beautiful and fun? I will be buying this book to keep in my kitchen.
Read
April 3, 2024Her cheese by numbers method:
1) Cheese
2)Meat
3) Produce
4) Crunch
5) Dip
6)Garnish
The photography and illustrations are gorgeous.
And now I"m really hungry.
1) Cheese
2)Meat
3) Produce
4) Crunch
5) Dip
6)Garnish
The photography and illustrations are gorgeous.
And now I"m really hungry.
May 12, 2020
I really loved this book!
This is a great guide. My opportunities for ingredients are more limited during quarantine, but I can't wait to try some of these recipes!
The pictures are gorgeous, I love that Mullen shows us step by step pictures on how to recreate these plates, and even breaks down what each kind of plate should have. There are great recipes by season (a fall cheese plate hadn't crossed my mind!) as well as suggestions for sweets and vegan alternatives and all sorts of options.
This is the kind of self care I was looking for and speaks to a world full of instagram photos and when we could lounge around eating grapes and cheese. A fun and beautiful read!
This is a great guide. My opportunities for ingredients are more limited during quarantine, but I can't wait to try some of these recipes!
The pictures are gorgeous, I love that Mullen shows us step by step pictures on how to recreate these plates, and even breaks down what each kind of plate should have. There are great recipes by season (a fall cheese plate hadn't crossed my mind!) as well as suggestions for sweets and vegan alternatives and all sorts of options.
This is the kind of self care I was looking for and speaks to a world full of instagram photos and when we could lounge around eating grapes and cheese. A fun and beautiful read!
May 13, 2020
That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life is a beautiful guide to the simple but ubiquitous cheese plate. The book offers a simple cheese by numbers method that is easy to learn. The guide to per person servings by plate size was helpful. The illustrations are not just beautiful but informative. The illustrations are helpful and fun. The several cheese plates I made from the book were easy to do with easy to find ingredients. I enjoyed reading this book, using this book and would consider it for gift giving.I received a free copy from The Dial Press in exchange for a free and unbiased review.
May 9, 2020
Do you love a tasty cheese plate? Thank you to The Dial Press for That Cheese Plate Will Save Your Life - available Tuesday 5/12!
This book grew out of the extremely popular Instagram accounts @thatcheeseplate and @cheesebynumbers and has so many great ideas! It has everything broken down very easily - what to buy, shows a completed photo and then using the cheese by numbers system shows how to lay it out step by step.
One of my go to lunches is cheese, salami, crackers and hummus. It can sound a little boring on its own but with a couple minutes for presentation - I’m not just having cheese & crackers for lunch, it’s a cheese plate!
This book grew out of the extremely popular Instagram accounts @thatcheeseplate and @cheesebynumbers and has so many great ideas! It has everything broken down very easily - what to buy, shows a completed photo and then using the cheese by numbers system shows how to lay it out step by step.
One of my go to lunches is cheese, salami, crackers and hummus. It can sound a little boring on its own but with a couple minutes for presentation - I’m not just having cheese & crackers for lunch, it’s a cheese plate!
May 8, 2020
What a great addition to a cookbook collection! I loved the simplicity and easy to follow directions on creating fun party trays, The Cheese by Numbers Method. The info on cheeses and our cheese personality added to the entertainment. Not only can we entertain, but the entertaining process is entertaining in itself!
I was the fortunate receiver of this book through a goodreads giveaway.
I was the fortunate receiver of this book through a goodreads giveaway.
April 30, 2020
Thanks so much to The Dial Press for sending me this good reads give away. Yum! So many different cheese plates to try and enjoy. The show and tell making of the plates is an added reward. This book will be kept in the kitchen and used often.
August 31, 2021
3.5
Quick read with lovely photography that gives a backbone “paint by number” plan for making visually striking - and delicious - cheese plates, and turning the process into something meditative and joyful.
Making a salami and cucumber river on my next one!
Quick read with lovely photography that gives a backbone “paint by number” plan for making visually striking - and delicious - cheese plates, and turning the process into something meditative and joyful.
Making a salami and cucumber river on my next one!
August 12, 2020
I don't think I have ever (ever) looked forward to being invited to a party before in my life.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews