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Boards and Spreads: Shareable, Simple Arrangements for Every Meal
Feast upon more than 65 recipes for platters and boards, including dinner-worthy spreads, appetizers, breakfast, snacks, and more inspiration for anytime-eating
Boards All Day presents more than sixty-five recipes for beautiful, delicious boards and epic spreads for sharing-friendly meals, from breakfast through dinner. Going far beyond the standard cheese board or charcuterie board, here you will find countless ideas for how to create colorful platters and spreads with easy, flavorful recipes to fill them, like the Italian Aperitivo Board with Crispy Prosciutto Caprese; Any-Night Tacos with super-quick sheet pan shrimp, and rotisserie chicken that you spice up yourself; and breakfast spreads like the make-your-own Egg Pita Sandwich Board. Even drinks can be served board-style, whether it's a Bloody Mary Bar or the DIY Daytime Drinks set-up for a crowd. Plus, there are plenty of quick recipes for dips, snacks, and other fun add-ons that you'll turn to time and time again for countless meals, like Za'atar Flatbread, Smashed Olives, Quick-Pickled Shallots and Jalapenos, and Two-Minute Feta Dip.
Whether you're looking for a snackable spread or grazing board to serve when having people over, searching for the perfect food to share for an outdoor get-together, or simply looking for easy-to-make recipes that you can throw together on a whim, Boards All Day is full of ideas for turning everyday ingredients into festive, low-effort meals.
Boards All Day presents more than sixty-five recipes for beautiful, delicious boards and epic spreads for sharing-friendly meals, from breakfast through dinner. Going far beyond the standard cheese board or charcuterie board, here you will find countless ideas for how to create colorful platters and spreads with easy, flavorful recipes to fill them, like the Italian Aperitivo Board with Crispy Prosciutto Caprese; Any-Night Tacos with super-quick sheet pan shrimp, and rotisserie chicken that you spice up yourself; and breakfast spreads like the make-your-own Egg Pita Sandwich Board. Even drinks can be served board-style, whether it's a Bloody Mary Bar or the DIY Daytime Drinks set-up for a crowd. Plus, there are plenty of quick recipes for dips, snacks, and other fun add-ons that you'll turn to time and time again for countless meals, like Za'atar Flatbread, Smashed Olives, Quick-Pickled Shallots and Jalapenos, and Two-Minute Feta Dip.
Whether you're looking for a snackable spread or grazing board to serve when having people over, searching for the perfect food to share for an outdoor get-together, or simply looking for easy-to-make recipes that you can throw together on a whim, Boards All Day is full of ideas for turning everyday ingredients into festive, low-effort meals.
192 pages, Hardcover
Published August 23, 2022
55 people are currently reading
139 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
September 29, 2022
Who doesn't love a fun charcuterie board to shed with family and friends?! This book has a layout that is easy to use and broken down into a few simple sections:
Boards for Breakfast
Breads on Boards
Snacking Boards
Salad & Veggie Platters
Dinnertime Boards
Take It Outside
Accents, Add-ons
Dips, Spreads
More Fun Things
There's lots of detail about the types of boards and equipment to use, many gorgeous images, and most of the boards are simple to create. With a wealth of of healthy ideas, including many seafood-themed meals, this book is perfect for anyone who loves to entertain.
Boards for Breakfast
Breads on Boards
Snacking Boards
Salad & Veggie Platters
Dinnertime Boards
Take It Outside
Accents, Add-ons
Dips, Spreads
More Fun Things
There's lots of detail about the types of boards and equipment to use, many gorgeous images, and most of the boards are simple to create. With a wealth of of healthy ideas, including many seafood-themed meals, this book is perfect for anyone who loves to entertain.
February 17, 2022
Just the title of this book caught my attention and once starting to review it I was absolutely impressed with the gorgeous pictures and the beautiful recipes. I loved how the sections were broken down by meal as well as season and really appreciated that there were certain recipes for in-season produce. I found a lot of the recipes had a Mediterranean diet feel to them and I am very excited to try some of them. This book very much makes me want to go outside and sit on my deck in the summertime. This is an absolutely beautiful book and I would very much like to purchase it once it is released.
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to review this eARC
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to review this eARC
May 9, 2022
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Boards and Spreads is a well written and beautifully illustrated guide to creating platter and board arrangements by Yasmin Fahr. Due out 23rd Aug 2022 from Penguin Random House on their Clarkson-Potter imprint, it's 192 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.
The author has a very chatty and friendly writing style and her reasoning for grazing and boards as a dining choice really resonated with me. If you don't want to go to the effort of dining out, but at the same time don't want to expend the effort cooking at home - boards are a nice alternative. The introduction covers the basics of building a board including the board itself (not necessarily wooden), bowls, serving utensils, and food considerations.
The board setups are arranged thematically: breakfast, breads, snacking salad & veggie platters, meal boards, al fresco/picnics, extras, and dips spreads & fun things. The highlighted recipes used in the boards are listed right with the boards to which they belong, saving readers searching or bookmarking and having to flip back and forth. Recipe ingredients are listed in a bullet-style sidebar. Measurements are in imperial (American) measurements followed by step by step instructions. The book doesn't include nutritional information or portion sizes. The recipes are pictured with the finished boards and the pictures are beautifully clear and colorful. Most recipe ingredients will be easy to source and familiar to readers.
The dishes and boards here aren't *fancy* but they really *feel* special because of the presentation. I liked everything about this book, from the varied dishes, to the presentation, the clearly written recipes, and the beautiful photography and food styling. Five stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Boards and Spreads is a well written and beautifully illustrated guide to creating platter and board arrangements by Yasmin Fahr. Due out 23rd Aug 2022 from Penguin Random House on their Clarkson-Potter imprint, it's 192 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.
The author has a very chatty and friendly writing style and her reasoning for grazing and boards as a dining choice really resonated with me. If you don't want to go to the effort of dining out, but at the same time don't want to expend the effort cooking at home - boards are a nice alternative. The introduction covers the basics of building a board including the board itself (not necessarily wooden), bowls, serving utensils, and food considerations.
The board setups are arranged thematically: breakfast, breads, snacking salad & veggie platters, meal boards, al fresco/picnics, extras, and dips spreads & fun things. The highlighted recipes used in the boards are listed right with the boards to which they belong, saving readers searching or bookmarking and having to flip back and forth. Recipe ingredients are listed in a bullet-style sidebar. Measurements are in imperial (American) measurements followed by step by step instructions. The book doesn't include nutritional information or portion sizes. The recipes are pictured with the finished boards and the pictures are beautifully clear and colorful. Most recipe ingredients will be easy to source and familiar to readers.
