While we were in New York City, Andrew and I had dinner at Eleven Madison Park to celebrate our anniversary a week early. Even though we had already celebrated with such a wonderful meal, we wanted to have a special, but simple, night at home on our actual anniversary. We decided to put together a charcuterie board to enjoy at home with wine that we had at our wedding.

One thing I love about putting together a charcuterie board is that you can do so much with it, which means that you can please just about anyone. Even though Andrew and I have slightly different tastes (him being more adventurous) we can create a board that we will both enjoy.

To create a good charcuterie board variety is key.

1. Cheeses: Choose an assortment of cheeses (3-5) ranging in softness. Choose an extra soft cheese like brie, a few mild mid-range cheese, and then a hard cheese like a parmesan or romano.
2. Meats: Also select a variety of meats from different types of salami, patés, prosciutto, etc. Having different types of meat to help mix and match with the selected cheeses will create even more options.
3. Bread and crackers: Add a sliced baguette and crackers to top with cheese, meat and any spreads.
4. Extras: In addition to the selected meat and cheese you can add apples, pears, spreads, olives, mixed nuts, etc. Do some research on the types of cheese you want to use to see what pairs well.

Be adventurous! Mix and match everything to see what works best. There are endless possibilities when creating a charcuterie board.

We had such a great time just enjoying our evening in. This was a great and relaxing way to celebrate our anniversary.