First off, don’t feel like you have to go crazy. I love a simple charcuterie board. You can do just one meat and one cheese and have some mustard and good bread and call it a day. Or you could also go crazy and make a huge impressive platter! You do you. You are after all, the star of your meat and cheese bar.

Grab your board. Just in case you’re wondering, do you need a fancy marble and wood charcuterie board? The answer is nope, you can use any old cutting board or plate you have at home! In these photos we used a baking sheet.
Little bowls. Put down a couple of small bowls for things like olives, rillettes, mustards, jams, dips, nuts, anything that you don’t want spreading all over the board. The bowls add height to your board and also give you more space because you can lean/stack things against them. How many bowls depends on the size of your board or plate.
Meats and cheeses. After the bowls are on the platter, add the sliced meats, either in neat rows or in a organic pile. Add the cheese. While the exact combination is up to you, a little further below we have suggested amounts, varieties, and mixes.
You don’t have to go fancy though. Sometimes the best thing to do is to stick to one kind of meat, a really good mustard, and some olives. Keep it simple, keep it crazy, keep it you. It’s delicious no matter how you slice it (pun intended).

First off, don’t feel like you have to go crazy. I love a simple charcuterie board. You can do just one meat and one cheese and have some mustard and good bread and call it a day. Or you could also go crazy and make a huge impressive platter! You do you. You are after all, the star of your meat and cheese bar.

Grab your board. Just in case you’re wondering, do you need a fancy marble and wood charcuterie board? The answer is nope, you can use any old cutting board or plate you have at home! In these photos we used a baking sheet.
Little bowls. Put down a couple of small bowls for things like olives, rillettes, mustards, jams, dips, nuts, anything that you don’t want spreading all over the board. The bowls add height to your board and also give you more space because you can lean/stack things against them. How many bowls depends on the size of your board or plate.
Meats and cheeses. After the bowls are on the platter, add the sliced meats, either in neat rows or in a organic pile. Add the cheese. While the exact combination is up to you, a little further below we have suggested amounts, varieties, and mixes.
You don’t have to go fancy though. Sometimes the best thing to do is to stick to one kind of meat, a really good mustard, and some olives. Keep it simple, keep it crazy, keep it you. It’s delicious no matter how you slice it (pun intended).

This has been my constant companion this fall – from the office in the late afternoon to the couch on a chilly Saturday morning. It is pure coffee shop level deliciousness at regular-person skill and effort level. Bring on the cozy!
This latte method (shake in a jar) was one that I saw in the September issue of Magnolia Magazine – shaking in a jar to froth your milk?! Totally new concept to me. But flavor-wise, mostly this oatmilk honey latte is influenced by the Starbucks version that I love, love, love.
Oatmilk Honey Latte – a delicious homemade morning treat! Steaming hot, rich, and dark coffee that’s satisfyingly creamy, barely sweet, and warm-spiced.

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup oatmilk
1–2 tablespoons honey (depends how sweet you like it)
tiny tiny pinch of salt
1/2 cup of strongly brewed coffee (decaf, in my case!)
dusting of cinnamon, optional
INSTRUCTIONS
Pour the oatmillk, honey, and salt into a glass jar. Microwave for about a minute, until very hot.

I like to cook the veggies in a foil packet because you can assemble it in advance and just toss them on a hot grill when you’re ready. You can even make individual foil vegetable packets—spicy for the adults and mild for the kids!

Together with the grilled steak, this meal is so easy and you can feed your family or a few friends without too much work. This also transports beautifully and is great for camping trips.

With that in mind, you can definitely assemble everything up to a day in advance with no worries. Toss the packet and the steak on a hot grill and you will be in really good shape!

To assemble the foil packet two days in advance, follow these steps:

Make the spice mix (you can do this weeks in advance).
Slice peppers and onions, season and wrap them in the foil packet.
Season the steak, cover it, and keep it in the fridge.
Grill when ready!