The dishes and boards here aren't *fancy* but they really *feel* special because of the presentation. I liked everything about this book, from the varied dishes, to the presentation, the clearly written recipes, and the beautiful photography and food styling. Five stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
July 15, 2022
Beautiful boards (especially charcuterie) are common in the Mediterranean where I live part of the year, a wonderful part of life. Author Yasmin Fahr's goal is "minimal effort, maximum flavor" and boards are an excellent method of creating and serving meals regardless of the season. As she says, the recipes and ideas she uses do not require skillful cooking but rather work with what you have in addition to a few creative touches. The recipes consist of one or two "key" recipes from which to build. Let her ideas inspire you. The photography certainly will, too!
Fahr begins with describing boards themselves (wood, marble, slate, etc.) including size, care and how to remove stains. She moves on to pinch bowls and equipment such as skillets. Next she explains placement, presentation and prep tips. The recipes follow as well as tips to add pizzazz to store-bought products.
Cooks of all skill levels can be inspired by this book; however, it is quite basic and the recipes would appeal most to beginner cooks. My hope was for "aha" moments. But. The idea of boards is simplicity and often simplest is best (such as Prosciutto + Ricotta + Honey and delicious variations (one of my favourite simple breakfasts with fresh seasonal fruit, capers and nuts). Small details such as pickles are impactful and memorable. Interestingly, the author includes a tinned seafood board! Grilled haloumi is not new but doing it in advance is a great idea. The Garlicky Blistered Green Beans recipe looks amazing and I really like the idea of expanding The Crispy Chicken Bites Spread with Green Cabbage Slaw to become a picnic on a board. This evening we are grilling seafood so will make the Lemony Herbs + Onion. The pancake board idea is fabulous...why not eat them with fixings communally? The possibilities are endless.
The layout is rather unfortunate on the digital copy; perhaps the hard copy is better. Though I really like the idea of this book and am inspired to gear up my creativity more often, it is not incredibly unique.
My sincere thank you to Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for the privilege of salivating over this fun book.
Fahr begins with describing boards themselves (wood, marble, slate, etc.) including size, care and how to remove stains. She moves on to pinch bowls and equipment such as skillets. Next she explains placement, presentation and prep tips. The recipes follow as well as tips to add pizzazz to store-bought products.
Cooks of all skill levels can be inspired by this book; however, it is quite basic and the recipes would appeal most to beginner cooks. My hope was for "aha" moments. But. The idea of boards is simplicity and often simplest is best (such as Prosciutto + Ricotta + Honey and delicious variations (one of my favourite simple breakfasts with fresh seasonal fruit, capers and nuts). Small details such as pickles are impactful and memorable. Interestingly, the author includes a tinned seafood board! Grilled haloumi is not new but doing it in advance is a great idea. The Garlicky Blistered Green Beans recipe looks amazing and I really like the idea of expanding The Crispy Chicken Bites Spread with Green Cabbage Slaw to become a picnic on a board. This evening we are grilling seafood so will make the Lemony Herbs + Onion. The pancake board idea is fabulous...why not eat them with fixings communally? The possibilities are endless.
The layout is rather unfortunate on the digital copy; perhaps the hard copy is better. Though I really like the idea of this book and am inspired to gear up my creativity more often, it is not incredibly unique.
My sincere thank you to Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for the privilege of salivating over this fun book.
September 13, 2022
Read this review and more on my blog, uncovered-books.
I received a free copy of Boards and Spreads from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.
Have you ever seen fancy platters that a selection of cheeses, grapes, crackers and such like on it? The style that you are probably used to seeing is called a Charcuterie Board, which is a selection of meats with foods that compliment the meat. You might have also seen a Cheese Board, which a selection of cheeses with foods that compliment the cheeses. This style of eating is perfect when you are having people around to eat, it means that people are able to pick and choose what they want.
Boards and Spreads is split into 7 different chapters: Boards for Breakfast; Breads on Boards; Snacking Boards + Salad & Veggie Platters; Dinnertime Boards; Take It Outside; Accents + Add-ons; and Dips, Spreads + More Fun Things. Each section contains a selection of more board inspirations that recipes per-say. While certain aspects of each board may include items that include a cooked item, I found that each board is easily adapted to suit your tastes without compromising the intercity of the dish unlike more traditional meals.
Some of the boards included are certainly interesting, but I certainly found myself skimming over a lot of it. Some of the boards are very interesting and I can certainly see myself wanting to try certain aspects of them, but majority of these were just not of particular interest to me.
While a good selection of ideas, I found it to be lacking that certain something that would make this a book that I would reach for regularly.
I received a free copy of Boards and Spreads from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.
Have you ever seen fancy platters that a selection of cheeses, grapes, crackers and such like on it? The style that you are probably used to seeing is called a Charcuterie Board, which is a selection of meats with foods that compliment the meat. You might have also seen a Cheese Board, which a selection of cheeses with foods that compliment the cheeses. This style of eating is perfect when you are having people around to eat, it means that people are able to pick and choose what they want.
Boards and Spreads is split into 7 different chapters: Boards for Breakfast; Breads on Boards; Snacking Boards + Salad & Veggie Platters; Dinnertime Boards; Take It Outside; Accents + Add-ons; and Dips, Spreads + More Fun Things. Each section contains a selection of more board inspirations that recipes per-say. While certain aspects of each board may include items that include a cooked item, I found that each board is easily adapted to suit your tastes without compromising the intercity of the dish unlike more traditional meals.
Some of the boards included are certainly interesting, but I certainly found myself skimming over a lot of it. Some of the boards are very interesting and I can certainly see myself wanting to try certain aspects of them, but majority of these were just not of particular interest to me.
While a good selection of ideas, I found it to be lacking that certain something that would make this a book that I would reach for regularly.
September 16, 2022
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
From breakfast to dinner and anytime in between, Yasmin Fahr has you covered for whatever you're craving. I will be a bit picky to say that a lot of the suggested offerings are simply a variety of dishes served family style...on a board. The title isn't necessarily misleading, however, I think many people picture a charcuterie or cheese display when they think of a "board" and they will be disappointed if they are expecting photos and tips for creating those.
Come chat with me about books here, too:
Blog | Instagram
From breakfast to dinner and anytime in between, Yasmin Fahr has you covered for whatever you're craving. I will be a bit picky to say that a lot of the suggested offerings are simply a variety of dishes served family style...on a board. The title isn't necessarily misleading, however, I think many people picture a charcuterie or cheese display when they think of a "board" and they will be disappointed if they are expecting photos and tips for creating those.
Come chat with me about books here, too:
Blog | Instagram
August 11, 2022
This is the kind of book any social/foodie person needs. From the very aesthetically pleasing pictures to the easy-to-follow recipes, I was amazed by the diverse variety I found. I was born and raised in a Hispanic country and grew up eating Lebanese food, so finding recipes like scallion labneh filled my heart with joy. Even drink recipes and salad suggestions would go along and spice up your meal as a side for any protein. I am definitely buying this book as a gift, and probably a copy for myself as well. I will keep my eye out for any other books by this author, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone that likes hosting get-togethers or just needs suggestions for what to make here and there.
