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    The Ultimate Bread and Cheese Board: A Regional Pairing Guide

    The Ultimate Bread and Cheese Board: A Regional Pairing Guide

    Few things are as satisfying as the perfect marriage of fresh, warm homemade bread and a thoughtfully curated selection of cheeses to fire off all your senses. The complex flavors and textures of artisan bread pair beautifully with a variety of cheeses, making it the ideal base for an unforgettable cheese board. 

    To celebrate the diversity of American cheese-making, we’ve selected two standout cheeses from each of the four major regions of the U.S. that complement different types of bread.

    Northeast

    1. Jasper Hill Farm Harbison (Vermont) – This soft-ripened cheese has a rich, spoonable texture with hints of woodsy, sweet cream and mushroom. Spread it over a warm slice of rustic country bread for a decadent bite.

    2. Cabot Clothbound Cheddar (Vermont) – Aged to perfection, this crumbly yet creamy cheddar has nutty, caramelized notes that balance the mild acidity of a seeded baguette.

    Southeast

    1. Sweet Grass Dairy Green Hill (Georgia) – This bloomy rind cheese offers a buttery, mild flavor with a slight tang, making it a fantastic pairing for toasted ciabatta.

    2. Sequatchie Cove Cumberland (Tennessee) – A semi-soft, washed-rind cheese with nutty and fruity undertones that elevate the rustic character of whole-grain bread.

    Midwest

    1. Pleasant Ridge Reserve (Wisconsin) – Inspired by alpine cheeses, this nutty, slightly sweet cheese has a firm texture that melts beautifully over a warm piece of sourdough alternative.

    2. Prairie Breeze Cheddar (Iowa) – A well-aged white cheddar with a touch of sweetness and a crystalline crunch, offering a delightful contrast to a soft brioche or light wheat loaf.

    West

    1. Rogue River Blue (Oregon) – This award-winning blue cheese is wrapped in grape leaves soaked in pear brandy, giving it an earthy, slightly boozy depth that pairs excellently with dark rye bread.

    2. Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam (California) – A triple-cream cheese with a luscious, buttery texture that complements a crisp baguette or buttery croissant.
    Perfect Pairings for Your Bread and Cheese Board

    To add a little life and colors to your board, consider a few of these accompaniments:

    Condiments: Locally sourced honey for sweetness, fruit preserves such as fig or apricot jam for a touch of tartness, and whole grain mustard to enhance the savory depth of the cheeses.

    Crunch: Toasted almonds, spiced pecans, or roasted hazelnuts for texture contrast, along with crispy artisan crackers or grissini breadsticks for an extra crunch.

    Other fresh elements: Sliced apples and pears for a refreshing contrast, juicy grapes to balance the saltiness, crisp cucumber slices for a cool bite, and cherry tomatoes for a burst of sweetness and acidity.

    Final Thoughts

    A well-crafted bread and cheese board is an invitation to savor simple yet luxurious flavors. With your amazing homemade bread as the foundation, these regional cheeses will elevate your board and impress your guests. Whether you prefer the robust sharpness of aged cheddar or the creamy indulgence of a triple-cream brie, there’s a perfect pairing for everyone.

    What’s your favorite cheese and bread combination?
    Share your picks in the comments below!

    Choosing the Right Charcuterie or Serving Board for Your Needs

    Choosing the Right Charcuterie or Serving Board for Your Needs

    Not all woods are created equal when it comes to food presentation. The type of wood you choose affects durability, stain resistance, and overall functionality. You may prefer a Hardwood over a softwood due to its strength and ability to resist knife marks. Some hard woods, however, offer unique advantages, such as repelling stains from fruits or resisting moisture from meats and cheeses.

    Some people choose a softwood for serving or charcuterie board because they tend to be
    lighter and easier to carry, making them ideal for gatherings or outdoor events. Additionally, reclaimed softwoods, such as old-growth fir, often have a unique backstory, adding character and history to the presentation. Softwoods can also offer a distinct, rustic aesthetic with beautiful grain patterns that enhance food displays. Lastly, they tend to be more affordable than hardwoods, making them an accessible option for those looking for a functional yet stylish board.

