Column: Make a charcuterie for your celebration

Are you looking for a great way to entertain your friends and family this Holiday Season and to accommodate the dietetic choices and practices of all of your guests? Whether you are planning to host six or sixty there is a fun and stylish way to do it that is currently all the rage.

Charcuterie boards have been around for centuries and have made an amazing return to the forefront of entertaining menus.

What is so wonderful about serving a Charcuterie board is the fact that it can be a combination of almost any item that you want. From thinly sliced meats, cheeses and vegetables, to nuts, breads and flavorful spreads. Your Charcuterie can be meat and dairy forward or it can be Vegan or Gluten-Free.

The secret to creating a flawless Charcuterie is your arrangement of the individual foods on the board or platter. I usually begin with something round like a wheel of warm Brie to anchor the Charcuterie board, I then roll and shape each thinly sliced meat into a separate shape. For example I roll some of the meat, I fold some of the delicate slices into halves or quarters and I even spin some in a circular motion from the center to create rosettes.

Once you have gathered all of your items for the Charcuterie begin to first completely cover your board or platter laying each item in its own area. The last step is to create height by layering on items like dried fruits, grapes, figs and pickled vegetables then finishing with small jars containing a dip or spread for your breads and crackers. The size of your Charcuterie will depend on the size of the surface that you are using and on how many guests that you are hosting, so do your math and make sure that you purchase enough. I once constructed an eight foot by eight foot Charcuterie for a Gala that was a show stopper.

Your Charcuterie board can be an economical, time efficient and ultra stylish way to wow your guests this Holiday Season. You will certainly impress yourself!