To brie or not to brie, that is the question.
Updated: Apr 8, 2021
After studying abroad in Paris for a semester, and with plans to move to France for graduate school, it's no secret that I love the French façon de vie. Included in that, without question, is French food.
Great wine. Perfectly-aged meats. Fabulous cheeses. Incredible bread.
No one, à mon avis, does it better ... except maybe my roommate, Mckenna.
Mckenna loves to cook and, on occasion, I'm lucky to enjoy some of the *chef's kiss* dishes she makes. For Galentine's Day, she treated my roomies and me to the ultimate charcuterie and cheese board.
This past year, charcuterie boards have completely taken over social media. This new trend has me thinking about the genesis of charcuterie boards and the artistic interpretations that have taken the food porn genre by storm.
Charcuterie (shahr-cute-uh-ree) is a French word that means smoked, cured or cooked meats (bacon, salami, sausage, ham, pâté, confit, terrines, rillettes, ballotines, and galantines are all considered charcuterie), and traditionally that's all that goes on the board (aside from possibly a few nuts or cornichons).
I’m not a charcuterie connoisseur at all, in fact, I consider myself to be quite a novice. And while I can appreciate tradition, I believe there's so much more to learn and taste! Meat, cheese, fruit, nuts, and chocolate are phenomenal together. It's not customary, but including anything and everything you want on a charcuterie board is more fun.
With macarons, homemade fig butter, and chocolate-covered strawberries, Mckenna's charcuterie board was anything but traditional, but it was incredible and, frankly, a piece of art.
After enjoying such a masterpiece, I encourage you all to think about making a charcuterie board with friends! Use all the colors, flavors, and textures you want to make it vibrant and interesting because why not?
Bon appetit!