Fleur de Lolly: Let creativity run rampant with charcuterie

If you’d like to have friends over for a game night or movie night, but the thought of cooking scares you, a charcuterie board is an answer to that situation. Charcuterie (pronounced “shar-COO-tur-ree”) is, in its basic form, a meat and cheese board. However, trust me on this one: Once you start assembling all the goodies, it’s hard to know when to stop. The fun part is you can choose such a variety of meats, cheese, different types of bread, crackers and fruit. Let your creativity run rampant, set out a gorgeous spread and invite friends over to enjoy.

Remember, the larger the board, the more food items you will need to fill all the spaces. Rectangular shaped boards will give a more pleasing visual presentation than a square board. You’ll need a variety of small bowls, candy dishes or ramekins. These don’t have to match. Fill them with honey (include the honeycomb if possible), stuffed olives, cornichons, pickled okra, whole grain mustard, fig preserves and a mixed selection of salted nuts.