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• Have a range of cheeses, hard to soft, strong to mild.

• Remember that stronger flavors overpower those more delicate. Pair a soft goat cheese with an aged Gouda, a blue with hard Parmigiano-Reggiano, or a mild sheep’s milk like Manchego with a slightly more assertive Borenkaas.

• Cheese tastes better at room temperature. Prepare the tray an hour before you serve it, but cover it with plastic wrap so the cheese doesn’t dry out.

• Match the cheese to fruit and berries, but avoid citrus and bananas.

• Have a range of crackers and bread on hand. Also consider chutneys and other savory spreads that will match well with the cheeses you’ve selected.

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Fried Bites

Nothing warms up the appetite like a good crunch. And several of these—the fried scallops, for example—would even be fine fare for dinner on their own. These recipes were developed with standard stovetop cookware in mind; use an electric deep-fryer at will (after consulting the manufacturer’s instructions, of course).

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Onion Rings with a Buttermilk Crust

Although many people like Vidalias and other sweet onions here, we prefer the stronger-tasting, thick-cut, standard yellow onions. They’re a better match to this tangy batter. Makes 8 servings

4 to 7 cups peanut oil

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup regular or low-fat buttermilk

¼ cup canola oil

2 large yellow onions, cut into ½-inch slices, then divided into rings

Salt to taste

Pour enough peanut oil into a large saucepan to come about halfway up the sides. Clip a deep-frying thermometer to the inside of the pan and set it over medium heat until the thermometer registers 350°F.

Meanwhile, whisk the flour, buttermilk, and canola oil in a large bowl until smooth.

Dip a few onion rings in the batter, shake off the excess, then slip them into the hot oil. Adjust the heat so the oil stays a constant 350°F. Fry until golden, turning once or twice with a metal meat fork or a metal spoon, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack with a slotted spoon, sprinkle with a little salt, and continue frying more rings.

Garnishes: ketchup, malt vinegar, Mayonnaise, or Sesame Dipping Sauce.

Variations: Omit the onions and cut bell peppers into ½-inch-thick rings, removing the seeds and white inner membranes. Dip these rings in the batter and fry until crispy, about 3 minutes, turning once or twice.

This tangy batter is also excellent on shrimp. Lightly dip peeled, deveined medium shrimp into the batter, and fry until crispy, about 4 minutes, turning once or twice. It’s also good on chicken wings or drumsticks—coat with flour, dip in the batter, and fry until crispy, about 10 minutes, turning once or twice.

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Mix and Match

In truth, most of these crusts—with the exception of the cornmeal crust on the Fried Cheese with a Spiced Crust and the ginger crust on the Fried Calamari—are interchangeable. We offer suggestions after some recipes, but you can experiment, too.

Just remember this: foods must be fried quickly once they’re coated. The flour’s glutens can turn sticky, the coating can slip off, and the food itself can interact in strange (and even unhealthy) ways with the coating.

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Fried Olives in a Bread-Crumb Crust

A coating of plain bread crumbs makes simple olives a fabulous cocktail snack. Although pitted olives are not our first choice in most cases, they make these appetizers easy, one-bite wonders. Makes 8 appetizer servings

4 to 5 cups canola oil

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 large egg

2 tablespoons milk (regular, low-fat, or fat-free)

2 cups plain dried bread crumbs

24 large pitted green olives

Pour the canola oil into a large saucepan until it comes about a third of the way up the sides. Set the pan over medium heat and clip a deep-frying thermometer to the inside of the pan. Heat until the temperature registers 350°F.

Meanwhile, place the flour in one shallow bowl or soup plate. Beat the egg and milk in a small bowl with a fork until foamy. Place the bread crumbs in a third bowl or plate.

Roll an olive in the flour, just to coat it lightly,