    For both serving and charcuterie boards, some of the hardest woods include maple, walnut, and cherry. Maple is one of the most popular choices due to its durability and fine grain, which prevents deep grooves from knives. Walnut is slightly softer but adds a rich, dark color that enhances the visual appeal of food. Cherry, known for its smooth texture and tight grain, provides a durable and elegant surface that works well for serving various foods.

    If you frequently serve berries, wine, or other colorful foods, choosing a wood that resists staining is essential. Maple, Teak and Cherry are excellent choices because their tight grain structure helps repel moisture and stains. Avoid porous woods like beech or open-grained oak, as they tend to absorb liquids and can become discolored over time.

    Charcuterie boards need to handle moist and oily foods like cheeses and cured meats without absorbing flavors. Walnut and cherry are ideal because they have a fine, closed grain that resists moisture penetration. Additionally, hickory is a great alternative due to its hardness and resistance to moisture.

    For those who prefer the aesthetic of softer woods or want to protect their boards from stains and moisture, using protective coverings are a great option. Decretive plates or wax paper are simple solutions that create a barrier between food and wood.

    Additionally, parchment paper is excellent for preventing grease and moisture from seeping into the surface. Natural, non-toxic leaves such as banana leaves, fig leaves or corn husks (for a Latin flavor) can also be used as decorative and functional barriers, adding a unique presentation while protecting the wood from staining and moisture.  Also, just remember that softer woods are more apt to get scratched or have cut marks from sharp knives- always make sure to use soft blade knives.

    To Sum it Up:

    Whether you need a versatile serving board or a dedicated charcuterie board, selecting the right wood ensures longevity and ease of use. If durability and knife resistance are top priorities, maple and walnut are great choices. For stain resistance, hard maple and cherry are excellent options. When placing meats and cheeses, opt for closed-grain woods like cherry or walnut to prevent unwanted moisture absorption.

     If using softer or more porous woods, such as old-growth or reclaimed fir or beech, consider protective coverings as mentioned above, to maintain the boards appearance and functionality.

    With the right board and precautions based on what you’re serving, your food presentations will look stunning while remaining practical and easy to maintain.

    BEER BATTER FRIED ASPARAGUS w/ GARLIC AIOLI

    BEER BATTER FRIED ASPARAGUS w/ GARLIC AIOLI

    OMGOODNESS these light and crisp Beer Batter Fried Asparagus with Garlic Aioli were absolutely incredible!!! I kind of figured these would turn out pretty good but I didn’t realize just how GOOD they were going to be!
    These are a must-try for sure!

    All served up on my new medium-size The Kitchen Wild Forest Collection serving board by Todd Alan Woodcraft

     

    Fried Asparagus Ingredients:
    1 cup Krusteaz tempura
    1 cup Rogue Colossal Claude beer
    1/2 tsp garlic powder
    1/2 tsp garlic powder
    1/2 tsp pepper
    Oil for frying

                                                         

    Directions:
    Preheat oil to 375°
    Mix all ingredients in a bowl, dip asparagus to coat evenly and deep fry until golden brown. Approximately 1 minute per side. 


    Garlic Aioli Ingredients:
    3 garlic cloves
    1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
    1/2 cup Mayo
    1 Tbsp. Fresh squeezed lemon juice
    2 Tbsp. Olive oil
    1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce


    Directions:
    With a mortar and pestle smash garlic with coarse sea salt until mixed into a smooth paste.
    In a small mixing bow, add Mayo, lemon juice, olive oil, Worcestershire and garlic mixture.
    With a hand mixer, mix for approximately one minute.

