Transform leftover cheese for a NYE snack

And a new opportunity to ask me questions on my podcast!

Amigos, I hope you are all enjoying your holiday season, maybe getting some rest these few days before New Year’s Eve? If you’re still looking for plans, we’ve got special celebrations at The Bazaar and Nubeluz in New York, at Zaytinya in DC, New York, and South Beach, at Bazaar Mar in Vegas, and at Jaleo in DC, Chicago, Disney Springs, and Vegas!

One thing I need from you today: I am looking for listener questions for my podcast, also called Longer Tables! Have a cooking question, a question about Spain, about cooking in space, about cocktails, about Spanish wines…? I hope I have an answer! No matter what, give me a try…

Today I am probably finding you with a lot of leftovers, maybe thinking “José, I could use some help in figuring out what to do with these!” It’s just a part of the season. And you can get very creative with those leftovers, whether they become croquetas, Catalans’ favorite canalones, or something else entirely. I would love to hear some of your creative ideas for how you’ve used holiday leftovers this week!

In Spain, we marinate olives of course (and sometimes cherries) for delicious snacks to go with wine, cava, sherry, or whatever is in your glass. But have you ever thought about marinating cheese? If you like to have a cheese board as the start of your meal or as part of a large party with other appetizers, you probably have a lot left over, and you might be wondering what to do with it. Marinating cheese can give it a longer shelf life, so why not give new life to that old block of cheese, especially if you need some inspiration for a New Year’s Eve celebration!

This recipe calls for manchego, but you could use a lot of different hard or medium-hard cheeses with this marinade…just be sure you’re using really good olive oil. Let me know how it goes in the comments. And stay posted for the top recipes from this year, which are all available to our paid subscribers…if you haven’t yet become a paid subscriber, consider giving yourself a gift for the New Year, and remember that a percentage of your yearly subscription supports World Central Kitchen! This year alone, the Longer Tables community donated over $20,000—and of course, I thank you for your ongoing support.

I can’t wait to keep our conversation going as we welcome a new year.

Some marinated cheese, some toasted bread, a glass of vermouth or wine or cava or beer or or or …

Manchego en aceite
Marinated Manchego
Serves 8-10 as an appetizer

1 lb Manchego cheese (aged 3 months, if you can find it)
2 bay leaves, fresh if you can find them
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
8 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil

Trim the wax from the block of cheese and cut it into batons, about 1 x 1/2 inches.
Add the cheese to a glass jar and add all the herbs and spices. Cover everything with the olive oil and close the jar. 

Store it in your pantry for a few days—up to a few months—and enjoy it as an appetizer with olives or crackers, on its own or in salads.