Charcuterie 101

Charcuterie can be intimidating, but once you get past the spelling and pronunciation (shahr-kyu-tuh-ree) it's really just a mix of delicious food beautifully displayed. 

Sisters Laura and Ellie from @a.lala.carte here in Cincy are charcuterie experts & can help you get started. 

1. Start with one of our charcuterie boards

Plan your Menu

Ellie suggests starting with 2-3 of your favorite meats and cheeses. Crowd pleasers include salami, pepperoni, gouda and manchengo. 

The more variety the better to appeal to your entire guest list.

Impress with a Rose

Make a salami rose by layering pieces in a shot glass then flipping upside down.

Position largest items first then smaller. Laura likes to start with any wet items in a dish (think pickles or a jam) then the main items like meats and cheeses.

Mix colors, textures & shapes

Criss crossed cheesed slices, rolled up pepperoni or making a cheese star in the middle can be eye catching, but there's no one way to make a board. 

@a.lala.carte likes to use lots of ingredients, but if you only have a few just split them up and position a few places around the board.

Possibilities are Endless

Laura jokes that traditional charcuterie is a grown-up lunchable, and while traditional charcuterie involves meat the modern version can be anything you want.

Check out this kid-friendly fruit board the sisters made for a birthday.

Enjoy the Experience

The fabulous thing about serving charcuterie at your own party is that there are no rules. Have fun building your board and enjoy!