June 18, 2022
Boards and Spreads by Yasmin Fahr is both beautiful and inspirational. The recipes sound relatively easy to make and delicious and for the most part healthy. I have never made a breakfast board but am inspired to now after seeing her lovely take on one with Jammy Eggs, smoked salmon and Pickled Shallots. Yummy! So many gorgeous photos and foods for many occasions. I would combine this book with a beautiful wooden board for a great hostess gift.
The layout of the ebook I received was really wonky but I assume that will be corrected prior to publication on 8/23/22.
Many thanks to Netgally and Clarkson Potter Publishers for this ARC.
The layout of the ebook I received was really wonky but I assume that will be corrected prior to publication on 8/23/22.
Many thanks to Netgally and Clarkson Potter Publishers for this ARC.
February 8, 2022
This one captivated me since it's more like for if you're thinking on maybe have people over and such, but it can actually side as a want to do something different for a reunion with the family or just on the house like serving breakfast in a cool way, totally going to use it for this when I want to share something and want it to look as good as possible so we can all enjoy it and have fun with these boards.
August 23, 2022
Board and Spreads by Yasmin Fair is the newest entry in this popular food trend - and it is a worthy one! The content delivers on the author's promise of "minimal effort, maximum flavor."
The chapters are arranged in a way that makes sense and the Breakfasts and Breads on Boards chapters were of particular interest to me. The photos were impactful and made me want to try to recipes, especially Radish-Feta-Mint Tartine. The Accents & Add-Ons chapter is a difference maker in terms of items that make the boards special. Peppered through the book are tips from the author on caring for boards, ingredients and time savers.
I look forward to using this book as one of my go-tos for handy yummy meals.
Thank you to Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press, Yasmin Fair and NetGalley for the Advanced Copy.
The chapters are arranged in a way that makes sense and the Breakfasts and Breads on Boards chapters were of particular interest to me. The photos were impactful and made me want to try to recipes, especially Radish-Feta-Mint Tartine. The Accents & Add-Ons chapter is a difference maker in terms of items that make the boards special. Peppered through the book are tips from the author on caring for boards, ingredients and time savers.
I look forward to using this book as one of my go-tos for handy yummy meals.
Thank you to Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press, Yasmin Fair and NetGalley for the Advanced Copy.
April 20, 2022
The kindle version was very hard to read and understand
May 9, 2022
This book is so delectable. I really enjoy Yasmin Fahrs content, so I was excited to pick up an ARC of her upcoming book, Boards and Spreads. I usually don’t gravitate towards cookbooks based on what I consider to be appetizer plates, but wow was I blown away.
The fear is that every recipe will be a variation of cold cuts and crostini (not the worst problem to have). What I found is not only that the suggested spreads would be wonderful for a party, but that they make a lovely looking and flavor packed every night dinner. Flatbreads, Garlicky White Beans, and Herby Yogurt Dip being something that sounds absolutely delectable.
Boards and Spreads has a real spirit of abundance- imagine having company over night and waking up to the Pancakes Board- Citrus Labneh Pancakes + Any Berry Compote + Other Fixings such as Caramelized Bananas, Butter, and Maple Syrup, or it’s savory breakfast counterpart- the Smorrebrod Lox Board. This board with shallots, scallion labneh, jammy eggs, smoked salmon, and sourdough/pumpernickel/toasted bagels. A lovely book for delectable meals!
Thanks to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter for my ARC!
The fear is that every recipe will be a variation of cold cuts and crostini (not the worst problem to have). What I found is not only that the suggested spreads would be wonderful for a party, but that they make a lovely looking and flavor packed every night dinner. Flatbreads, Garlicky White Beans, and Herby Yogurt Dip being something that sounds absolutely delectable.
Boards and Spreads has a real spirit of abundance- imagine having company over night and waking up to the Pancakes Board- Citrus Labneh Pancakes + Any Berry Compote + Other Fixings such as Caramelized Bananas, Butter, and Maple Syrup, or it’s savory breakfast counterpart- the Smorrebrod Lox Board. This board with shallots, scallion labneh, jammy eggs, smoked salmon, and sourdough/pumpernickel/toasted bagels. A lovely book for delectable meals!
Thanks to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter for my ARC!
January 23, 2023
Many thanks to NetGalley, Clarkson Potter and Yasmin Fahr for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving an advance copy.
Charcuterie boards are all the rage and you can find all kinds of variations online like candy boards or breakfast boards, so I thought I would check out Boards and Spreads. I’m not sure what I was expecting but I was a little disappointed. The pictures are not enticing or comprehensive, which I think is a key component to charcuterie boards. There are some recipes in here which are for the most part simple and easy. You don’t need any fancy kitchen skills for this which is great. I use the term recipes loosely as a lot of it is premade. For example Za’atar flatbread is store bought flatbread with za’atar and olive oil. I don’t need a recipe for that.
I think there are a lot of ideas in this book and from the table of contents looks very comprehensive but as I made my way through the book, I was uninspired. Fahr does leave things open to your interpretation, so that you can take her ideas and do your own variation. I also found the set up of the book not very user friendly. Everything seems squished and not easy to find. There is an index in the back to help you find things, but overall I thought the presentation should have been clearer. I’m not sure realistically, how much I’ll use this book but I’ll keep it for a bit and see if it is more useful than it seems.
Charcuterie boards are all the rage and you can find all kinds of variations online like candy boards or breakfast boards, so I thought I would check out Boards and Spreads. I’m not sure what I was expecting but I was a little disappointed. The pictures are not enticing or comprehensive, which I think is a key component to charcuterie boards. There are some recipes in here which are for the most part simple and easy. You don’t need any fancy kitchen skills for this which is great. I use the term recipes loosely as a lot of it is premade. For example Za’atar flatbread is store bought flatbread with za’atar and olive oil. I don’t need a recipe for that.
I think there are a lot of ideas in this book and from the table of contents looks very comprehensive but as I made my way through the book, I was uninspired. Fahr does leave things open to your interpretation, so that you can take her ideas and do your own variation. I also found the set up of the book not very user friendly. Everything seems squished and not easy to find. There is an index in the back to help you find things, but overall I thought the presentation should have been clearer. I’m not sure realistically, how much I’ll use this book but I’ll keep it for a bit and see if it is more useful than it seems.
May 5, 2023
With most meals I make for my family, there isn't much choice. Food is plated, then served, and, while my husband and daughter enjoy those meals, they absolutely love the meals that harken to the classic book series, Choose Your Own Adventure. This is what meals served on boards feel like -- a culinary adventure where the diner can choose/serve themselves a meal from an array of ingredients. I mean, even when I was a kid, I loved the family gatherings or holiday parties where plates, platters and bowls of food were organized on a table, and we were free to help ourselves. There is something playful about this way of eating and, it offers a quick and easy way for home cooks to prep a meal.
