Around the Board

by Emily Delaney

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Around the Board is a well written and beautifully illustrated guide to charcuterie and cheese boards by Emily Delaney. Due out 29th March 2022 from Penguin Random House on their DK imprint, it's 192 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

DK's dependability with nonfiction is well documented. They're really good with illustrated how-to guides and this one is no exception. The author presents a comprehensive general introduction full of basic instructions on how to make boards, how to choose ingredients, how to serve them and more. The introduction is followed by seasonal specialty servings (Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall) full of appropriate and attractive food, well curated and presented.

The book is full to bursting with useful tables and choices; showing what cheese goes with which fruit and showing readers how to pair ingredients to show them at their best. I'm generally fairly clueless about *what* will complement *which* and I felt that the information contained here gave me enough confidence to make a somewhat educated choice as far as arrangement and choices. Not just enough with specific advice about which types of cheese and meat to provide, the author goes a step further and shows how to slice, fold, and prepare meats and cheeses so that they're accessible and portable for serving.

Each of the specific board tutorials in the book contains an introduction, a bullet point shopping list, a tutorial for building the recipe, (with ingredients on a color photo showing how to build it), and suggestions for pairings of food for flavor and texture. All the photos in the book are large, high contrast, and in color, without hands or anything in the way.

Many of the ingredients will be easy to find at any large supermarket or box-store. Some of the more specialized cheeses and charcuterie will require mail order or access to a large urban area, or specialist grocer. Serving suggestions are beautifully styled and attractive (it's the high point of the book for me).

Five stars. This would make a great choice for library acquisition, for the home cook, or possibly as a thoughtful hostess gift.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.