Prep time: 10 minutesCook time: 15 minutesYield: Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
For the shrimp:

1 pound large shrimp (31-35/pound) shelled
1 tablespoon seafood dry rub
1 tablespoon olive oil
Lemon Pepper Couscous:

1 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup couscous
1 teaspoon lemon pepper, or 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
For the Sautéed Swiss Chard:

1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon table salt
Special equipment:
Long bamboo skewers
Preheat the grill and make the rub: If using bamboo skewers, soak them in a bowl of water to prevent them from burning on the grill. Pre-heat the grill to medium-high heat, about 400°F. In a small jar with a lid, toss together the seafood rub ingredients.
Prepare the shrimp: Peel and devein shrimp if necessary. Then skewer shrimp on soaked bamboo skewers. Six shrimp per skewer is a good amount. Season shrimp liberally with seafood rub—you won’t use all of it.

1 Prepare the bacon: Line a baking sheet with foil, then top with a wire baking rack (cookie cooling rack). Lay the bacon strips on the wire rack perpendicular to the wires, making sure the bacon pieces don’t overlap.

2 Bake the bacon and scrub the potatoes: Place the bacon in a cold oven and set the temperature to 375°F. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Check the bacon around the 18-minute mark. Some types of bacon cook faster than others. (See How to Make Bacon in the Oven for full details.)

While the bacon bakes, scrub potatoes well and then stab each potato about 10 times with a fork to prevent the possibility of a potato exploding in the oven. (It can happen!)

Remove the bacon from the oven; transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

3 Bake the potatoes: Increase the heat to 400˚F. Place potatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle well with olive oil, and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake potatoes for about an hour until the skins are shriveled slightly and the potatoes are very tender. (See How to Bake a Potato for more details.)

4 Blanch the broccoli: While the potatoes bake, cook your broccoli. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a big pinch of salt to the water to season it. Add broccoli to the water and boil for 3 minutes until the broccoli is just tender, but not mushy at all.

Marinated Mackerel with apple cider vinegar
Materials:

70 ml Amasya apple cider vinegar,30 ml of water,30 g sugar,5 g salt,4 mackerel fillets (without bones)
Preparation of: Mix the apple cider vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a saucepan and put on a medium heat. Bring to a boil. Then remove the pan from the heat and let it cool to room temperature. Place the fillets fleshy side down on a plate in a single layer and cover with the pickle juice. After keeping it in the refrigerator for 1 hour, remove the mackerel and dry it. Once removed from the pickling liquid, mackerel can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Beets Cooked with Modena
Materials:

2 beets,20 ml extra virgin olive oil,10 g of sea salt,30 ml Modena balsamic vinegar,20 gr Artvin Honey

Preparation of: Take 2 aluminum foils large enough to hold the beets. Put the beets in the center. Add half of the oil, salt, vinegar and honey and cover it well. Cook at 200 ° C for 30 minutes and let it cool down. Then remove the shell and cut it into wedges. Put the wedges in a bowl with the remaining balsamic vinegar.

Potato Salad with Lemon Pickles
Materials:

500gr Starchy Potatoes,Salt and pepper,80 grams of strained yogurt,1/4 lemon pickle, thinly sliced,2 hard boiled eggs (chilled, peeled and chopped),Small bunch of chives, finely chopped
Preparation of: Rub the potatoes and put them in a pan. Cover with water, add a little salt and boil. Cook for about 30 minutes or until soft. Meanwhile, combine mayonnaise and lemon in a bowl. When the potatoes are cooked, strain them and let them cool a little so that they do not burn your fingers. Then slice the Potato and drop it into mayonnaise. Arrange on a tray and sprinkle the chopped egg and chives on top and season with salad.