So, when Yasmin Fahr's Boards & Spreads arrived in the mail, my daughter was keen to choose a few boards to try. This book isn't your typical charcuterie book -- giving ideas for combinations of cheeses, meats, vegetables, fruits, etc. What I really appreciate about Fahr's approach is that she offers a key recipe which the rest of the board is built around. She gives ideas and recipes for a variety of sides, condiments, and accompaniments which are easy to prep or make, and I've found I'm using quite a few of the condiments for other meals I make throughout the week! After making the Scallion Labneh for The Egg Pita Sandwich Board, I found that it worked well in other dishes (and my husband and daughter loved it!). Sometimes it's the small recipes, consisting of just a few ingredients, which make a big impact.
The recipes are organized into 7 chapters: 1) Boards for Breakfast, 2) Breads on Boards, 3) Snacking Boards + Salad + Veggie Platters, 4) Dinnertime Boards, 5) Take It Outside, 6) Accents + Add-Ons, and 7) Dips, Spreads + More Fun Things. The best part about books like this one is that recipes can be easily scaled up or down, depending on the number of people you're going to be serving and, you don't necessarily need to make your board as she makes hers. Boards & Spreads presents a relaxed, yet fun approach where you can mix-and-match components. I appreciate that Fahr's recipes make excellent use of both fresh ingredients and pantry staples. When trying her recipes, I found that I already had the ingredients on hand, which was helpful.
Saturday mornings are big in my house -- Boards & Spreads has so many excellent choices that I found it difficult to pick which one to try first. The Pancakes Board, piled with Citrus-Labneh Pancakes, Any-Berry Compote and Other Fixings was such a delight! I love compote as a topping for so many things, and here it pairs well with the bright and tangy pancakes. The Caramelized Bananas were also a hit -- I used ghee when I was frying them, which made the little caramelized banana coins taste like banana bread.
Another delicious breakfast board is The Homemade Granola Board -- here, Fahr keeps her granola recipe simple. Rolled oats, pumpkin seeds, and almonds mixed with olive oil and maple syrup, this granola becomes the perfect host for Broiled Fruit as well as Caramelized Banana (I also enjoy the way Fahr threads some of the supporting recipes throughout the book, showcasing them on different boards -- like she does with the bananas). I'd never thought to broil fruit before and, I like how the heat both softens and intensifies the flavour of the fruit (I used plums and grapefruit). And while compote is usually my go-to, I've started to use broiled fruit more.
Sometimes the Saturday breakfast becomes more of a brunch and, The Egg Pita Sandwich Board is just the thing to enjoy in that in between period between breakfast and lunch. Here, cooking the eggs can't get any easier -- Fahr has home cooks using a sheet pan to cook the eggs (such a clever idea!), so while the eggs bake in the oven you can prep the rest of the board. I made her Lemony Herbs + Onions as well as the Scallion Labneh to serve with the pitas, along with ribboned cucumbers, sliced tomatoes, crumbled feta, sliced avocado, and Dijon mustard. I relish a savory breakfast as much as the sweet ones, and even writing about this board has my mouth watering! Since my husband doesn't eat eggs, I made some falafel for him, and if you find you're wanting meat here, Fahr suggests adding smoked salmon.
There is a simple joy in sharing a lovely, lingering meal with friends and family, and I think that the ideas and recipes Yasmin Fahr presents in her latest book Boards & Spreads show home cooks how to achieve this. I found many board ideas to enjoy at breakfast-time but there are a whole host of recipes for other times too. With any of the key ideas/recipes that Fahr gives us, we can build a board to suit the number of guests, using the ingredients we have on hand. Arranged in a beautiful manner, I know that my family was enticed by the possibilities of being able to choose something delicious for themselves.
A version of this review is also posted to www.shipshapeeatworthy.com
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Clarkson Potter and Penguin Random House for providing me with a free, review copy of this book. I did not receive monetary compensation for my post, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
So, when Yasmin Fahr's Boards & Spreads arrived in the mail, my daughter was keen to choose a few boards to try. This book isn't your typical charcuterie book -- giving ideas for combinations of cheeses, meats, vegetables, fruits, etc. What I really appreciate about Fahr's approach is that she offers a key recipe which the rest of the board is built around. She gives ideas and recipes for a variety of sides, condiments, and accompaniments which are easy to prep or make, and I've found I'm using quite a few of the condiments for other meals I make throughout the week! After making the Scallion Labneh for The Egg Pita Sandwich Board, I found that it worked well in other dishes (and my husband and daughter loved it!). Sometimes it's the small recipes, consisting of just a few ingredients, which make a big impact.
The recipes are organized into 7 chapters: 1) Boards for Breakfast, 2) Breads on Boards, 3) Snacking Boards + Salad + Veggie Platters, 4) Dinnertime Boards, 5) Take It Outside, 6) Accents + Add-Ons, and 7) Dips, Spreads + More Fun Things. The best part about books like this one is that recipes can be easily scaled up or down, depending on the number of people you're going to be serving and, you don't necessarily need to make your board as she makes hers. Boards & Spreads presents a relaxed, yet fun approach where you can mix-and-match components. I appreciate that Fahr's recipes make excellent use of both fresh ingredients and pantry staples. When trying her recipes, I found that I already had the ingredients on hand, which was helpful.
Saturday mornings are big in my house -- Boards & Spreads has so many excellent choices that I found it difficult to pick which one to try first. The Pancakes Board, piled with Citrus-Labneh Pancakes, Any-Berry Compote and Other Fixings was such a delight! I love compote as a topping for so many things, and here it pairs well with the bright and tangy pancakes. The Caramelized Bananas were also a hit -- I used ghee when I was frying them, which made the little caramelized banana coins taste like banana bread.
Another delicious breakfast board is The Homemade Granola Board -- here, Fahr keeps her granola recipe simple. Rolled oats, pumpkin seeds, and almonds mixed with olive oil and maple syrup, this granola becomes the perfect host for Broiled Fruit as well as Caramelized Banana (I also enjoy the way Fahr threads some of the supporting recipes throughout the book, showcasing them on different boards -- like she does with the bananas). I'd never thought to broil fruit before and, I like how the heat both softens and intensifies the flavour of the fruit (I used plums and grapefruit). And while compote is usually my go-to, I've started to use broiled fruit more.
Sometimes the Saturday breakfast becomes more of a brunch and, The Egg Pita Sandwich Board is just the thing to enjoy in that in between period between breakfast and lunch. Here, cooking the eggs can't get any easier -- Fahr has home cooks using a sheet pan to cook the eggs (such a clever idea!), so while the eggs bake in the oven you can prep the rest of the board. I made her Lemony Herbs + Onions as well as the Scallion Labneh to serve with the pitas, along with ribboned cucumbers, sliced tomatoes, crumbled feta, sliced avocado, and Dijon mustard. I relish a savory breakfast as much as the sweet ones, and even writing about this board has my mouth watering! Since my husband doesn't eat eggs, I made some falafel for him, and if you find you're wanting meat here, Fahr suggests adding smoked salmon.
