Long Island Charcuterie Board Classes
By Joann Vaglica
Updated January 25, 2023 10:55 am
For most of her life, certified yoga and meditation instructor Meredith “Merry” Masson had worked in some form of the hospitality business, whether restaurants, grocers, delis or bakeries. It wasn’t until 2020, though, when yoga studios temporarily shut down, that Masson combined her two loves — yoga and food — and eventually launched Made by Merry NY. It was her “way to kind of maintain this meditative practice,” she says.
Being home with the kids, she found herself creating all types of boards — desserts, taco, crudités — any type that she could tuck away into the fridge as long as, she says, she and the kids could “sit there and be present."
Through Made by Merry NY, charcuterie mavens can get together at one of Masson’s in-home or public workshops where she shows attendees how to assemble a board, gives the 411 on tablescaping and offers advice on tea, whiskey and other beverages that pair well with the boards created. They vary in size depending on event, but will no doubt feed a minimum of at least two to three people.Felicia Nicholas, 46, of Long Beach, who loves to entertainment, recently attended Masson's workshop at Rockville Centre's The Sanctuary Within. "I was going into it blindly," she says, after receiving the class as a Christmas gift from her brother. In the end, Nicholas says she not only learned how to build a presentable board, but "how to make florets out of smoked Gouda. That was an interesting tool to learn" and "how to cut fruit a specific way — the kiwis, the oranges, how to make them look appealing and presentable on the board. And just placement, really."
In terms of the bits and pieces on the board, “you are the controller" Masson says. Her workshops last at least two hours and can double as experiences where you can tack on passed hors d'oeuvres and even a wine pairing demonstrated by a One Hope Winery rep (prices start at $125 for a basic workshop and top out at $185 for the passed hors d'oeuvres and wine additions). For home sessions, Masson requires a 10-person minimum.
“We use all of our senses to enjoy the charcuterie board. We don’t just use our mouth to eat it,” she says, adding that “food is meant to nourish the body, but it’s also meant to nourish your soul, to nourish your being. And it brings people together."
Sharyn Gitter, 42, of Commack knows that all too well. She also attended Masson's class at The Sanctuary Within. “I was expecting to learn creative ways to cut fruit and how to make a pretty presentation when serving people, when you’re entertaining at your home," she says. That's exactly what she got from the experience. "It's like food art," she says, adding that the two-hour workshop saw the product disappear within minutes when it was brought home. The event, which kicked off with chakra meditation, added a unique twist to the class, Gitter says. "What I liked about it, there was no pressure. If you didn't want to do" something, you didn't have to, "but if you wanted more, there was more for you."
By Joann Vaglica
Joann Vaglica joined Newsday in 2015, reporting on lifestyle and
entertainment news. She’s now in pursuit of finding tasty and unique
foodstuffs on Long Island for Newsday's FeedMe. She also covers the
general lifestyle scene on the Island.
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