6 rules for an insanely delicious snack board
Say wine, snacks or haute cuisine and the gourmands at online food magazine FavorFlav know where to drink, how to eat it and what to cook. This time our cheffies serve you: a ridiculously delicious snack board.
A leftover of cold cuts, some crusts of bread, a few stray Skittles, and that apple that really needs to be eaten: just a few examples for the Snack Board. Of course, you can also call it a charcuterie board, because we are relaxed types. But that's not really what it is! So what is it then?
Well, with the charcuterie board you might pour a drink, like an unparalleled rum and cola. But the snack board is actually meant to just nibble on a bit throughout the day, from morning until afternoon. (Until it's time for the charcuterie board.)
The idea behind it? That you still went out as little as possible to shop, and thus often have some leftovers to process before you go grocery shopping again. And that it might just be that you sit at home working behind your computer for many days, and you're tired of trudging to the fridge every twenty minutes to see what you're going to shove in your mouth again. Frames people, that's what we need. And perspective. Well, the prospect of this board offers excellent perspective! And these are the rules, as Amanda Mitchell wrote them for food site Bon Appétit :
Rule 1: There are (almost) no rules
Do what you want! If chaos is your friend, a snack board is your bestie. All you need is a bit of everything. So a spicy cheese (we love Appenzeller®), some fresh grapes, any fruit you feel like, a few slices of ham or some leftover pulled tender chicken breast, some salty sticks (even though they are mega bad for belly fat), a handful of nuts, and of course those stray M&M's can join in too.
Rule 2: We do not call this a charcuterie board
Charcuterie is a category in itself. Fine, beautiful cold cuts, which need little more than some cornichons and maybe some good bread with the tastiest butter. You build the best charcuterie board like this, and we agree that there should never be stray M&M's on it.
Rule 3: It's also a party by yourself
You can always make a charcuterie board for yourself, but the idea behind it is more about sharing. So that you can toast together and have a drink to whatever is still fun in life, or just that you've managed to hold out for nine months in that stupid lockdown. But you definitely don't have to share a snack board. You can just make it in the morning, keep it within reach, and nibble on it whenever you feel like it.
Rule 4: Work with what you have
Going grocery shopping for your snack board is precisely NOT the intention. You might as well just get everything in for a frozen margarita pie, or a bowl of steaming ramen noodle soup. We're not doing that now. Be creative, and do it with what you already have at home. That's why all those weird leftovers and chips and candies can also go on it, and everything to clear out your vegetable drawer!
Rule 5: It can look nice, but not too
A cinnamon stick with a ribbon around it cannot be eaten. And a half bush of rosemary can't either, and a boho-hip flower in a hand-blown vase can't either. So they don't belong on your snack board. Save them for when you're setting the table for that Christmas with three guests.
Rule 6: Avoid the biggest stinkers and crumbly items
If you lock yourself in the study/broom closet with your snack board, to have all that deliciousness within reach while working from home all day, you don't want to suffocate in blue cheese smell. There are other moments for that. And crackers that crumble as soon as you look at them are also not handy above your keyboard. Where do they belong then? On the charcuterie board! Try to ensure handy, bite-sized pieces that you can just slide in one go. Enjoy!
Source: Bon Appétit