The demand for kadayif dessert, which is among the indispensable flavors of Diyarbakır residents and registered with a geographical indication certificate in 2017, is increasing day by day. Kadayif dessert is consumed on average 6 tons per day during the winter months and up to 9 tons in the summer months.
Diyarbakır’s traditional dessert burma kadayıf was registered with a geographical indication certificate in 2017. The fame of kadayif, which is a century-old taste of the city and offered with milk, pistachio, walnut, cream, cheese, twisted, plain and sticks, has exceeded the borders of the province. The desserts are produced in the city, Turkey began to be ordered by a four. Dessert factories trying to keep up with the demand started to produce nearly 6 tons of sweets per day. They stated that Burma kadayıf was made over embers in the early 1900s and is the only flavor that has survived until today and has not changed the taste. When we hit this on annual consumption, we have a consumption of nearly 2 thousand 200 tons. During the summer season when the tourists are busy, our daily consumption is 9 tons and our annual consumption is 3 thousand 200 tons.

This has been my constant companion this fall – from the office in the late afternoon to the couch on a chilly Saturday morning. It is pure coffee shop level deliciousness at regular-person skill and effort level. Bring on the cozy!
This latte method (shake in a jar) was one that I saw in the September issue of Magnolia Magazine – shaking in a jar to froth your milk?! Totally new concept to me. But flavor-wise, mostly this oatmilk honey latte is influenced by the Starbucks version that I love, love, love.
Oatmilk Honey Latte – a delicious homemade morning treat! Steaming hot, rich, and dark coffee that’s satisfyingly creamy, barely sweet, and warm-spiced.

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup oatmilk
1–2 tablespoons honey (depends how sweet you like it)
tiny tiny pinch of salt
1/2 cup of strongly brewed coffee (decaf, in my case!)
dusting of cinnamon, optional
INSTRUCTIONS
Pour the oatmillk, honey, and salt into a glass jar. Microwave for about a minute, until very hot.

There is of course math behind creating a new food. It should pay attention to its taste, texture and visuality. Acid, oil, salt and sweet ratios must be balanced. Many experienced cooks know that; The secret to a delicious meal is not in complex recipes, but in a few ingredients correctly combined.

For good flavor marriages, the chemical composition of the ingredients works well. The tomato and strawberry duo is a good example. They go well together because they both contain a compound called “eugenol”. The more specific combinations are those that share the same geography or season. Tomato-basil; thyme-lamb; As in the examples of anchovy-cornmeal.

Making a difference with familiar flavors, cheese in the refrigerator, spices in the pantry, lemon in the fridge… Are you ready to push the boundaries by putting aside prejudices without forgetting the mathematics of the job? Let’s start with broccoli.

Broccoli and Pistachio

Salty ingredients suit broccoli. For this reason, broccoli can be mentioned with salty fish in Italian cuisine, cheese in England, and soy sauce in Far East cuisine. For a lush meal, cut the broccoli into trees with its stems, drizzle olive oil on them and cook a little in the oven. In the chopper, turn the peanuts with a clove of crushed garlic, fresh basil leaves and olive oil. Mix it with the broccoli you have cooked. Add the fresh curd cheese and crumble raw pistachios.

Cut the hazelnuts in half and toast them in a shallow pan over a moderate heat for 4 or 5 minutes till golden. It is worth watching them continuously, as they can burn in seconds. Transfer them to a small dish.
Serves 8
For the granola,hazelnuts 2 tbsp,butter 60g,rolled oats 175g,soft dried apricots 60g,golden sultanas 3 tbsp,dried cranberries 30g,pumpkin seeds 2 tbsp,mango 850g (2, very ripe),lemon ½,double cream 250ml,yoghurt 500ml, thick
Melt the butter in the same shallow pan, add the rolled oats and let them sizzle in the butter for 3 or 4 minutes till golden. Stir them from time to time so they brown evenly. Slice the apricots into short strips. Add them, the golden sultanas, dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds to the granola, stir in the hazelnuts and set aside.

Peel the mango and remove the flesh from the stone. Put the flesh into a food processor and work to a smooth puree with the juice of half the lemon.

