Gathering Boards: Seasonal Cheese and Charcuterie Spreads for Easy and Memorable Entertaining

Tuthill, a food and lifestyle journalist and caterer, debuts with a book that offers beautiful and delicious ideas for food boards. Her cookbook describes in great detail how to achieve both with little effort. Board spreads are currently popular for every sort of get-together, and this book unlocks the secrets to creating them. There are some basics that are extremely helpful, such as charts that describe general characteristics of different cheeses and cured meats to help readers choose between them. There are discussions of how to cut and handle cheeses and meats to maximize their attractiveness, including instructions on how to construct a salami rose. Additions such as fruit, veggies, nuts, pickles, and olives fill the gaps. The suggestions for choosing what surface to display the food on, whether a simple cutting board or something as outlandish as a fishing tackle box, will spark the imagination. Seasonal board suggestions include recipes for paired cocktails and dips.