Charcuterie made easy

Imagine, a very important event is coming up in your life. Things are getting serious with your significant other and it is time to meet the parents and you’re hosting the meet-and-greet at your house. Or maybe you are off to a very important office potluck and you need to impress your co-workers. You have to make a good impression but have zero idea what to do. No need to panic! As the old saying goes, the easiest way to a person's heart is through their stomach. My advice is to always make an amazing appetizer to really wow the person you are trying to impress. Dips, chips and veggie plates may do the trick but if you really want to wow the person, I would highly suggest a charcuterie plate. Charcuterie is an plate that consists of a variety of meats and cheeses. A charcuterie plate says that you are sophisticated and know a thing or two about classy food. More importantly they require very little prep, can be relatively inexpensive and you don't actually have to cook a single thing. In my opinion the most important thing about a charcuterie plate is plating. When making a charcuterie plate, I always tend to always add leaves for aesthetics and a fresh element like fruit or almonds. This tends to break up the richness of the meats and cheeses. Also if you want to take your platter to the next level, I would suggest adding honey or jam to add a sweeter element to your plate. Lastly, the most important element of your charcuterie plate are the crackers or bread you pair with it. This is a very important vehicle to enhance the meats and cheeses on your plate. Although you can still buy some very good bread or cheese on a budget, this is an area I would suggest spending high dollar. A great baguette and crackers make and break a charcuterie plate. Overall, if you are ever entertaining or need to impress, a charcuterie plate is the definite way to go. The plate is put together with ease, requires very little cook time and most importantly makes you look like a very cultured and a foodie.

Ingredients

Fruit suggestions: Apple slices, pear, grapes, figs and cantaloupe

Bread and cracker suggestions: Baguette, sourdough bread, rosemary crackers, pepper crackers

Meat suggestions: Salami, prosciutto, pepperoni, pate, sausage or ham

Other: honey, quince paste, fig jam, Marcona almonds, salted cashews, cornichon pickles, olives, marinated peppers.