Whip the cream till thick, stopping before it is thick enough to stand in peaks. Gently fold in the yoghurt and then the mango puree.

Sprinkle a layer of the granola into a 20cm serving bowl then add a layer of the mango cream. Follow with a second layer of granola, leaving a little for decoration. Add the remaining mango cream, then decorate with the reserved granola and anything else you fancy. (I used my old bottle-brush fir trees from the Christmas cake.)

Takoyaki are a Japanese street snack that originated in the city of Osaka. They are little round balls of batter that are slightly crispy on the outside and a bit soft and gooey on the inside, stuffed with a little nugget of octopus, tempura bits, and green onions. Typically they serve them up in little wooden boats, brushed with takoyaki sauce, drizzled with Japanese kewpie mayo, and topped with bonito flakes and seaweed. They come with skewers or chopsticks to pick them up. They’re super popular and probably one of the most well known Japanese foods out there. Charmingly, you can almost always see people standing around takoyaki stands fanning their mouths because the takoyaki is too hot. Takoyaki is pure comfort food.
What does takoyaki taste like?
Takoyaki are delicious! They’re super savory and full of umami. They’re piping hot when they are served, so be careful when you eat them. The outsides are just a touch crispy and the inside batter is seasoned, soft, and kind of gooey that melts in your mouth. The little nugget of octopus inside is supposed to contrast with the softness of batter. Green onions add a bit of freshness, beni shoga (pickled ginger) adds a hint of sweet and sour, and crispy tempura bits add even more richness. The sauce and mayo on top adds another layer of flavor. Takoyaki are so incredibly full of umami. The perfect bite!

To be honest, this cloud bread is more looks than taste. Maybe just like TikTok? It’s beautifully fluffy and full of tiny air bubbles and very squishy and satisfying but it’s not the most delicious. It’s light and airy and reminiscent of a marshmallow. It kinda tastes like angel food cake texture wise, but not taste wise.

Tips and Tricks
Make sure your egg white whipping equipment is completely clean and free from fat or oil or your egg whites won’t whip up.
Similarly, make sure there are ZERO egg yolks in your egg whites.
Separate your eggs while they’re cold, but beat them up with they’re at room temp.
Don’t add all the sugar at once. Your meringue will be fluffier if you add it in gradually, 1 tablespoon at at a time.
Don’t over beat! If you meringue starts to look grainy or really wet, it means your egg whites have been over-beaten and your cloud bread won’t be fluffy.

Takoyaki are a Japanese street snack that originated in the city of Osaka. They are little round balls of batter that are slightly crispy on the outside and a bit soft and gooey on the inside, stuffed with a little nugget of octopus, tempura bits, and green onions. After the bottom of the takoyaki will be cooked through. At this point, you can use a skewer or two to turn them over 90 degrees. If you can’t turn the takoyaki easily, it probably needs to cook for a bit longer. If needed, add a bit more batter to the balls to fill them up. Let cook for a minute or so and then do another 90 degree turn. The balls will become easier to turn the more they cook.The takoyaki are done when they’re lightly brown and crispy on the outside and they turn easily in their holes. Overall I’d say it takes about 10-15 minutes per batch, from start to finish, depending on how crispy or soft you like your takoyaki.To serve, place the takoyaki on a plate and drizzle with Japanese mayonnaise and takoyaki sauce. Genrously sprinkle on the bonito flakes and aonori. Enjoy, but be careful, the insides are hot!

How to make crock pot turkey breast
Compound butter. This is a fancy way of saying a flavored butter. Massage the butter into the skin and dot it all over the turkey breast.
Aromatics. Make a bed of arromatics (shallots, ginger, garlic) that will add extra flavor to the turkey and gravy.
Slow cook. Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.

Finish in the oven. Give the turkey breast a brief blast in the oven to crisp up the skin. This is totally optional.

Make gravy. Use the drippings in the crock pot to make an insanely flavorful gravy.

