Your Own Charcuterie

 Charcuterie used to mean just a plate of sliced cold cuts, some cheese and a host of bread and crackers .now it['s a board filled with everything from seafood to candy. Anything you can pull together makes for an interesting buffet for the New Year.

Charcuterie boards of any type are easy to make up and fun to nibble from. You don't have to have a traditional wooden board that's typically used for cheeses. any flat surface will do. You can use a platter or a large enough cutting board. Even baking sheets will do in a pinch. Should you line it with aluminum foil? You can.it guarantees an easy  clean up however you can also use large , pretty napkins too. paper ones can work as well. Traditional charcuterie platters originated in France and featured mostly pork  based cold cuts like Jambon de Bayonne and Jambon de Paris, the last can be bought in Whole Foods.  Thickly sliced ham and thickly sliced salame are the basis of an American charcuterie board. You can also include prosciutto and sopprasutta as well. Cheeses are a must. Brie would be a good choice along with Gruyere and a soft cheese like Edam. If you want include goat cheese as well. some add cornichons,  along with green and black olives.Both bread and crackers should be included. Thinly sliced French and Italian bread are perfect for this but sourdough and even rye or pumpernickel can be used. Any kind of cracker is perfect. Vary them, from  buttery Ritz to Japanese rice ones.

The definition has expanded to include other foods. Vegans can delight in a meat free board. Tofurky and Light life have a good selection of cold cuts. You can get ham , turkey and pepperoni and even bologna. Cheeses aren't a problem either. Miyoko's  Creamery has an excellent array of them, from mozzarella to  creamy Road house.  You could even serve the company's plant based  butter on warmed, crusty slices of sourdough bread. Violife also has some tasty dairy free fromages like Provolone and feta. You can still serve cornichons along with  some other veggies such as artichoke hearts  and fresh veggies with a vinaigrette dip. Seafood is taking its' turn at the charcuterie board. Shrimp cocktail is a must, Make sure you have little cups or ramekins of shrimp sauce with it.Crab legs can also be included along with lobster tails. These can be served warm or cold, with either individual lemon slices or melted butter. If you're ambitious enough you could also make California or dragon rolls too with it. Lox can also be served if you want too along with gravlax. Keep the veggies to a minimum and mix the cheese. Try a small sampling of carrots , celery or broccoli with a simple olive oil and lemon or vinegar dressing.

There's nothing like a charcuterie board. Go with the traditional or try a variation. either way is a great fun feast.

Forget Sourdough Try These Breads

 For some reason sourdough bread was the hit of the lock down. Home bakers took to it like a duck to water. Yet there are so many other breads to try - from white to rye to whole wheat. These are just as delicious and even easier to whip up.

White bread always gets a bad wrap. It's probably because of the store bought processed kind which has the taste and texture of a kitchen sponge. However homemade white bread is an entirely different kind. It's soft and chewy, perfect on it's own with butter or jam or used for sandwiches. The ingredients are fairly straightforward - flour yeast, water, honey, salt and butter. some home bakers add a tiny bit of vinegar to keep the texture soft and the flavor not too sweet. As for flour, yes you can use regular white but some home bakers prefer bread flour which gives it a much more chewier bite. Keep in mind you can also make bread rolls too. These are fun to make and can be topped with an egg wash and poppy/sesame seeds. A variation is the baguette. The dough recipe is slightly different, with the omission of honey and butter. A few tip before making it. You can buy French bread loaf pans at good kitchen stores such as Williams Sonoma and Sur La Table. Another instrument to buy is a baker's  lame which looks like a toothbrush with a small razor at the end instead of a brush. This is used for creating those classic slashes and "rips" on the top of the bread. Ice  - yes ice is used to create that ultra crusty crust. Toss three to four cubes on the oven floor to create steam that will crisp up the loaf.

