full moon cheese tray
The chill in the air creates wisps of fog that creep across the ground and reflect the Moon’s silvery glow. harness October’s full moon and eerie ambiEnce on the party table with a round of Brie and dry ice.
It wouldn’t be spooky season without dry ice, but first let’s talk science to be informed and safe dry ice users. Dry ice is the solid phase of carbon dioxide (CO2). At room temperature CO2 is a gas, the same one we exhale with each breath. Carbon dioxide becomes a solid at -80 degrees Celsius/-109 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature that can quickly cause frostbite and damage skin. Only handle dry ice with heavy gloves or tongs and do not eat or drink dry ice. Unlike ice made from water, which goes from a solid to a liquid at room temperature, the dry ice block will transition from a solid directly into a gas. The characteristic creeping fog forms because water vapor in the air chills and condenses into tiny droplets around the block of CO2; the fog we see is actually water vapor and not the carbon dioxide. Because cold air sinks, the fog will hug the surface and cascade over tray or table edges. Placing a piece of dry ice in water not only provides extra moisture to produce lots of fog, but it also causes the water to ‘bubble bubble toil and trouble’ as the gas escapes. It’s the perfect compliment to a full moon cheese tray.
Ingredient list:
wheel of Brie
black grapes
blueberries
blackberries
black sesame crackers
chocolate
dried figs
Presentation:
Place a bowl with warm water on the tray. Unwrap Brie and place opposite the bowl of water. Arrange fruits, crackers, and chocolate around the cheese. Place a small chunk of dry ice* in the bowl of warm water to create a fog across the plate. Wrinkle up a black tablecloth under the tray which will allow the fog to waft and meander.
*Safety Reminder: Dry ice is -109 F! Again, 109 degrees below zero! Always wear gloves when handling. Dry ice on bare skin can cause frostbite in seconds. If you are sharing your cheese tray, make sure everyone knows to keep their fingers out of the water. You only need a small piece of dry ice for the effect; a large piece will completely blanket the tray in fog and eventually a layer of water ice will encase the dry ice limiting fog production.