Ingredients
You’ll need a turkey breast roast and some umami forward ingredients: butter, soy sauce, garlic powder, fresh garlic, ginger powder, fresh ginger, shallots, and chicken stock. A combination of fresh and powered ginger and garlic gives a double whammy – the powder is rubbed with soy sauce directly onto the turkey and the fresh is used to season the stock for the gravy.

Cinnamon roll icing
Is cinnamon roll icing the best part of a cinnamon roll? I think the little medium rare nugget in the middle is the best, but gooey, drippy cream cheese icing comes close. Make sure you ice your rolls when they’re still warm so the icing nestles itself into all the noodles and crannies.
To make cinnamon roll icing
Simply mix together room temp cream cheese, soft butter, and powdered sugar. The key is to use room temp cream cheese so you don’t get any cream cheese lumps. You can also add a touch of vanilla.

Overnight cinnamon rolls
To make overnight cinnamon rolls, after shaping and cutting the rolls, pop them in the pan and wrap well with plastic wrap. Let the rolls rise overnight in the fridge. The next day, 1 hour before you’re going to bake, let them rest on the counter top, then bake as directed.

This is a two day recipe – like sourdough, the pretzel dough hangs out and proofs in the fridge overnight so it develops some really nice flavors. If you can’t wait overnight, start your dough really, really in the morning, it’ll need to proof for 8 hours.

Activate the yeast: Stir together the yeast and sugar with warm water in your mixing bowl.
Make your pretzel dough: Add the beer, butter, flour, and salt and knead until everything comes together into a smooth elastic dough.
Rest. Move the dough to a large, lightly greased bowl, cover and let proof in the fridge for 8-24 hours.
Shape: Divide the dough into 8 and shape into pretzels (see below).
Proof. Let the pretzels double in size.
Baked baking soda bath: In a large sauce pan, very carefully heat up the baked baking soda with water.
Dip. Carefully dip the pretzels in the baking soda bath shake off the excess and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush with an egg yolk wash and sprinkle with salt.
Bake. Bake until beautifully brown and golden. Brush with butter if you want some extra shine and that delicious buttery flavor.

Perfectly Pan-Seared Garlicky Mushrooms
Ingredients

1-2 tbsp butter
1-2 tbsp olive oil
8 ounces mushrooms sliced
2-3 cloves garlic sliced
Maybe you’re out there making elaborate covid bakes or doing some hardcore fancy French cooking to keep you mind off things. Meanwhile, I’m over here eating a giant plate of buttery mushrooms.
Instructions
Add 1 tablespoon butter to a large heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat until it starts to melt. Add 1 tbsp of the oil and half of the mushrooms.
Let the mushrooms sear without moving for 2-3 minutes then toss occasionally, until the mushrooms start to brown and soften. Add half of the garlic and season with a pinch of salt and pepper and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until deeply brown and caramelized, turning down the heat if needed.
Remove the mushrooms and set aside. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms then enjoy with some garlicky toast, over noodles, rice, or carb of choice.

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons cream
1 large zucchini, spiralized
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
lemon zest, to finish
Melt the butter and the cream together in a non-stick pan over medium high heat, until the butter is melted and the cream starts to bubble and thicken slightly. Add the zoodles and lemon juice. Cook, tossing, until the zoodles are cooked but not mushy.

Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan, tossing so that it melts and coats the zoodles. Season with salt and pepper to taste and finish with lemon zest and more parm, if desired.
This is super quick to whip up – the cream and butter are simmered for a short while to thicken then the zoodles are tossed in the pan for a quick cook before finishing everything off with parmesan. Salt and pepper and a bit of lemon zest for prettiness and dinner is done!