There is a simple joy in sharing a lovely, lingering meal with friends and family, and I think that the ideas and recipes Yasmin Fahr presents in her latest book Boards & Spreads show home cooks how to achieve this. I found many board ideas to enjoy at breakfast-time but there are a whole host of recipes for other times too. With any of the key ideas/recipes that Fahr gives us, we can build a board to suit the number of guests, using the ingredients we have on hand. Arranged in a beautiful manner, I know that my family was enticed by the possibilities of being able to choose something delicious for themselves.
A version of this review is also posted to www.shipshapeeatworthy.com
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Clarkson Potter and Penguin Random House for providing me with a free, review copy of this book. I did not receive monetary compensation for my post, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
February 27, 2022
I do have a lovely book on platters and boards from Chronicle Books; however, I’m always tempted by the beautiful books put out by Clarkson Potter, so I was thrilled when this advance reader request came through. As always, the clean layout and beautiful full-color photos of the digital copy did not disappoint.
The purpose of the book was to define a low stress, low effort approach to entertaining that permits the host to focus on enjoying time with friends and family. Simplicity is the key word that keeps coming up again and again in the course of the introduction. It began with roughly 25 pages of introductory material, which primarily covered the selection and care for the physical board. Right off the bat, the book reinforced its casual emphasis with the recommendation to use you everyday wooden cutting board as the base, rather than waste precious kitchen space acquiring a myriad of slate, marble, and other decorative durable bases. Of course, if you’re like me and use plastic cutting boards, then you’d want to acquire a simple wooden board (made from a hard wood such as maple) to work with. Then again, since the emphasis is on the company and the food, the base doesn’t really matter much. The author also recommended a variety of pinch bowls, sugar bowls, four to six inch bowls, and eight inch bowls for dips, spreads, capers, olives, and anything else that can roll (or slide) off a board if uncontained.
The next 150 pages are recommendations for how to put different boards together, plus recipes for various components of these boards. The primary categories of boards are breakfast, bread, snacking, dinner, and picnic, while the additional recipes at the end are for accents, add ons, dips, spreads, and the like. The author’s Persian heritage was evident early on, as even the breakfast boards favored Middle Eastern ingredients, such as labneh, za’atar, harissa, halloumi, lime, and cumin. Although the author makes a blanket recommendation of Spice House, Diaspora Co., and Kaluystans as sources of spices, the book does not include a glossary or other explanation of the specific Middle Eastern/North African ingredients. She unapologetically uses these ingredients without explanation, comparison, or substitution, as if they were the most normal things in the American pantry. Which I think is awesome! There seem to be a disproportionate number of key components for the board that require broiling. Eggs, tomatoes, stone fruit, bacon, breads, pizzas, and more all seemed to be broiled for a few minutes on sheet pans before adding to the board. The majority of the “dinner boards” were more like fun “make your own” boards - sliders, tacos, chili, kebabs - and sheet pan suppers rather than a more substantial charcuterie board.
The pre-dinner aperitif recommendations were fairly disappointing as there were only roughly a half dozen of them, and they each seemed to contain sparkling wine, grapefruit liqueur, amaro, and/or vermouth. Granted they were supposed to be low alcohol sippers, but there are a myriad of ways to do that beyond just those four ingredients. Then again, it was good to see any suggestions and recipes of this sort in a book that focused on board dinners.
Overall, this book was definitely not a boring one - no cheese and charcuterie combinations to be found anywhere! I would really want to touch and feel the finished physical copy of this book before making the determination of whether to add it to my 100+ cookbook collection. It is definitely different from my Chronicle Books platters and boards book, as it has a more international variety of ingredients and a wider range of recipes in general. I believe this book to be far less prescriptive and far more adventurous than the one I currently own, which could fill a niche in my collection.
I received this book as a digital advance reader copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. I have yet to attempt any recipes from this book, but I will update this review when I do.
The purpose of the book was to define a low stress, low effort approach to entertaining that permits the host to focus on enjoying time with friends and family. Simplicity is the key word that keeps coming up again and again in the course of the introduction. It began with roughly 25 pages of introductory material, which primarily covered the selection and care for the physical board. Right off the bat, the book reinforced its casual emphasis with the recommendation to use you everyday wooden cutting board as the base, rather than waste precious kitchen space acquiring a myriad of slate, marble, and other decorative durable bases. Of course, if you’re like me and use plastic cutting boards, then you’d want to acquire a simple wooden board (made from a hard wood such as maple) to work with. Then again, since the emphasis is on the company and the food, the base doesn’t really matter much. The author also recommended a variety of pinch bowls, sugar bowls, four to six inch bowls, and eight inch bowls for dips, spreads, capers, olives, and anything else that can roll (or slide) off a board if uncontained.
The next 150 pages are recommendations for how to put different boards together, plus recipes for various components of these boards. The primary categories of boards are breakfast, bread, snacking, dinner, and picnic, while the additional recipes at the end are for accents, add ons, dips, spreads, and the like. The author’s Persian heritage was evident early on, as even the breakfast boards favored Middle Eastern ingredients, such as labneh, za’atar, harissa, halloumi, lime, and cumin. Although the author makes a blanket recommendation of Spice House, Diaspora Co., and Kaluystans as sources of spices, the book does not include a glossary or other explanation of the specific Middle Eastern/North African ingredients. She unapologetically uses these ingredients without explanation, comparison, or substitution, as if they were the most normal things in the American pantry. Which I think is awesome! There seem to be a disproportionate number of key components for the board that require broiling. Eggs, tomatoes, stone fruit, bacon, breads, pizzas, and more all seemed to be broiled for a few minutes on sheet pans before adding to the board. The majority of the “dinner boards” were more like fun “make your own” boards - sliders, tacos, chili, kebabs - and sheet pan suppers rather than a more substantial charcuterie board.
The pre-dinner aperitif recommendations were fairly disappointing as there were only roughly a half dozen of them, and they each seemed to contain sparkling wine, grapefruit liqueur, amaro, and/or vermouth. Granted they were supposed to be low alcohol sippers, but there are a myriad of ways to do that beyond just those four ingredients. Then again, it was good to see any suggestions and recipes of this sort in a book that focused on board dinners.
Overall, this book was definitely not a boring one - no cheese and charcuterie combinations to be found anywhere! I would really want to touch and feel the finished physical copy of this book before making the determination of whether to add it to my 100+ cookbook collection. It is definitely different from my Chronicle Books platters and boards book, as it has a more international variety of ingredients and a wider range of recipes in general. I believe this book to be far less prescriptive and far more adventurous than the one I currently own, which could fill a niche in my collection.
