Charcuterie? How Do You Pronounce That. . .?

What is a charcuterie board?
 
 
 Maybe the best place to start is how to pronounce "Charcuterie." Well, it depends. If you say it in English it is pronounced "shahr-ku-tuh-ree". If you speak French, and some may say the correct way, it is then pronounced "shar-coo-tree". (The word charcuterie originated in France and means a pork butcher shop) It can also be pronounced, "a wonderful board that has all the delightful and tasty foods imaginable resting upon it, ready for the picking!"
 
 So why are we talking about charcuterie boards? If you haven't heard the word yet, be prepared because it'll soon be coming to a gathering near you. The boards and the idea itself is becoming a new movement when it comes to serving food and entertaining. Quickly fading into the past is the idea of placing each food item on its own serving dish and getting in line to grab one item at a time. On a charcuterie board, food is placed over the entire board and directly on the board without serving dishes. (If you don't like your food touching on your plate, I can only imagine the nightmarish image this must be; but it really is done nicely. :-)
 
 In its truest form, a charcuterie board would only consist of meats. However, we're in the TODAY... if it is your board, you can do whatever you like, as most do, by beautifully decorating the board with all of your guests' and your favorite foods.
 
 The clean up afterward is now really simple. Wash a board or two with soap and water then dry. Gone is the need to wash multiple serving dishes. With many charcuterie boards, the protective layer covering the wood causes the food not to stick, making cleaning fast and easy.
 
 If you haven't tried eating or hosting this way, I invite you to try it out. It is fun, creative, more social, and easy. Charcuterie Boards can also be called food platters and they don't get offended; I have found that the taste of the food is just as good.
 
 Bon appétit and enjoy.
 
 Have you become a "Charcutier"? (No, I didn't just make that word up.) If you are, feel free to share your display pix below or make comments.