Emmett’s birthday is on Saturday and we’ll be celebrating with two of our dear friends, Laurie Anne and her husband. While we haven’t entertained at all this past year, it has been fun planning something small & special for his birthday this year. Emmett’s favorite kind of surprise is food, and the guy loves a good charcuterie board- piled high with meats & cheeses. I jumped at the opportunity to put something together and shake up a couple celebratory co*cktails to honor his birthday week. It’s probably because I haven’t assembled a spread in awhile, but I thought this one was worthy of sharing. Plus all of the serveware came from our shop, so I figured it would be fun to roundup my charcuterie essentials (it’s all about layering). Click through for my charcuterie serving essentials, a grocery list for an easy spread, and I’ve got a simple co*cktail for you!
Charcuterie is one of my favorite things to put together because it’s easy and a fun creative exercise. To get a beautiful (and delicious) composition, here are a few quick tips:
- Layer, layer, layer!
- Consider texture (for visual presentation and for eating).
- Repeat a couple shapes (within food and the serveware).
- Mix in warm (wood) and cool (marble) tones, in regards to serveware… this will make all colors of food look good.
- Cover all of the taste profiles: sweet,salty,bitter, and savory.
- Don’t forget serving utensils!
As for my favorite serving items from our shop– I’ll link those below. I also just added some more items this week (that are not shown here).
Use the numbered links below the collage to shop or be redirected… sorry- this one isn’t clickable!
01: brass scoop set // 02: mini stoneware creamer // 03: round marble serving board // 04: stainless co*cktail shaker // 05: small stoneware scoop // 06: mini stoneware bowl // 07: black serving board // 08: teak geometric cutting board // 09: stoneware oil bottle // 10: measures kitchen towel // 11: stacking brass tray set // 12: hand carved spoon set // 13: round terra cotta tray // 14: horn handle ice bucket // 15: marble salt pinch with brass spoon // 16: berry bowl // 17: round marble trivet // 18: gray linen napkins // 19: marble ogee pedestal // 20: marble serving set
If you’d like to see me assembling this spread in action, I shared a reel on the Tuesday Made IG. Emmett was definitely surprised to have charcuterie during his lunch break! It was a win/win… I had fun, we enjoyed eating it, and I loved being able to highlight some tips for you, along with my favorite kitchen goods.
As for the charcuterie grocery list… I’m going to copy that below. I use this as a guideline! That doesn’t mean you have to buy every single item on the list- pick and choose what you love, what works best with your existing serveware, what is accessible or in-season in your area, and what your family enjoys.
Shall we move onto the simple co*cktail? Emmett requested an odd one this year… one that was a bit unexpected, but easy & delicious: a cranberry rum. He picked up this bottle of rum while installing cabinets in Haiti a couple years ago and wanted me to make something easy with it. Perhaps it’s because we’re road tripping to a warmer climate to celebrate, and he was feeling the warm weather vibe that is associated with rum? Who knows. I was happy to shake up a simple co*cktail and toast to his birthday, albeit a bit early.
This co*cktail recipe is very basic…
- 4 ounces cranberry juice
- 2 ounces rum
- a twist of lime, for garnish… or a luxardo cherry (I used a cherry because we were out of limes)
Shake the rum and cranberry juice in a co*cktail shaker until the exterior begins to frost. Pour into a glass and garnish. It’s easy and delicious! Three ingredients… you can’t beat that, and it’s a good combination for spring! You could also substitute another clear liquor, using whatever you have on hand: gin, vodka, tequila, etc. Cranberry pretty much goes with everything.
For dessert this weekend, Emmett has requested his usual… a chocolate cake of some sort. If you’re interested to see what I made him last year, click here for that cake recipe. In years past, I’ve made him , extra dark chocolate cake, and flourless chocolate cake. This year, I think I’ll probably attempt this german chocolate cake recipe. When we were dating, that’s what his dad always made him for every birthday (the basic boxed recipe), so it feels kind of nostalgic to us. I hope you all have a lovely weekend ahead! I’m probably going to sign off, but I’ll be back next week with scenes from our little getaway. Have a good one!!
