Kerrygold cheese at Bookclub

Love Books? Love Cheese? Have a Party!

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Kerrygold cheese at Bookclub

It’s National Cheese Lovers Day!  Are you celebrating?

Today I’m sharing a fun and FREE kit from Kerrygold Cheese and Butter to match up the love of Kerrygold cheese with the love of reading  Spend a happy evening with friends, pairing cheeses with fruits, crackers, breads, wines and beers.   Last year my friend Judy used the kit to host her book club friends in her home,  and gave me her photos to show you.

 Kerrygold USA has a wonderful Book Club Kit that is free upon request,  including  book marks,  recipe booklets, and  printable placemats too! There are suggested Irish authors, planning ideas, product information,  and coupons for Kerrygold cheeses!   I was given one of these kits at a Kerrygold cheese and beer-pairing event and immediately thought of my friends and co-members of the Coastal Communities Concert Band who meet each month as a book club.

CCCBand 2009

Coastal Communities Concert Band based in Encinitas, Ca.

The CCC Band Book Club has been together for over 10 years in Encinitas, California.  In addition to making music in the band,  a group of women who play clarinet, oboe, flute, bassoon, and mallet instruments meet monthly to share their passion for reading and friendship.  When I mentioned the Kerrygold kit for book clubs, my clarinetist friend Judy Pisciotta  was excited and offered to host a St. Patrick’s themed  meeting at her home.  The group selected the book  A Week In Winter by Irish author Maeve Binchy for the March meeting.

Kerrygold placemats

The evening began with a tasting of four Kerrygold cheeses, using the special placemats provided by Kerrygold for downloading and printing on their website.

cheese and fruits

Each cheese was sampled with a variety of wine and Guiness draught beer, crackers, bread, fresh fruit, dried fruit, and nuts.  Each member of the group shared their observations of the Kerrygold cheeses, including Dubliner, Swiss , Aged Cheddar, and Blarney Castle.   The tastes and textures of the cheeses and appetizers opened up the discussion of the book everyone had been reading over the previous weeks.

ploughman-sandwich

During the evening the book club members were challenged with an Irish Trivia quiz, incorporating specific questions about the book as well as general questions about Ireland.   A cut glass bowl was passed around the table containing Irish toasts and blessings written on slips of paper,  and the friends toasted each other before dinner was served.  Judy prepared a recipe she found on the Kerrygold website for a Ploughman’s Sandwich, an open-faced ham sandwich with Kerrygold Dubliner Cheese, and topped with greens dressed with a tangy mustard dill dressing.

dessert

Warm brownies served  with French vanilla ice cream and Bailey’s drizzle and fresh berries was  served with coffee or tea as the book club made their  book selection for the meeting next month.   As they finished the meeting,  each member was given a handmade notecard from the hostess with an Irish blessing inside,  an attractive Kerrygold bookmark from the kit, and Kerrygold recipe booklets.

Judy told me that the CCCBand Book Club doesn’t always have elaborate decorations or refreshments,  but Kerrygold’s book club kit inspired a creative and memorable (not to mention delicious) gathering that felt more like a party than a meeting.  If you are a member of a book club, you’ll be choosing a book for the month of March soon.  Pick an Irish book, and  visit Kerrygold’s website  to request a kit!  There is plenty of time to plan your evening of fun, friends, and cheese!

Kerrygold book club meeting

 

 

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