Shelly Westerhausen and Wyatt Worcel - Platters and Boards

This book is dedicated to our parents: Jan, Curt, Connie, Al, Denise & Marty

Copyright 2018 by Shelly Westerhausen.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

ISBN 9781452164205 (epub, mobi)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Westerhausen, Shelly, author. | Worcel, Wyatt, author.
Title: Platters and boards : beautiful, casual spreads for every occasion / Shelly Westerhausen & Wyatt Worcel.
Description: San Francisco : Chronicle Books, [2018]
Identifiers: LCCN 2017016523 | ISBN 9781452164151 (hc : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Buffets (Cooking) | Cooking. | Entertaining. | Food presentation. | LCGFT: Cookbooks.
Classification: LCC TX738.5 .W47 2018 | DDC 642/.4dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017016523

Design by Alice Chau

Prop and food styling by Shelly Westerhausen

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You may have discovered your favorite cheese on the appetizer table at a siblings wedding. Maybe your favorite night out is a drink and crudits with your best friends. Perhaps your first date was over a pot of chocolate fondue, spearing a variety of fruits and breads to drag through the dark, warm, sweet melt. Whatever your connection to boards and platters may be, this book is meant to take those special and celebratory moments of bonding over shared food into the realm of the everyday.

Have you been eyeing a beautiful walnut cutting board or a slab of slate to use as a cheese plate? This book will tell you how to make the most of all sorts of beautiful surfaces to arrange and display memorable meals and snacks. With the trend of boards taking center stage in the exploding food scene at places such as Meat & Cheese in Aspen, Colorado, Cheese & Crack Snack Shop in Portland, Oregon, and the Cheese Plate in New Paltz, New York, Platters and Boards is the perfect guide to help you bring these spreads into your own home.

Platters, boards, and spreads are perfect as fancy or casual starters, meals, or desserts, for a group of any size. Boards can be scaled up or down to accommodate two to two hundred hungry (or noshy) people. All the recipes in this book can easily be halved, quartered, tripled, or quadrupled to fit your needs. Youll find tips and tricks for sizing your board to fit your guest count in the first chapter.

Nothing is more versatile than a meal built on a board; it is a blank canvas for your creativity... or leftovers. Its a great way to use up whatever vegetables, cheeses, jams, or meats you have hanging around in your refrigerator, or use it as an opportunity to try new foods. Take a trip to that new cheese shop youve been meaning to visit or spend some time in the bulk section of your grocery store picking out an array of bulk foods worth adding to a board. Its the perfect excuse to buy a chunk of that fancy chocolate youve wanted to try or to strike up a conversation with someone at your local wine shop or winery about pairing suggestions. These artisan items elevate your creation to a conversation piece at the dinner table or your next party; people love trying new things, and boards allow them to sample a little bit of everything.

The process of putting a board together is almost as enjoyable as the noshing itself. Whether you are interested in using up what you have on hand or trying something new, take this as an opportunity to get inspired and be creative. Platters are easy to curate seasonally by featuring fruits and vegetables that are currently thriving in your area. They can also be built around a theme or the kind of items you have in your cabinet and refrigerator. Of course there are lots of ideas in this book for you, too.

Many of the boards in this book are centered around cheese, but dont let that fool you; boards and platters can be more than just cheese boards! Build your board around a central theme. That theme could be a time of year (pick produce from the spring, summer, fall, or winter), an event (a brunch gathering, a housewarming party), or even a place (a park picnic, a beach adventure). Think of it as a work of art for both the eyes and the mouth. You can pile vegetables high for a colorful, healthy tray or fill a board to the rim with candy and chocolates for a platter that appeals to the sweet tooth.

As you navigate this book, keep in mind that each board and platter has a complementary recipe, a drink pairing, and a meat suggestion from Wyatt (with the exception of the sweet boards). All the boards and recipes themselves are vegetarian with the option to add meat if youd prefer. We did this because we wanted to be able to feed our veg- and meat-loving friends alike. The meat is additional; the boards are complete without.

As a couple with one vegetarian and one meat eater, we know firsthand how difficult it can be to create meals that satisfy both of us. We experience this in our own kitchen and at family gatherings and parties, so we are pleased that this book can bridge a gap between various diets. It is our intention that all the boards in this book are easy to size to any group, and easy to cater to many diets!

I am the meat-free, animal-loving food writer who lives for devouring freshly baked bread and wandering new farmers markets. Most of the writing and all the photography is mine, with meat suggestions contributed by Wyatt. I brought him in because Ive been a vegetarian for more than fifteen years, and although I believe that meat-free meals are enough, I understand that many people want more. This is why meat is a choice in this book, an addition to make the meal more robust. As a vegetarian living with a meat eater, Ive always struggled to find recipes or books that manage to accommodate both diets.

As an avid food nibbler, I often find myself craving a little of everything, so Ive been known to build little spreads out of whatever I find in the refrigerator and pantry. As my collection of boards and platters began to grow, I started making bigger spreads for guests when theyd pop by for a late-afternoon cocktail or evening dinner party. Ive grown to love this casual approach to serving both myself and a big crowd. Its rewarding to use up whatever I have on hand, and all the different colors and textures satisfy my love of food styling and my desire to nibble on a little bit of everything.

Ill be your resource for all things meaty in this book. I am an underground techno artist and run a small tape label on the side, and I love to skateboard with my boxer dog, Tuko. When not working on music or hanging with my pup, I spend time helping my partner, Shelly, with food projects by hand modeling and devouring the leftover food.