Get on board with charcuterie at home

It might have once been called the "peasant's buffet," but the charcuterie platter is one of the hottest restaurant trends in North America right now.

First commercialized by the Romans, charcuterie became an art in 15th-century France, where the charcutier became one of the most trendy forms of food preparation in Europe.

Today, however, anyone can prepare an impressive charcuterie platter for home entertaining.

All you need for serving is a large (or long) wooden board. To make the presentation more entertaining, prepare the board with chalkboard paint so you can easily identify the meats and cheeses you are serving.

Select meats to suit your specific taste, from denser spicy chorizo to more tender prosciutto (Niagara Pingue Prosciutto is a favourite of mine), add in a few strong or mild cheeses (I like Tome de Savoie) and finish things off with crusty French baguette or Italian bread sticks.

Add a pot of grainy mustard and a selection of olives or cornichons, an aged balsamic vinegar and for a fresh take, some cantaloupe with the prosciutto.

Serve with a bottle of red wine or two and this will make one of the simplest yet most satisfying buffets your guests have ever experienced.

Sebastien Centner is the director of Eatertainment in Toronto.

For more entertaining suggestions, visit http://www.eatertainment.com.