I received this book as a digital advance reader copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. I have yet to attempt any recipes from this book, but I will update this review when I do.
July 18, 2022
**Disclaimer: I received a free advanced readers copy of Boards and Spreads by Yasmin Fahr through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity.
Boards and Spreads: Shareable, Simple Arrangements for Every Meal by Yasmin Fahr is a cookbook of quick recipes that are easy to share if you have friends over. It is set to be published on August 23rd, 2022. I rated it three stars on Goodreads.
Here's the summary from Goodreads:
Feast upon more than 65 recipes for platters and boards, including dinner-worthy spreads, appetizers, breakfast, snacks, and more inspiration for anytime-eating
Boards All Day presents more than sixty-five recipes for beautiful, delicious boards and epic spreads for sharing-friendly meals, from breakfast through dinner. Going far beyond the standard cheese board or charcuterie board, here you will find countless ideas for how to create colorful platters and spreads with easy, flavorful recipes to fill them, like the Italian Aperitivo Board with Crispy Prosciutto Caprese; Any-Night Tacos with super-quick sheet pan shrimp, and rotisserie chicken that you spice up yourself; and breakfast spreads like the make-your-own Egg Pita Sandwich Board. Even drinks can be served board-style, whether it's a Bloody Mary Bar or the DIY Daytime Drinks set-up for a crowd. Plus, there are plenty of quick recipes for dips, snacks, and other fun add-ons that you'll turn to time and time again for countless meals, like Za'atar Flatbread, Smashed Olives, Quick-Pickled Shallots and Jalapenos, and Two-Minute Feta Dip.
Whether you're looking for a snackable spread or grazing board to serve when having people over, searching for the perfect food to share for an outdoor get-together, or simply looking for easy-to-make recipes that you can throw together on a whim, Boards All Day is full of ideas for turning everyday ingredients into festive, low-effort meals.
I have to admit that this cookbook wasn't exactly what I was expecting. I thought it might be more along the lines of tips and tricks for creating a more charceuterie board style spread. There were some elements that were similar to that idea, but mostly it was a very different concept.
I appreciated the simplicity of how the recipes were laid out, but most of them turned out to not be my style of food as I am a pretty picky eater. There were a couple of recipes that I screenshotted to perhaps use in the future, but everything else wasn't really in my taste wheelhouse.
However, if you're at all intrigued by the idea of this book and are a more adventurous eater than I am, then I would still suggest that you check out this collection of recipes. Some seemed pretty tasty.
Boards and Spreads: Shareable, Simple Arrangements for Every Meal by Yasmin Fahr is a cookbook of quick recipes that are easy to share if you have friends over. It is set to be published on August 23rd, 2022. I rated it three stars on Goodreads.
Here's the summary from Goodreads:
Feast upon more than 65 recipes for platters and boards, including dinner-worthy spreads, appetizers, breakfast, snacks, and more inspiration for anytime-eating
Boards All Day presents more than sixty-five recipes for beautiful, delicious boards and epic spreads for sharing-friendly meals, from breakfast through dinner. Going far beyond the standard cheese board or charcuterie board, here you will find countless ideas for how to create colorful platters and spreads with easy, flavorful recipes to fill them, like the Italian Aperitivo Board with Crispy Prosciutto Caprese; Any-Night Tacos with super-quick sheet pan shrimp, and rotisserie chicken that you spice up yourself; and breakfast spreads like the make-your-own Egg Pita Sandwich Board. Even drinks can be served board-style, whether it's a Bloody Mary Bar or the DIY Daytime Drinks set-up for a crowd. Plus, there are plenty of quick recipes for dips, snacks, and other fun add-ons that you'll turn to time and time again for countless meals, like Za'atar Flatbread, Smashed Olives, Quick-Pickled Shallots and Jalapenos, and Two-Minute Feta Dip.
Whether you're looking for a snackable spread or grazing board to serve when having people over, searching for the perfect food to share for an outdoor get-together, or simply looking for easy-to-make recipes that you can throw together on a whim, Boards All Day is full of ideas for turning everyday ingredients into festive, low-effort meals.
I have to admit that this cookbook wasn't exactly what I was expecting. I thought it might be more along the lines of tips and tricks for creating a more charceuterie board style spread. There were some elements that were similar to that idea, but mostly it was a very different concept.
I appreciated the simplicity of how the recipes were laid out, but most of them turned out to not be my style of food as I am a pretty picky eater. There were a couple of recipes that I screenshotted to perhaps use in the future, but everything else wasn't really in my taste wheelhouse.
However, if you're at all intrigued by the idea of this book and are a more adventurous eater than I am, then I would still suggest that you check out this collection of recipes. Some seemed pretty tasty.
March 17, 2022
This book is seriously lucky it got 3 stars. I had massive issues with the formatting. By page 132 I was so fed up I had to comment: "I don't know who did the layout for this book but they need sacking. So much empty space. Massive margins and the method often on a separate page the the ingredients. It felt like a blatant need to expand the book into more pages. Recipes were stretched unnecessarily over 3 pages and there way too many double spread photos, This book only has approx. 65 recipes and it's nearly 200 pages!" I love the feel of an actual book in my hands but I'm still conscious of the sheer quantity of paper usage (and consequently trees) involved, so to see such a sheer waste of useable space by a publisher is astonishing. On that alone I can't recommend that anyone buy the physical copy of this book.
As for the contents, well the concept was all well and good but not enough to make a whole book, least of all 200 pages worth. It quickly devolved into sticking stuff in bowls and putting them on a board. You know when you have your mates around for chilli but everyone likes something different and one can't eat spicy food, so you end up make making a big pot of bolognaise sauce whacking it in the middle of the table and surrounding it with separate bowls of rice, pasta, bread, cheese, chillies, fried chorizo, yoghurt, guac etc etc etc. Well, that's what half this book was, then there were side dishes plated so people could help themselves. Probably only a third were the type of sharing platters I was expecting to find.
As for the contents, well the concept was all well and good but not enough to make a whole book, least of all 200 pages worth. It quickly devolved into sticking stuff in bowls and putting them on a board. You know when you have your mates around for chilli but everyone likes something different and one can't eat spicy food, so you end up make making a big pot of bolognaise sauce whacking it in the middle of the table and surrounding it with separate bowls of rice, pasta, bread, cheese, chillies, fried chorizo, yoghurt, guac etc etc etc. Well, that's what half this book was, then there were side dishes plated so people could help themselves. Probably only a third were the type of sharing platters I was expecting to find.
July 18, 2022
This is a pretty solid charcuterie board book.
It boasts a variety of board ideas from breakfasts, to dinners, and everything in between. Some of the boards that I liked the most were the kebab board, the taco board, the mini sliders board, the crispy snacky tortilla board, and the jam plan board. That said, there were also a lot of unique board ideas in this book that I’d never seen in other books such as the smorrebrod-style lox board, the no-cook tartines board, the many mezze snacking board, and many others. The book also has a nice picture to accompany each board which is also highly appreciated.