For those wanting a  healthier slice,  think whole wheat. King Arthur brand has the best wheat flour and it can be bought at any grocery store or super store like Wal-Mart. Most recipes call for honey(if you want to continue with the all natural vibe, then use organic honey) along with water, yeast and salt. Again like with white bread the dough can be sectioned off into rolls whether for dinner or just lunchtime sandwiches. Another dark bread that's easy to make - and even easier to eat is pumpernickel.Its' dark color comes from the blend of whole wheat flour and dark cocoa powder while the unique taste comes from unsulphured  molasses. These would be great baked into rolls and served with a hearty steak dinner or  beef stew. The most classic brown bread is rye. This is a blend of rye flour - again use King Arthur or arrowhead Mills brands for this along with butter and warm milk. Carraway seeds are added for the traditional anise flavor. It isn't done much but you can make rye rolls, which are perfect for ham or pastrami sandwiches.

Try new breads if you're tired of baking sourdough. Try something different with the same amount of flavor and crusty crust. It could be a baguette or a rye roll. Get creative and expand your bread repertoire.

A Good German Brown Bread

The Germans are known for their passion for baking. They make the decadently luscious Black Forest cake along with melt in your mouth cookies and pretzels. They should be commended on their breads which come in a variety of whole grains and standard white. These are pure heaven whether eaten with butter or with cold cuts like liverwurst.

I recently had the chance to enjoy a well baked German loaf of brown bread at the famed annual Volkfest in North Bergen , New Jersey.  The Old German Bakery of nearby Hoboken set up a booth and their wares were irresistible.Not only did I get a bag  full of tasty home made pretzels but also an unusual triangular dark bread . It was from Germany  and full of wholesome grains. Dark breads are a German tradition and there are several kinds. The best known is pumpernickel however there are also dark ryes that are good with any Teutomic cold cuts. The bakery is owned by a couple from the country and their goods and also ingredients are flown in from Germnay.

My bread was superb. I sliced it in thin slices and slathered the first pieces with butter..The mix of sweet butter with the salty, malty  graininess was just inspiring. After trying it I instantly decided that this would be the perfect base for any German cold cuts. I bought Boars Head liverwurst and with the dark bread - an excellent pairing. Dark bread bring out the rich flavor of deli meats. The liverwurst actually tasted sweeteand it was even creamy next to the slice;s rough texture.I would have loved to have tried it with that deli rarity - teawurst. Tomorrow it may grace bologna or ham along with a slathering of mustard.

Nothing beats a good loaf of German brown bread. Every slice is a wonderful mix of healthy and tasty. It can go with just ordinary butter or a delicious slice of German cold cuts.

The Dark Side Of Bread

If you're getting tired of white bread, you may want to try the alternatives. There are a variety of dark breads out there from rye to pumpernickel. These are flavorful and good as toast or just as a sandwich bread.

Rye bread has been around since Anglo Saxon times. it is a staple of Germany and eastern Europe although it was also popular in the United Kingdom. as tasty as it is , it did have a bad rap when rye bread also produced the brain altering ergot disease. Modern day rye breads are fine, making an excellent base for roast beef, pastrami and corned beef sandwiches. Rye slices make excellent toast and are good with bacon and eggs.

Another good choice is pumpernickel. This is a variation of rye and sourdough, originating in Westphalia Germany (yes, that Westaphalia, Germany where the luscious Westphalian hams comes from).The bread gets its' dark color from the addition of either molasses, cocoa powder or coffee and comes out of the oven usually a dark brown or black color. Pumpernickel is good with any kind of pork cold cut such as ham (and usually slathered with sharp German mustard). Pumpernickel rolls are also a good accompaniment to any kind of hearty, winter soup. The name means the devil's gas. I prefer the story where Napoleon first saw this bread and wouldn't eat it. He declared. "C'est pain pour Nicole". "It's bread for (my horse ) Nicole." and hence the name.

If you're tired of white bread then head for the darker ones. They add some zest and flavor to ordinary sandwiches, rolls and even toast.