The author claims that "everything tastes better on a board." I agree with that and so do many more people. And the steps to getting a great board? Choosing the board, selecting the serving utensils, how much to serve, per guest, and arranging the board.

Then she provides some tips on boards for the seasons and information on how to set up the board and how to fold meats, and how to pair with special drinks. I appreciated the tips on food styling. The drink suggestions were clever and fun. The boards can be as simple as a variety of seasonal cookies and sweets or a "potato board" filled with toppings for baked potatoes. Few boards described could be considered difficult, even for beginners.

The book includes some recipes and tips for entertaining.

I think this book will appeal to people who are new to entertaining, entertain casually, or who want to make family gatherings fun. The photos are very appetizing.

Honestly, I didn't find this book paticularly useful or instructive. Very basic, nothing that couldn't be found elsewhere, with better ideas

Gathering Boards is a visual delight and a tool for all things related to making a delicious and attractive food board. The author, Sarah Tuthill, desires to make it easy for all to create their own board. I respect the claim that it does not have to be complicated, but for those of us with little to no culinary creativity, it is a gorgeous guide. Not only do I struggle with pairing, but presenting things in a way that doesn’t look like I threw food together is a challenge. I love just the ideas and suggestions! Various cheeses and meats are discussed from selection to pairing to serving. A chapter for each season includes fruits, veggies, and accompanying cocktails. There are some recipes included at the end to top it all off. Highly recommend this helpful kitchen tool!
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

Get the heck outta here and buy it on pub day. ITS AMAZING. WOW. The graphics, the writing, the way that I now feel like a world-class charcuterie board organizer? YES YES YES! This one is so great and I love how it’s divvied up into seasonal boards. Brilliant. Okay, brb, preordering my copy now!

A beautiful book, giving new ideas for charcuterie-type boards (it isn't only charcuterie that is the focus). It is organised by different life events/season. My one slight criticism is that it could do with more photos as the food photography is stunning.

This had some beautiful boards and ideas but what i especially loved was the drink pairing ideas that it gave! I can’t wait to try some of this out!

I cannot wait to test some of these spreads, they look so beautiful and tasty. I know my guests would be wowed if I presented any of these boards at a gathering.

Lots of information, recipes and good ideas! I love to make charcuterie boards and will be incorporating ideas into my boards.

Gathering Boards is a is a well written and beautifully illustrated guide to charcuterie and cheese boards by Sarah Zimmerman Tuthill. Due out 4th June 2024 from Rowman & Littlefield on their Globe Pequot imprint, it's 152 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

The publisher's backlist nonfiction is extensive and very high quality. They're really good with illustrated how-to guides and this one is no exception. The debut author presents a comprehensive general introduction full of basic instructions on how to make boards, how to choose ingredients, how to serve them and more. The introduction is followed by seasonal specialty servings (Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall) full of appropriate and attractive food, well curated and presented.

The book is full to bursting with useful tables and choices; showing what cheese goes with which fruit and showing readers how to pair ingredients to show them at their best. For timid readers who might be generally fairly clueless about *what* will complement *which* items, and how to style the foods most attractively, the information contained here will give enough confidence and instruction to make an educated choice as far as arrangement and choices.

Each of the specific board tutorials in the book contains an introduction, ingredient choices, and a short assembly list. The photos in the book are large, high contrast, and in color, without hands or anything in the way. There are numerous tutorial photos on folding, slicing, and preparing ingredients to show them at their best.

Many of the ingredients will be easy to find at any large supermarket or box-store. Some of the more specialized cheeses and charcuterie will require mail order or access to a large urban area, or specialist grocer. Serving suggestions are beautifully styled and attractive (it's the high point of the book).

Five stars. This would make a great choice for library acquisition, for the home cook, or possibly as a thoughtful hostess gift.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Such a great book to help curate the perfect charcuterie tray. I love the beautiful photos and easy to interpret information perfect housewarming gift.

This is a combination of board inspirations, recipes, how-tos and gourmet insights.
The pictures are lovely and the instructions are easy to follow. I particularly liked the mocktail photos and recipes.
The decorative ideas were interesting, and knowledge-wise, my favourite parts were the ones about cheese. It was handy to see cheese categorised according to different board ideas.
The Mediterranean board is my most cherished one.
Great book for those who love to throw parties, who like to organise their charcuterie items for a well deserved self-care routine, or cafes and restaurants.
I wish this were longer though.

Around the Board: Boards, Platters, and Plates focuses on all things boards. How to create the perfect pairings, style, and entertaining guests throughout all seasons.

The Sections are
Board Basics
Winter Gathering Boards
Spring Gathering Boards
Summer Gathering Boards
Fall Gathering Boards
10 Tips and Tidbits for Flawless Entertaining
Wine Pairing
EZPZ Recipes

The perfect way to combine different types of cheese and textures. The perfect components for a charcuterie board. There are a lot of knowledge that goes into charcuterie boards before getting into the seasonal board suggestions. Intertwined with the recipes is styling tips of the cheese and meats. The boards have holiday inspired and everyday boards for that season.

Every Board has an introduction on how the board came to be, a picture of the board (only some everyday did), and what is in the board. The directions are very clear and easy to follow. The holiday inspired boards have the addition of drink pairings (cocktail and cocktail versioned) and decor Inspiration.

The recipes include servings, a little blurb about the recipe, ingredients, and easy to follow directions. The recipes are included in the different charcuterie boards.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.