An Entertaining Idea from Erin French of The Lost Kitchen

Hey guys! There's a television show called The Lost Kitchen. Have you heard about it or seen it? 

via The Lost Kitchen 

The Lost Kitchen is about a self-taught chef named Erin French and the seasonal restaurant she owns also called The Lost Kitchen located in Freedom, Maine. 

Each episode is a showcase of her creativity in the kitchen, using both heirloom recipes and ones that she made on the fly and always with ingredients she grew herself or provided by the farms in Maine.

I've been watching her show since it debuted in 2021 and I dream to make it there to taste her cooking (to reserve a seat, you need to send a postcard and if luck is on your side, your postcard will be the one selected among many that arrive at their doorstep). The show is hopeful and her personal story shows how she turned her life from blah to TADA!

Aside from being a chef and TV show personality, Erin French is also an author. "The Lost Kitchen" is her first cookbook and "Finding Freedom" is her memoir (this cover is one of the most beautiful book covers I've ever seen).  

Her second cookbook, Big Heart Little Stove, offers recipes and entertaining ideas that we can easily replicate at home.  

One of the unique things she's created is the Nibble Board:

via The Lost Kitchen 

It's essentially an appetizer platter with thoughtfully selected items and presented beautifully on a white ceramic cake stand...TADA!

via The Lost Kitchen 

She welcomes her guests at the restaurant and brings each table their nibble board. 

via The Lost Kitchen 

Here's a closer look. There are some cheeses, flavored butter, crackers, veggies, olives, and nuts.

via The Lost Kitchen 

This is how Erin French describes the nibble board: "I go out of my way to incorporate classic gestures of hospitality straight out of the dinner-party playbook. One of my favorites -- and a favorite of our guests -- is the nibble board, a spread of easily munched snack bits that pair well with greetings and cocktails. There's no set prescription for what might appear on one of these boards, but one guideline I do abide by is to include one element that's homemade. It doesn't have to take more than a minute or two, but the thoughtfulness will elevate the whole situation." 

The general guidelines for a Nibble Board include:

• Something cheesy (be generous)
• Something crunchy (such as a cracker-type item)
• Something salty (like olives and other pickled things)
• Something meaty (such as cured meats)
• Something sweet (for balance, like dried or fresh fruit)

She also has this suggestion: "Or, make it really easy (like a bowl of frozen grapes, sliced cucumbers sprinkled with flaky salt, or slather sliced radishes with good butter and sprinkle them with salt; or keep a jar of jam or a pot of honey and some good cheese in the fridge so you can have an instant nibble anytime the mood or occasion strikes."  

Here's a nibble board I made...TADA!

I hope this has inspired you to add a fun spin to your parties or turn your snacking from blah to TADA!

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