    Charcuterie 101

    Charcuterie 101

    Charcuterie 101 

    What is charcuterie? By definition, charcuterie, (pronounced “shar-ku-tuh-ree”) is the art of preparing and assembling cured meats and meat products. This French term, which originated centuries ago, only recently gained popularity as the trend of charcuterie boards has skyrocketed to high status. 

    So, why is charcuterie suddenly all the rage? First of all, it’s a casual, yet intimate way to enjoy food. A charcuterie board promotes gathering and conversation. It also sparks aesthetic and culinary interest, causing guests to linger longer and create lasting memories. 

     

     

    Second, because of the variety offered on a charcuterie platter, there is something for everyone. Every pallet, dietary need, or food restriction will be satisfied from the multiple offerings on a single board. In addition to cured meats, traditional charcuterie boards offer fruits (both dried and fresh), pickled vegetables, nuts, seeds, cheeses, crackers, and dips such as honey, jam, or hummus. 

     

     

    Third, charcuterie boards are beautiful to look at and as the saying goes, pretty food is more fun to eat! 

    The sky is the limit when it comes to creativity; charcuterie boards are a true form of art! 

     

    What makes a great Charcuterie presentation.

    What makes a great Charcuterie presentation.

    One of the most confusing things to the average, non-Chef’s of the world is,  “What exactly is Charcuterie and how do you even pronounce it correctly?”  Two valid questions, when there are so many things considered by so many different Chef’s to be Charcuterie. Solving the easiest of those two questions first; According to a google search, there are two best ways to pronounce Charcuterie. 

    The first being “shahr-kew-tree” and by other accounts “shahr-kew-te-ree” is also an acceptable way to pronounce it. 

    To me, both pronunciations sound the same- so as long as you’re not saying “Char-koot-tahaa-ree” you’re good. 

    Now we’ll tackle the harder question of what exactly is Charcuterie, and what does it entail?  What kinds of meat, cheeses, fruit- even what kind of boards and knives do you use? 

    Modern Charcuterie is such a broad range of things, so we can narrow it down into something you and your family can do at home, or when entertaining friends or business associates. 

    Historically Charcuterie consist of basically three things- sliced meat, cheese and a wooden serving board.  

    Now, modern Charcuterie goes well beyond these 3 simple things with the addition of fruits, nuts, breads, jams, jellies, pickled items and small one bite desserts all fall under the term Charcuterie. 

    There are a lot of choices and options now to serve your family or events guests- so the sky is the limit for what you can create by mixing and matching any kind bite sized Hors d'oeuvre.

    The Board.


    Technically, any kind of serving board or tray could be used for Charcuterie, and that’s why at Todd Alan Woodcraft,  we sell boards in the main category they were intended for but if you read the descriptions of the boards we create, we detail further what they could be alternatively used for. 

    Of course, we strongly suggest Wood boards for the natural, organic feel that they add to any dinner or event atmosphere.

    Wood boards are also the most commonly associated with Charcuterie and depending on the board, it can add a modern elegant or rustic look to your table.

    We offer a Charcuterie specific category of boards, but some of our serving boards would be awesome for a charcuterie layout as well.  

    We tend to make the Charcuterie boards a bit longer and wider as to be beautiful centerpiece table toppers. Normally serving boards are small to medium and shorter in length.  We try to vary our serving board sizes, to fit them into multiple categories, while still keeping the serving boards unique characteristics.

    Either way, all our Serving or Charcuterie boards are great for laying out a beautiful presentation.

    Though there are many variations in color and style of wood for Charcuterie, we suggest finding foods you like that go with, and compliment your boards features. 

    Contrasting colors, or uniquely shaped foods that compliment the board are a great way to do this as Charcuterie is not just about taste, it’s about the art of the visual design as well.

    Be creative and make whatever board you pick, make your Charcuterie an expression of the artistic branch of your foodie life.

    Mustard.

    One basic essential of any good Charcuterie board is having some savory and spicy elements. One of the best ways to incorporate both of these is to add a little Mustard. We suggest adding two basics to start with Yellow (or sometimes called “White”), Brown or as most commonly people refer to as Dijon.
     
