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Learn to build a charcuterie board like a pro

During the holidays, when we’re almost guaranteed to be entertaining, the charcuterie board is a brilliant way to keep guests satisfied until the main course comes out. It’s the ultimate make-ahead appetizer, giving guests a fabulous feast without wasting any precious space in the already over-worked oven. In case you’re unfamiliar, or have trouble pronouncing it (like me and everyone else), it’s shar-kood-er-ee. But you can make it easy on yourself and just call it a cheeseboard. (Technically a cheeseboard is primarily cheese, while ‘charcuterie’ is the French word that refers just to the cured meats. But most people today use the terms interchangeably.) The larger platters are more appropriately named for the types of items that are included. Italians call it ‘antipasti.’ Greeks call it ‘mezze.’ Spanish call it ‘tapas.’ It’s all pretty much the same idea — small servings of each culture’s take on breads, spreads, meats, cheeses and snackable fruits and veggies,…