Cheese Buldak: Chicken is not as popular at KBBQ, but they do have it, usually prepared cheese buldak style: chicken thighs marinated in a spicy gochujang fiery sauce. The thighs are grilled then, smothered in melty mozzarella cheese. I love this dish! It’s usually brought to the table in it’s own little skillet, already cooked.
Chicken Bulgogi: If you do want to grill chicken at the table, it’s usually thighs marinated in bulgogi sauce.
Pork
Samgyeopsal/Pork Belly: Samgyeopsal is probably the most popular pork item because pork belly. It comes either marinated or plain and can be thick cut or thin.
Hanjungsal/Pork Jowl: This might be my favorite cut of pork ever. Pork jowl is chewy, juicy, and perfectly marbled. It doesn’t flare up on the grill up as much as pork belly because the fat is more marbled throughout the meat. If you see it at the store, buy some, you won’t regret it! I recommend keeping hanjungsal unmarinated/plain.

Charcuterie is the french term for prepared meat products like hams, sausages, terrines, and pâtés. While traditionally that was more or less it, these days a charcuterie board implies a big spread of cured meats, cheeses, fresh fruits, spreads, crackers, and breads.
Ever since, we’ve always made charcuterie and cheese boards at home. The best part is coming up with fun little accompaniments, because stuff that makes everything prettier makes things tastier too, right?
Part of the fun of charcuterie is that everything is prepared and all you have to do is pick out your favorites and make everything look pretty. It’s easy and delicious and can feel fancy or casual, but always luxurious. You can go from grocery store pâtés to local artisanal cheeses and everything in between.

Why are charcuterie boards so popular?
I think it’s because people like choice and abundance. Place a charcuterie board down in front of people and they get to pick and choose what they like, making flavor combinations appeal to them – kind of like a food version of choose-your-own-adventure. With one or two items, it’s a low key appetizer or light meal, perfect for pairing with drinks. If you go all out, it’s also super easy for fancy entertaining or for a casual date night in. We’ve used charcuterie boards as easy-yet-fancy appetizers for dinner parties that can be quickly thrown together more times than I can remember.

ENTERTAININGEASYSTARTERS
A grown up, fancy version of lunchables but for dinner aka the best kind of choose your own adventure, the kind you can eat!
I love date-nights in. So cozy and romantic. You get to pick the music, or maybe a movie, light some candles and just chill with your boo. My favorite way to do an easy night in is a charcuterie board.

Mike and I first discovered our love for charcuterie together. Way back in the day, years and years ago, a hot new restaurant opened in a literal alley in a very sketchy part of town. It was hipster before being hipster was a thing. They offered flights of meat and cheese for an insane amount of money (to us, back then) and we fell in love.

After our fourth visit there in 2 weeks, we wised up to the fact that we were spending an absurd amount of money on something that we could easily do at home. After all, the restaurant literally told us where they sourced their charcuterie from. This was way before made-in-house was a thing. So, we went right to the source, bought a bunch of our favorites, which we handily already knew, and went to town.

How much charcuterie per person?
It’s nice to get a mix of meats and cheeses but the ratio is up to you! We base everything on a minimum order of 2oz.

For an appetizer, get 2 different meats/cheeses per person (4oz total per person)
As a main, get 4 different meats/cheeses per person (8oz total per person).
This is a rough estimate that’s dependent on how much (or little) you eat, but since its better to have too much food instead of running out (especially if its a dinner party), we usually get 4oz per item, so for the two of us as a main, we get 32oz of stuff and have enough for two nights of charcuterie.

Breads and crackers. Stack or lay out the carbs in little piles, keeping the crackers with the crackers and the breads with the breads.
Spreads. We like to use a couple of different mustards (usually 1 English and 1 stone ground French) as well as whatever jelly we have sitting around.
Fruit and garnish. Add some seasonal fruit and herbs for color and freshness! In the photos we use a little trick we learned from Cassia in Santa Monica: pairing charcuterie with Vietnamese herbs. It’s genius!
I also made some little flags, for fun, and plated the pâté in a restaurant-like fashion. Sometimes when we hit up restaurants, we notice that they smear pâté onto a plate to the edge like this. It’s super easy to do at home and we really love it.