As a whole, this book is good for charcuterie fans and has a good array of recipes to make it perfect for those hosting parties. I would not say that the majority of the recipes are very family friendly as they tend to be geared to a more mature palate, but that does mean that this is the perfect book for those who want more complex flavour profiles. This is definitely a good book on charcuterie, and while it is not the best one that I have seen because it doesn’t contain that many board ideas, the recipes it does include are unique and sound quite flavourful.
Special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for an online copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It boasts a variety of board ideas from breakfasts, to dinners, and everything in between. Some of the boards that I liked the most were the kebab board, the taco board, the mini sliders board, the crispy snacky tortilla board, and the jam plan board. That said, there were also a lot of unique board ideas in this book that I’d never seen in other books such as the smorrebrod-style lox board, the no-cook tartines board, the many mezze snacking board, and many others. The book also has a nice picture to accompany each board which is also highly appreciated.
As a whole, this book is good for charcuterie fans and has a good array of recipes to make it perfect for those hosting parties. I would not say that the majority of the recipes are very family friendly as they tend to be geared to a more mature palate, but that does mean that this is the perfect book for those who want more complex flavour profiles. This is definitely a good book on charcuterie, and while it is not the best one that I have seen because it doesn’t contain that many board ideas, the recipes it does include are unique and sound quite flavourful.
Special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for an online copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 28, 2022
Nay - skip it
Board & Spreads seems to be - well, I don't exactly know. It's a very trendy topic right now. Kind of felt that angle was more then a little exploited because it seemed to be a mismatch, hodge-podge of recipes.
Yes -there were quite a few spreads. But a board for jam that shows 3 different options of spreads (red, purple & brown) and only has 2 recipes - yes there are 3 but a substitution of labneh for ricotta only warrants a partial sentence in the original recipe. I was flummoxed on why I would go thru the hassle of mixing tahini into my peanut butter - it completely escaped me!
The chicken dinner recipe was just a pretty or different way to present a new chicken dinner recipe. My advice - skip the trendy the board thing if you want to try the recipe & use the platter that came with your dishes.
Just a couple examples of how I thought the charcuterie angle was being used as a carrot. I didn't see that the book offered anything unique or different to warrant purchasing.
I received an ARC from Netgalley to help me prepare my honest review.
Board & Spreads seems to be - well, I don't exactly know. It's a very trendy topic right now. Kind of felt that angle was more then a little exploited because it seemed to be a mismatch, hodge-podge of recipes.
Yes -there were quite a few spreads. But a board for jam that shows 3 different options of spreads (red, purple & brown) and only has 2 recipes - yes there are 3 but a substitution of labneh for ricotta only warrants a partial sentence in the original recipe. I was flummoxed on why I would go thru the hassle of mixing tahini into my peanut butter - it completely escaped me!
The chicken dinner recipe was just a pretty or different way to present a new chicken dinner recipe. My advice - skip the trendy the board thing if you want to try the recipe & use the platter that came with your dishes.
Just a couple examples of how I thought the charcuterie angle was being used as a carrot. I didn't see that the book offered anything unique or different to warrant purchasing.
I received an ARC from Netgalley to help me prepare my honest review.
April 6, 2022
A big thank you to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for providing a digital ARC for me to review.
I quite enjoyed Boards and Spreads. Not only is it visually gorgeous, but also serves as a reminder that meal time doesn't need to always be a few hours of work and ton pots and pans to be fancy. Each "recipe" aka board spread, usually includes one homemade item and then a bevy of already prepared / bought items to make meal time easy and fun. With 60 recipes ranging from breakfast boards to picnics and full dinners, I think there is something in here for everyone. Yasmin also encourages creativity and finding your own way.
She seems to draw a lot of inspiration on travels abroad and brings in ingredients and spices that some readers may not have tried before. If you haven't had labneh before, please do yourself a favor and buy a huge a tub! Yasmin includes it in a few of these recipes and it's a must eat.
I took this book more as a board guide, showing me different ways to put together a quick meal. Excited to really dive in and eat :)
I quite enjoyed Boards and Spreads. Not only is it visually gorgeous, but also serves as a reminder that meal time doesn't need to always be a few hours of work and ton pots and pans to be fancy. Each "recipe" aka board spread, usually includes one homemade item and then a bevy of already prepared / bought items to make meal time easy and fun. With 60 recipes ranging from breakfast boards to picnics and full dinners, I think there is something in here for everyone. Yasmin also encourages creativity and finding your own way.
She seems to draw a lot of inspiration on travels abroad and brings in ingredients and spices that some readers may not have tried before. If you haven't had labneh before, please do yourself a favor and buy a huge a tub! Yasmin includes it in a few of these recipes and it's a must eat.
I took this book more as a board guide, showing me different ways to put together a quick meal. Excited to really dive in and eat :)
February 13, 2022
Interesting cookbook with lots of ideas for doing platters. Each board has a main dish or theme, and then you add garnishes or toppings to go along with them. All are arranged on a platter or board. The recipes are suggestions, in the hope it sparks creativity for your own board making. The pictures are colorful and the food looks delicious.
The book is broken down into segments that begin with an introduction as to how the book came to be. There is a section on boards and how to take care of them that includes the following information: supporting dishes such as small bowls, other types of kitchen equipment, how to do pretty plating, and quick tips for ingredient prep. There is also a section on Accents + Add-Ons.
The recipes are broken down as follows: Boards for Breakfast, Breads on Boards, Snacking Boards + Salad + Veggie Platters, Dinnertime Boards, and Take it Outside.
My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions expressed are my own.
The book is broken down into segments that begin with an introduction as to how the book came to be. There is a section on boards and how to take care of them that includes the following information: supporting dishes such as small bowls, other types of kitchen equipment, how to do pretty plating, and quick tips for ingredient prep. There is also a section on Accents + Add-Ons.
The recipes are broken down as follows: Boards for Breakfast, Breads on Boards, Snacking Boards + Salad + Veggie Platters, Dinnertime Boards, and Take it Outside.
My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions expressed are my own.
March 8, 2022
4 delicious, charcuterie, boards-and-spreads stars ^^
Thank you to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for providing a digital ARC for review!
This was a refreshing "cookbook" chock full of delicious, mouth-watering boards and spreads. We all know what a "charcuterie board" looks like - but what if I told you that Yasmin Fahr has taken that to a whole new level? Boards and spreads are not just for cheese and meat folks! Not any more!
This book full of assorted boards and spreads has everything from brunch to dinner, and anything and everything in between. I found that every single idea in here was new and fun - I have plenty of family-style and party inspiration for my next get-together! I can understand the appeal of having everything be served in a spread-style layout.
