CONTEMPORARY cuisine
START AT THE BOTTOM An oversized wooden cutting board is classic, but options abound. Really, a flat, clean slab of just about anything will work. A cookie sheet with a decorative towel? Great idea! A scrap piece of plywood washed and rinsed? That works. Directly on the counter top, table, or kitchen island? Absolutely! Hint: layout some parchment paper first for easy cleanup.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MEAT The original charcuterers in 15th-century France would cure and store meats to be sold throughout the year in local villages. In the modern English vernacular, charcuterie evokes visions of piled platters of various fresh delicacies, but the meat is the star of the show. Start by selecting and placing a variety of flavorful cured meats around your board and build everything else around them.
VISUAL FIESTA Look for ways to make it visually enticing. Bright reds, earthy greens and browns, warm, buttery yellows, rich purples, and pops of white make eyes open wide and mouths water in preparation for that first delicious bite.
A FEAST FOR THE SENSES CHARCUTERIE
CHARCUTERIE [“SHAR-CUTE-ER-REE”] IN DIRECT TRANSLATION FROM FRENCH MEANS “PORK-BUTCHER’S SHOP”. UNDERSTOOD
MEANINGS ALSO INCLUDE COLD MEAT, COOKED MEAT, AND DELICATESSEN.
56 | IDC MAGAZINE
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