Which Christmas song is the top holiday tune of all time? It’s a tossup according to music chart statistics worldwide, but certainly no one can argue that Mariah Carey’s single, “All I Want is for Christmas Is You,” reigns high. Whether you are a Carey “lamb” (the pet names for Carey’s followers) or not, the song delivers the message we all need to remember: holidays are about quality time with the people we need in our lives so much more than the elves on the shelves, picture-perfect decorations, comical crying kid pictures with Santa, perfectly curated cards, expertly wrapped presents, fancy holiday parties and matchy-matchy everything.

For me, the question remains through, what am I really willing to leave out in order to do just what the song suggests: prioritize time with loved ones? In this season of my life, the fancy holiday parties I used to host before I had two toddlers are once again on the chopping block. In an effort to be able to enjoy more time during the party, I along with countless others are not throwing an elaborate appetizer party but donning a giant “grazing board” and opting for “social snacking” or “girl dinner,” depending upon which TikTok trend phrases you want to follow.

If you are not familiar with grazing boards, think charcuterie board with a lot more elements. The term charcuterie used to be straightforward, utilizing cured meats, cheeses, mustard and either pickles or olives arranged simply on a plate, but charcuterie popularity has skyrocketed, especially in the last five years. Why is there such growth in this niche market? The rise of “Instagram worthy” pictures, hashtag popularity content and “how to” TikTok videos have contributed to the explosion of this food trend along with its accessibility to execute at all culinary skills levels. Grazing boards and elevated charcuterie have become a mainstay in U.S. snacking culture, not only at home but also in our professional industry. In 2023, the National Restaurant Association forecasted the charcuterie board demand would rise to be the No. 1 appetizer trend.

Given their popularity, we added an important assignment to our culinary curriculum so that students are well versed in professional charcuterie — the grazing board project. Students were assigned to create a cohesive grazing board that used the following elements: texture, temperature, color, height variation along with flavors that worked together. Students needed to include cured meat and cheese of choice, nuts of seeds, both a fruit and a vegetable, a pickled item, a homemade cracker, a toasted item and a dip or spread.

The winning team of Josh Provart, Sandra Henderson and Daniel Fernandez created a sweet heat board that was a thoughtful combination of hot, sweet and salty flavors and included homemade elements like their quick pickled jalapeños and fresh-made crackers. They also used locally sourced red bell pepper jam from the Apple Barn in Chatham, Illinois, alongside homemade hot honey ricotta and Manzo Wagyu infused with fresh thyme, black peppercorns and Cabernet.

While the students’ hand-crafted and mostly homemade take on their grazing board might work against my goal of earning time back with family and friends, many of the elements are great quality and fairly accessible in local markets right here in central Illinois. There are a couple of elements that I think are worth making from scratch. A quick pickled item can be made well in advance and just adds that pop of acidity to balance the cheeses, meats and crackers. The students chose to use sherry vinegar in their pickled item, but any kind of vinegar can be used as long as it is at least 5% acid. The pickling recipe below can be used with any vegetable of choice. Carrots, cauliflower, red onions, jalapeños and fresh herbs can be added to shape your pickled tastes.

Toasted, sweet and spicy nuts are also a quick and easy way to add a homemade element without taking a lot of time. They just taste so much better when you do them yourself right before your event. The recipe below uses raw nuts and results in a nice, sweet-spiced heat. From all of us here in LLCC Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts, we certainly wish you all of the time you want with the ones you love. Happy holidays, and get grazing!

Spiced nuts

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon water

• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon table salt

• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1/8 teaspoon cardamom

• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne

• pinch of ground cloves (or to taste)

• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt for finishing

• 1/2 pound of raw, whole almonds or walnuts

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small pot on low heat, stir together butter, honey, sugar, water, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, cayenne and ground cloves. Continue stirring until melted. Toss in the nuts, and stir until well coated. Spread them in a thin layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until browned.

LLCC CLA 136 garde manger quick pickled red onion

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar

• 1/2 cup apple juice

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

Instructions

Make the brine: combine the apple cider vinegar, juice and salt in a small bowl, and whisk well. Pack the thin onion slices into a small container. Pour the brine on top. Use a fork to make sure the onions are submerged. Cover and set aside in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

About

Lincoln Land Community College offers credit programs in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management and Baking/Pastry, and non-credit cooking and food classes through LLCC Community Education.

Cooking or food questions? Email epicuriosity101@llcc.edu.