    Other great additions to the board are garlic mustard, maple or honey mustard, spicy brown and even siracha style mustard. We suggest having small serving bowls and a cheese spreading knife or small tea spoon for guests to spread the mustard on whatever finger food they’ve picked up.
     

    Meats / Cheese / Fruits / Spreads and other yummy things.

    Here’s a short list of traditional and modern accoutrements for an exceptional Charcuterie board, which would sure to be a crowd pleaser.
    One thing we do suggest, is under oily foods. place something to keep the foods from having direct contact with the wood. Especially for pungent foods such as truffle infused butters, meats and other aged pungent cheeses.  The oils from these make cleaning and oder removal a harder task than it needs to be when it permeates and infuses the natural oil and wax used in cleaning and preserving your board.
    A few items you can use as a buffer between the wood and foods are: Wax Paper, Leaf Lettuce, Kale, Arugula, Small plates or bowls.

    Cheese.

    If you aren’t familiar with more than basic American and Cheddar cheeses, its always good to ask the manager of the the local cheese department of your favorite store what Artisan cheeses they might suggest for you.  Also, the same goes for meat department managers as well. 

    Tell them a little about what you’re looking to make, the type of event and most department managers are more than happy to help you select items that will be popular with your guests and work well together. 

    Some great cheeses to use are brie, blue cheese/gorgonzola, camembert, gouda, gruyere, goat cheese (block, not crumble), cream cheese, different flavors of jack, cheddar or mozzarella, havarti. There are harder cheeses like parmesan, asiago and romano which are great additions to the board.

    One tip: If you are using a strong ripened cheese or something pungent, separate the cheese by a few items between them, so over the course of your night or event, the taste of that stronger cheese doesn’t infuse into any mild or bland cheeses around it. And also remember what we said about pungent cheeses making direct contact with your board.

    Meats.

    Common meats served with Charcuterie are: salami, pepperoni, jambon, prosciutto other types of sausages or dried game meats. For a more modern Charcuterie board, smoked meats, Paté from different types of poultry, mousse and pickled meats are usually well received by guests.
    Cold-cuts are also acceptable, but with those, to make easier for your guests to pick them up we suggest rolling them.

    A easy to make crowd favorite is to take sliced Turkey cold-cuts and spread about a tablespoon of whipped cream cheese on each of the turkey slices. Place a very thin sliced pickle spear off to one side of each slice and roll the pickle spear to make a turkey wrap. Put a toothpick in the center to hold the wrap into place. 

    Fruits, Nuts and Vegetables. 

    A great addition to a meat and cheese board are savory and sweet tastes. Also hearty and earthy flavors of veggies add to the many variety of tastes available for modern Charcuterie options. Just remember to take into consideration anyone you know who has a nut allergy when designing your layout and design as you may want to omit nuts. We suggest unshelled nuts only, because shells can get messy and into other foods on the board.

    Here are some great additions to your board:
    almonds (plain or seasoned), peanuts (plain or seasoned), cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, seasoned pine nut (in a bowl with a spoon), pickled vegetables (onions, cauliflower, asparagus, peppers, carrots  gherkins), black olives, mediterranean olive varieties, artichoke hearts, carrots (sliced, or sticks), roasted red peppers, celery sticks, zucchini slices, sugar snap peas, green beans, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, grapes, pear slices, apple slices, sliced kiwi, pineapple, cherries, figs… the list could go on and on. 
    Mix and match colors and come up with come innovative flavor combinations! 

    Sweets.

