Instructions

1. Choose meats based on quality, not quantity. A meat and cheese platter should have a variety of meats including lean sliced turkey breast, thinly sliced roast beef and thinly sliced ham. Roll the slices into cigar lengths (you can keep each roll together with a toothpick).

2. Consider charcuterie. Nothing says "gourmet" like an upscale charcuterie platter mixed with the classic American trio. Charcuterie is the French word for cured meats. It refers to dry cured and cooked meats including spicey chorizo, pancetta, saucisson sec (dry pork with spices), jamón serrano (Spanish), Mortadella and literally any slice-able sausage (avoid little smokeys). Cut all sausages into coins. For thin pancetta or jamón, roll or clump into a rumpled ribbon form.

3. Select the cheeses. Most trays start with the time-tested American favorites, cheddar and Swiss cheese. Don't settle for American cheddar (plastic) for its flexibility. Try aged sharp cheddar and cut into strips. Swiss cheese can be purchased already sliced, as can havarti and provolone. Roll these cheeses. If preparing a platter for a more select crowd, include a few soft cheeses with the spread such as goat cheese (rolled into balls), camambert or brie (wedges).

4. Add fruits, nuts or vegetables. Meat and cheese does not imply singularity in ingredients; a successful tray will have a variety of additions both for visual aesthetics and for taste. These additions also work as a barrier between the cheeses and meats to separate flavors. Pile or arrange strawberries, grapes, cucumbers, carrots, cherry tomatoes, roasted almonds, walnuts, or herb garnishes in between the sections of meats and cheeses.

5. Arrange the food in an attractive yet practical layout. Do not over-load a massive industrial size platter; cluttered trays are unappetizing. Plan on refilling a smaller tray periodically as it runs low. Arrange the appetizers modestly in quantity making sure to fit a little of everything on it. For a round tray, the best layout is alternately lining the meats and cheeses from the center to the edge as if they were spokes on a wheel (that is, one spoke of sausage, then one spoke of cheddar, etc.). If using a rectangle or square, arrange in tight rows alternating rows of fruits and nuts between the meats and cheeses.

6. Arrange a tray of crackers, breads and gluten-alternative carbohydrates to accompany the meat and cheese tray. Accompany the tray with platters of crackers and bread sticks, bowls of sliced baguettes, or crostini toasts, and a gluten free alternative such as rice crackers.

7. Pair the appetizer with wines or aperitifs. A full-bodied red lends itself best to rich assorted flavors of meat and cheese.