ENTERTAINING: Charcuterie Board for the Win!
Sometimes it is difficult meeting many dietary needs in one seating, in addition to offering a wide selection of foods. One of our solutions is to offer a charcuterie board where guests can assemble their own plates to suit their fancies.
char·cu·te·rie Noun.
Pronunciation – SHärˈko͞odərē
Cold cooked meats, collectively.–the Oxford Dictionary
At the White Rose Manor, we have found a charcuterie selection, complete with aged cheeses, crackers, fresh fruits, olives, nuts, and more, a beautiful complement to an afternoon gathering. We have one of our guests to thank for the full table charcuterie concept. It was well received.
Dietary preferences and/or restrictions are becoming more common. While in the 1970s Burger King touted, “Have it your way!” and gave consumers an opportunity to customize their hamburgers, it was a new concept. Since then, special requests have become the norm. Often we hear requests for “no onions” or statements like “I do not like . . . ” There is also the serious concern of true allergies where an ingredient can make a person seriously ill or worse. An individual’s allergy to gluten, soy, and/or nuts easily fall into this course. There are many more allergens as well.
Since 2018, some of our own family members have entered into the food allergen arena. We have: one who has a gluten sensitivity; one who has celiac disease (gluten allergy); one who needs to be lactose-free; and one who is allergic to soy AND black pepper (well, all peppers, but black seems to pack the hardest punch). If you are, like I am, living with no food allergies/sensitivities, we are fortunate. Others, not so. My experience with cooking from scratch has helped me easily adapt my recipes to meet these special needs.
My love for hospitality and lifelong investment in being a part of the industry has helped me understand the “wants” and “needs” of our guests. At the White Rose Manor, we do our best to meet both. Appetizers and small plates are available for our guests to add to their overnight reservations. A charcuterie plate is one of the selections. Mind you, the small plate size is not quite as grand as the full charcuterie board pictured, but we hope you get the idea.
Wonderfully yours,
Alice