    Other than honey, normally sweets haven’t been a part of a Charcuterie spread, but are now gaining more and more acceptance as professional chefs, caterers and event hosts have been  increasingly using them in their designs.
    Some simple ideas for sweets to add to your culinary line-up are: chocolate squares or candies (dark, milk or white), dried fruit (blueberries, cranberries, raisins, peaches, apricots, apples), small cream puffs, bite-sized cakes and cheesecakes, cake pops and mini-doughnuts. Chocolate covered strawberries are always a popular choice. 
    We don’t  suggest adding wrapped candy or pastry items to the boards, no matter what quality the candy or pastry might be. Wrappers cheapen the look and take away from the over all aesthetics of the board. Plus, sometime- and I hate to say it- but people can be a little sloth and just place the wrapper down without being mindful of the food around it and you don’t want a wrapper getting into something you’ve spent time cooking/baking or designing. 
    Many people like to add jams and jellies, or a small tea light candle fondu pot of melted chocolate to dip marshmallows or pretzels in. 
    Pepper jellies are great and add a little sweet heat to your board. One thing we love to do is take a block of a little less than room temperature cream cheese or goat cheese,  place it on a small plate, then pour jalapeño pepper jelly over it. We garnish the cheese and jelly with some kind of berries and serve it with whole wheat crackers and a spreading Cheese knife. It’s a crowd favorite every time.
    We also suggest fig spreads, orange marmalade, apricot marmalade, Sweetened canned cherries and berry preserves. These can be served in bowls with spoons, or over different foods.

    Bread, Spread and everything else.

    Crostini, bread (sourdough, rye, wheat, rustic wheat, cheese, so on),  wheat crackers, rye crackers, chickpea crackers and depending on your spread, chips and pretzels add to the many things you can add meats, cheese, spreads, mousse and paté too.  They are great for dipping, spreading and as a platform for stabilizing meats and cheese while eating. 
    Dips are spreads are an easy to add item to your Charcuterie board, but the one important thing to remember is keeping these cool- as they can go bad with bacteria once they stay at room temperature for a short while. If you are going to use dips, make sure to do some research on proper ways to keep them cool. 
    Things you can add are hummus, ranch dip, onion dip, blue cheese dips, and other types of spreads for veggies, meats and breads. Olive oil and balsamic vinegar together plated, or in a small bowl, makes for a great bread dip.  Room temperature butter is also a good addition, with an easy spreading butter knife. 
    Last food items we’ll mention are things like pickled hard boiled eggs, pickled quail eggs are popular items to add, either whole or sliced, sautéed foods- which have been chilled and plated, like mushrooms and onions are excellent toppers for a cracker/mousse combination. 
    One thing we suggest staying away from is seafood and fish- unless you read up on proper techniques to keep your seafood and fish chilled throughout your evening or event.  You run the risk of food borne bacteria quickly developing and also, fish unless presented properly can infuse into the wood and be one of the hardest smells to remove from a wood board.


    Knives.

    Finally, what serving utensils and knives are important to have available to guests? Cheese knives are a must, one for the softer more spreadable cheeses, and a knife for the harder cheeses that take more effort to cut.
    The two types of Cheese knives we suggest you have available for your dinner or event are: a Fork-Tipped Spear knife which works great for both cutting, slicing and also the tip can be used for picking up the cheese and the second is a Soft Cheese Knife. These are both essential for your cheese plates.  Soft cheese knives can also be used for spreading mousse, paté, jams and jellies.  An additional knife, though not essential, yet very handy is a Cheese fork. This is useful for picking up not only cheese, but also meats, veggies and fruit as well.  
     
    As far as plating and serving, that is up to you, your budget and creativity. 
    Many party supply stores have plate and napkin styles for a variety of budgets. We suggest if serving food that needs spoons, knives and forks, that you don’t use plastic- as they can be dangerous around foods if they shatter or break.
    We hope this helps settle some of your questions on what is or isn’t Charcuterie, what boards work the best, what food choices are available for your boards, and helps take any confusion out of planning for your Charcuterie.   
    Realistically when it’s all said and done, nowadays creating a unique and imaginative Charcuterie board is whatever you can dream and imagine.
    So be creative and have a lot of fun with it! 
    To see our full line of beautiful Todd Alan Woodcraft Charcuterie Boards Click Here.