After almost a year of staying home, how can we make Feb.14 feel special?
With a stellar snack experience. A romantic night at home is the perfect setting for the popular food craze: charcuterie boards.
The word charcuterie(pronounced “shar-koot-er-ee”) is French for “cooked meat.” Charcuterie boardsoften surround cured meatwith pickles and mustard and frequently addcheeses, fruit, nuts, spreads and, for Valentine’s Day, chocolates.
Two brand new businesses and one established caterer are meeting the demands of local charcuter-freaks. The CCOs (chief charcuterie officers) at MKE Charcuterie, My Family Roots Catering and Charcuter-Meshared their journeys and a variety of Valentine’s Day snack options.
Sisters-in-law and business
Shortly after Courtney Reese was laid off from her job in April, she read a food blog about charcuterie boxes.
“My husband and I had made charcuterie (boards), but I had never seen it in this packaged, to-go format. I started putting together boxes to sell to friends and family at cost,” Reese recalls.
Social media did the rest, leading to MKE Charcuterie in Wauwatosa.
“I posted on my personal Facebook, then one of my great-auntsposted it in her work group, and somebody from there posted it in Milwaukee Foodie. It turned into absolute craziness,” Reese adds.
She drafted sister-in-law Patti Wainscott to help meet the sudden demand.
“I was one of the lucky recipients of a friends and family box. When Courtney needed an extra set of hands, I was happy to help. We became weekend charcuterie warriors,” Wainscott says.
When Wainscott faced her own layoff, she was happy to pivot.“I was laid off from BMO Harris Bank after an 18-year career. But I enjoyed charcuterie way more than I ever did banking,” Wainscott admits. “I really wanted to see what we could do with this.”
Reese and Wainscott continue to offer custom designed boxes for every occasion, especially Valentine’s Day. What’s better than a bouquet of roses? Salami roses.
“Our Valentine’s Day boxes have a bouquet made out of garlic and herb flavored salami shaped petals,” Wainscott explains.
Reese adds, “There will be a variety of cheeses nestled in around the salami, and that’s all under a layer of whipped cheese, jam, fruit, chocolate truffles and other sweet treats. All of our cheeses are Wisconsin produced, and we try to use local meats as much as possible.”
Reese and Wainscott blame their parents for their meat-and-cheese obsession.
“My dad would come home with Johnsonville sausage, Colby jack, pepper jack cheese and Ritz crackers. We didn’t know it was charcuterie, it was just snacking,” Reese says.
Those items are still staples in her parents' home, Wainscott says. “Look in my parents’ refrigerator, and you’ll find a jar of cheese spread, summer sausage and cheese and crackers.”
Reese adds, “We’ve taken those snacks and elevated them.”
MKE Charcuterie 10600 W. Blue Mound Road,Wauwatosa, (414) 308-0093 mkecharcuterie.com. Check website for delivery and pickup locations.
Colossal Kaldbords
When wedding and party cancellations took a toll on her catering business, Beth Graf, owner of My Family Roots Catering, turned to charcuterie boards and her signature kaldbords, inspired by the Dutch phrase kald borde, which translates to “cold table,”
Graf uses the boards to display massive amounts of food. “My ‘kaldbord’ is a 4-foot-long board … clients can also rent the boards,” Graf adds.
Before she turned pro, Graf was her family’s personal caterer. “I’ve always done the food for Christmas Eve and parties for about 50 or 60 people,” she recalls.
In 2017, Graf jumped at the chance to make appetizers for her best friend’s daughter’s wedding. “That wedding started it all. I displayed the appetizers on a 19-foot canoe,” she said.
Creative food presentations became the perfect outlet for Graf, a former artist, to combine her passions for food and art. “When I was 18, I went to MATC (Milwaukee Area Technical College) for art. I left my art behind, but it always comes out in my food. I treat every platter like a piece of art,” she says.
Graf uses localproducts whenever possible, among themUsinger’s and Kettle Range meats,St. Paul Fish Co,,West Allis Cheese &Sausage Shoppe and microgreens from farmers markets. "Any vendor you see at a farmer’s market, I’ve probably used them,” she adds.
My Family Roots’ charcuterie and kaldbords feature homemade spreads such as blueberry butterand Graf’s signature “ciao ciao” dipping oil.
“It’s hot oil with caramelized onions, sun dried tomatoes, chiles and seasonings. It can be semi-spicy or super spicy;I include a two- to four-ounce serving on every board. After people try it, they order quarts of it,” Graf says.
Graf customizes the boards for vegetarian and gluten-free clients andoffers advice, including suggestions for special occasions such as Valentine's Day.
Valentine’s Day boxes will feature heart-shaped biodegradablepalm plates, plus salami roses and cheese roses. Order deadline is 6 p.m. Feb. 12.
My Family Roots Catering, (414) 704-5995, myfamilyrootscatering.com
A Not-So-Side Hustle
When Amanda Mattefs took a charcuterie board to a family event in 2019, she had no idea she was planting the seeds for a new business.
“My brother’s girlfriend asked me to bring a snack for girls’ night. After that, my family asked me to bring charcuterie to every family event. It became a different creative outlet for me.”
This graphic designer is obsessed with travel.
“I studied in London in college, I’ve lived in Scotland and San Diego… traveling is why I work,” Mattefs says.
After founding and building Apricity Creative Agency in California, Mattefs moved home to Milwaukee in late 2018. When the pandemic canceled a planned trip to Morocco, Mattefs used the time to pursue a new venture.
“In June of 2020, charcuterie was going to be a side hustle, I wanted to bring something different to Milwaukee. … it quickly turned into not a side hustle.”
Naming the business “Charcuter-Me” was the fun part. “The name is a play on ‘beer me,’ like, 'throw me a charcuterie board,' ” Mattefs explains.
As her new business booms, Mattefs is perfecting her juggling act, “I’m doing both my graphic design and Charcuter-Me … figuring out how to run two businesses is a new adventure,” she says.
Sometimes this busy entrepreneur’s worlds collide. “I’ve helped two other charcuterie companies with their websites, one in Texas and one in San Diego.”
Mattefs partnered with Whisks Away Bakery to add chocolate-covered strawberries to Valentine’s boxes. All will also have salami roses.
"I want to make every theme as special as possible,” Mattefs adds.
Charcuter-Me, 770 N. Jefferson St., (619) 363-5358,charcuter-me.com
Getting on Board
DIY Charcuterie is easy. Start with your favorite meats and cheeses and let your taste buds be your guide. Charcuter-Me’s Amanda Mattefs puts liquid and smaller snacks in containers to create anchor points.
“I put the honey, jam, olives, nuts, etc. in ramekins first, then arrange the cheese by type around that,” she said.
MKE Charcuterie’s Courtney Reese varies cheese by more than flavor. “Place the cheeses in piles or arrange your brie in a wheel rather than a wedge so you have some different textures and colors,” Reese suggests.
“Place the meat (salami River, prosciutto ribbons), fruit and veggies in between the anchor points,” Mattefs says.
And don’t forget the garnish. “Garnishing really polishes a board," she says. She uses fresh rosemary, thyme and bay leaves.
Don’t stress, it’s just snacking. “In the end, it's all about having fun and enjoying the process,” Reese says.
Joan Elovitz Kazan is a Milwaukee-based freelancer who frequently writes about food and a variety of other feature topics. While Kazan prefers writing about food than cooking it, her husband, three kids and dog would argue that she’s a pretty decent cook, too.
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