Antonelli's tips for the perfect cheese board
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A recent board I made with an obscene amount of cheese for three pals. Photo: Nicole Cobler/Axios
👋 Nicole here with a very serious problem: I can't stop making charcuterie boards.
What's happening: I've made a cheese board almost once a week for the last few months.
- It's fun and intimate to pick snacks off a shared tray with your closest friends.
- My boards still don't come close to the ones you see on social media, but I've worked hard to make each one better than the last.
Get smart: Gesturing to the cured meats often found on these boards, charcuterie comes from French words meaning "cooked flesh."
Zoom in: As part of my effort to make a perfect board, I recently headed to Soho House for a class hosted by Antonelli's Cheese, which offers tastings and classes around town.
They offered up these tips:
- Variety: Choose different textures and flavors for your cheese, and aim for a mix of different milk types. An odd number of cheeses — three or five selections — also helps better design your board.
- Accompaniments: Make your board more colorful and tasty with fruits, nuts, pickles, jams, honey, mustards and bread or crackers.
- Portion sizes: Plan 1-2 ounces of cheese and ½ to 1 ounce of charcuterie per person for appetizers.
Yes, but: Cheese can be expensive. Most grocery stores have scraps on sale, which I've found to be an easy way to fill your board and keep the costs down.
Bonus pro tip: Let your cheese get to room temperature for better flavor before serving (about 30-60 minutes out of the fridge).