Highly recommend this to anyone in your life that has a charcuterie obsession or is looking for a fun new way to present and serve meals!
Thank you to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for providing a digital ARC for review!
This was a refreshing "cookbook" chock full of delicious, mouth-watering boards and spreads. We all know what a "charcuterie board" looks like - but what if I told you that Yasmin Fahr has taken that to a whole new level? Boards and spreads are not just for cheese and meat folks! Not any more!
This book full of assorted boards and spreads has everything from brunch to dinner, and anything and everything in between. I found that every single idea in here was new and fun - I have plenty of family-style and party inspiration for my next get-together! I can understand the appeal of having everything be served in a spread-style layout.
Highly recommend this to anyone in your life that has a charcuterie obsession or is looking for a fun new way to present and serve meals!
August 23, 2022
I'm taking to this new trend of boards and spreads, it doesn't have to be for just a party anymore. The introduction started with different types of boards, board sizes, and even how to properly clean the boards. Ingredient prep was included which I found was very important for this style of cookbook and the recipes. There were several types of boards from no cook to cook.style boards. I tried several different items in this cookbook and had a fun time with the process. The recipes were easy to follow and the board prep enjoyable. The two boards I tried were instant favorites. Who doesn't love a good taco, the Taco Board took my usual taco night up quite a few notches. The Top Your Own Chili Board helped enhance my regular chili from simple to complex. I love feta cheese so I made the Two Minute Feta Dip and it was a definite hit. This cookbook was a treat for me and I look forward to making more boards and spreads.
September 28, 2022
I adore boards and spreads, they're such a fun way to have a meal. For me it s not just about the fun though. While living in China I really began to appreciate the beauty of properly sharing your food, of sharing dishes and dips and trying out new things that way. So since then boards have been on my mind quite a bit. I even organised them for Christmas the past few years!
One of the things I really liked is that the recipes also focus on when produce is in season! It can be so hard to find certain things at certain times of year, so to have specific boards for specific times of the year is great. In general I found the thematic approach very useful, even if I wouldn't create a spread for breakfast myself. (This might change once I no longer live on my own!) Each board also comes with a photo which made them all look delicious and perfect, even if they're all accessible!
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone with a love for boards and spreads!
One of the things I really liked is that the recipes also focus on when produce is in season! It can be so hard to find certain things at certain times of year, so to have specific boards for specific times of the year is great. In general I found the thematic approach very useful, even if I wouldn't create a spread for breakfast myself. (This might change once I no longer live on my own!) Each board also comes with a photo which made them all look delicious and perfect, even if they're all accessible!
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone with a love for boards and spreads!
January 3, 2023
See my full review here.
This is a beautifully photographed presentation of ideas for sharing boards that you can use as a party host or for an informal family meal, way beyond the classic charcuterie or cheese board. Author Fahr is a contributor to my fave food blog, TheKitchn. Here she has curated a collection of spreads for every meal and occasion, using everyday ingredients with recipes that are easy to follow for boards at every meal and occasion. Lots of photos, a decent index (though in my opinion each cheese should be separately listed as an entry, and a useful introduction that includes encouraging advice and suggestions, tips on creating a board, and caring for your wood board. My thanks to the Grand Forks (B.C.) & District Public Library for including this title in its adult nonfiction collection.
This is a beautifully photographed presentation of ideas for sharing boards that you can use as a party host or for an informal family meal, way beyond the classic charcuterie or cheese board. Author Fahr is a contributor to my fave food blog, TheKitchn. Here she has curated a collection of spreads for every meal and occasion, using everyday ingredients with recipes that are easy to follow for boards at every meal and occasion. Lots of photos, a decent index (though in my opinion each cheese should be separately listed as an entry, and a useful introduction that includes encouraging advice and suggestions, tips on creating a board, and caring for your wood board. My thanks to the Grand Forks (B.C.) & District Public Library for including this title in its adult nonfiction collection.
January 28, 2023
If you like to entertain, this might be a book for you. After a chapter about the kind of boards you can use, which is pretty much everything. The rest of the book is broken into sections. The first is breakfast. We get a jam board and a pancake board, but we also get a bloody mary board. Then we have the bread boards with the different types of breads that are seen on charcuterie boards. There are boards that don’t require cooking and a pizza board. Then snacking boards, dinner boards, good boards for eating outside. Then the last sections are recipes for dips and add-ons for the boards, like lemony herbs and onions. Caramelized bananas sound so yummy. I like that these boards aren’t just for snacks but could be used for meals.
February 17, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter Publishers for this eARC of Boards and Spreads by Yasmin Fahr! This was an absolutely gorgeous book. The author makes the idea of creating boards very accessible and workable for every single meal and occasion. The book is full of delicious recipes to mix and match to make a board all your own. These boards make great jumping off points to let your culinary creativity run wild. I also love that there was a section included on plating, i.e. what types of boards to use when and how to properly clean and care for your boards. The real star of the show throughout the book was the beautiful photography showcasing Fahr's boards. I'm hungry now!
February 21, 2022
Vibrant and fun photos with a new way to explore setting out food for guests, a special occasion or yourself. This cookbook explains how to set up a creative way to serve fun dips and boards for guests. Exploring breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas with recipes to expand the readers knowledge on mixing foods together. A new way to envision food with mixing and matching to creative a beautiful board and festive dips. Exploring new flavors and spices to see how they can expand your pallet. There is something for everyone in this cookbook and the latest design of serving food for your guests to create something new with your cooking.
March 24, 2022
I have a lot of books about making boards. A LOT. This may well be one of my favorites. Although there are some variations of things you may have seen before, much of this book feels very new and fresh. There are a LOT of recipes in here, which is awesome. The Peanut-Butter-Tahini toast with caramelized bananas has become a favorite breakfast/dessert for me. I loved how easy the no cook tartines board was to put together. It made it so easy to just snack. I really enjoyed the vegetable boards and platters for every season chapter. That was super helpful so not to have the same boring stuff time and time again. Will be using this one regularly.
June 5, 2022
I am obsessed with all things charcuterie. So this book is perfect! I love how it’s broken down by breakfast, breads, dinner and snacks. And then every part of the board is broken down and explained.
I have 2 kids and putting our boards of food makes them enjoy and try new things. It’s such a fun way to display your foods, be it for parties or just with your family. Any of these board would wow at a party! That’s always something I look for when hosting.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to host parties big or small! I love a wow factor and this is it. Enjoy!
Thank you to netgalley and Yasmin Fahr for the arc for an honest review
I have 2 kids and putting our boards of food makes them enjoy and try new things. It’s such a fun way to display your foods, be it for parties or just with your family. Any of these board would wow at a party! That’s always something I look for when hosting.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to host parties big or small! I love a wow factor and this is it. Enjoy!
Thank you to netgalley and Yasmin Fahr for the arc for an honest review
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