Quarantine Adventures: Virtual Charcuterie Board Making Class

Janis brought a charcuterie board to the toga party last year which is the only the second time hearing about them. The first was when I was visiting Kelly in Boston and we shared one for dinner. I was impressed with Janis' charcuterie board making skills and I wanted to really learn how to make one. I did toss one together back in December for our cookie exchange since Janis was sick. I wasn't even sure if it was correct or not but everyone enjoyed it.

Facebook told me about a Virtual Charcuterie Board Making Class hosted by Nicole, the author of For The Love of Food Blog. She invited us into her kitchen and showed us how to put together a charcuterie board using whatever was in your pantry.

The first step is to create a centerpiece on your board which in Nicole's case was a wheel of brie with jam on it. Then fan out meats, cheese, fruit, crackers, etc from there.

There is no right or wrong way to create a charcuterie board. It is best left up to the people eating it and making it. You definitely want some sort of meats, cheese, crackers, and fruit. Think of the season and what you have in your house. Olives and pickles if it some sophistication while nuts and other snack foods give your texture and crunch. Stand bread sticks up in jelly jars. Don't be afraid to give height and dimension.

Even though I didn't think I made a successful charcuterie board last December apparently it had all the ingredients to be a board. I guess a refresher course was nice. With the amount cheese and sausage eaten in our house, we could make charcuterie boards every day of the week. Heck my lunch is usually a mini charcuterie board of cheese, sausage, and cracker. Okay so it's just thrown on a plate but it's the same concept.

Whoever thought of making these charcuterie boards mainstream had a great idea. They are a great go to item for any party or get together. You can make them for family movie nights or dessert with the ladies. It's one of those trendy foody things that you can adapt to any situation especially if you think outside of the box.