I know, right?! It sounds so fancy: “charcuterie board!” Oh La La! And yet! Allow me to let you in on a secret! The art of entertaining has quite a few hacks and shortcuts that are the best kept secret of effortless entertaining.

How can you create – and present – a charcuterie board?!? Simple!

Take your biggest cutting board, which will become your canvas, and place it on the counter before you. Next, ride your fridge for cheeses, salami, cold cuts, pickles, vegies, etc. Most fridges contain some or all of these ingredients – hopefully yours does too! If not, gather your selection from the nearest grocery store. Don’t forget a really good bread! Either half a baguette, cut into slices, or croutons/crackers will substitute best. If there’s a piece of old bread lying around, cut it into half slices, toast it and even spread some butter on it (optional). In my case, I drizzled some homemade garlic and sage-infused olive oil on the bread and the cut vegies. I concluded the presentation by drizzling balsamic glaze over the veggies for added flavour and pizzazz!

Cut all ingredients into bite sizes and place them on the cutting board. Meats in one place, cheeses in another, vegies, same deal. Enjoy the arranging process! This is your canvas! You cannot get it wrong even if you try! Use a small dish for mustard or any dipping souce. Be original! Have some dry apricots in the cupboard? Add those too! They go great with sharp cheese and they’ll look terrific on the board….

For a memorable and exquisite finishing touch, use another small dish, even an egg holder, or a small shot glass, to create a floral accent. Don’t have flowers on hand? Pick up a leaf or even a small dead branch from the outside….and make your arrangement.

Et, Voila! When it comes to food, how we present it, is as essential as how it tastes! Your charcuterie board is ready to serve and enjoy!

P.S. Here’s a bonus tip: Want to create a really impressive presentation board that’ll qualify you as a “professional” at entertaining? Stack different sizes of cutting boards on top of each other, biggest one first, small ones on top, of course, to create layers. Use an ice cream cup in an unconventional way: put dipping sauce or a good preserve/jam or jelly for the cheese and crackers. See pics for reference or feel free to ask me any questions.