Big Boards for Families

Big Boards for Families is a fun and plainly written tutorial/entertaining guide with recipes and serving suggestions by Sandy Coughlin. Released 2nd Nov 2021 by Quarto on their Fair Winds Press imprint, it's 176 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats.

The introduction covers the basics of building a board including the board itself (not necessarily wooden), bowls, serving utensils, and food considerations. There are a lot of good tips scattered throughout, such as choosing boards which have a lip/well so food doesn't slide off and create unnecessary mess as well as choosing utensils and food for making boards (including *big* boards).

The board setups are arranged thematically: breakfast & brunch boards, grazing at home, meal boards, and desserts. The highlighted recipes used in the boards are listed right with the boards to which they belong, saving readers searching or bookmarking and having to flip back and forth. Recipe ingredients are listed in a bullet-style sidebar. Measurements are in American standard with most metric measures in parentheses (yay!) followed by step by step instructions. The book doesn't include nutritional information or portion sizes. The recipes are pictured with the finished boards and the pictures are beautifully clear and colorful. Many of the recipes do use pre-packaged ingredients and condiments for convenience.

The dishes and boards here aren't *fancy* but they really *feel* special because of the presentation. I liked everything about this book, from the varied dishes, to the presentation, the clearly written recipes, and the beautiful photography and food styling. Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I normally tend to think that charcuterie boards are a little impractical given the work load as compared to the payoff but this book certainly is not!

I was thoroughly impressed by this book. There are amazing pictures with each recipe, delicious recipes for each board, and the boards themselves cover everything from snacks to dinners. This is not some book that tells you to buy a bunch of pre-made food at the grocery store and assemble it in some unique way. Rather, this book is made to bring people together around the diner table with delicious food that is laid out in a fancy way not just for the aesthetic but because it’ll better help you eat it.

There are boards of oatmeal surrounded by fruits, nuts and sauces because it’ll help you customize that central food. There are taco boards covered with all the fixin’s so you can fill it with countless variations. There are chicken tortilla soup boards surrounded by tortilla chips and a bunch of added toppings for you to choose from. There are make your own trifle cups boards, and the list truly does go on. Of course there are also your classic cheese, crackers, and meats boards, but those are truly just one aspect of this already impressive book.

I would honestly say that whether you are a long time fan of charcuterie boards or tend to lean towards them seeming impractical, this book is still worth buying. The recipes in it are unique and delicious, and the way they are laid out on these boards makes them all the better.

This book is perfect for those hosting dinner parties, but believe me when I say that it isn’t limited to it. The amazing part about these boards is that it gives the base food and gives you the freedom to decide how complex the rest will be which makes it just as perfect for a regular a family meal!

Special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for a virtual arc of this (amazing) book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a fantastic cookbook. I’m very glad that the author explains what the “big board” or charcuterie is all about as well as the need for pre-planning. Don’t let the enormous amount of different (and unique to some) foods and the large amounts scare you. These boards are meant to share between friends and/or family and to feast upon all the board holds leisurely. I particularly like the variety of ideas plus the option to change up items according to one’s likes and dislikes (or food allergies). The idea of serving a meal this way is something new to me, and I look forward to trying a few recipes over the holidays.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

I really enjoy a good board. And this book gave me some great ideas for some boards, healthy and otherwise. Looking forward to make some of these, next time I'm entertaining.

Great ideas for boards!! The book includes ideas for breakfast, snacks, or full on meals! Such a unique idea, and a great way to include everyone in a meal.

We may have reached peak food board. While these spreads are gorgeous and definitely appetizing, I'm not sure some of them need to be boards. For example, the Sheet Pan Pizza looks, to me, to be a pan of pizza placed on a board and surrounded by tossed salad. I'd absolutely dig in, but did it really have to be a board?

That quibble aside, this is certainly a stunning and inspiring book. Each board is beautifully photographed and looks lush and abundant. I would be thrilled to walk into a gathering and see any of these. The author also makes a wonderful case for why food boards are useful entertaining tools--they reinforce the social bond of breaking bread and center togetherness as the main benefit.

This would make a great gift for anyone who likes to entertain and often feeds a crowd!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

Boards are the latest food craze, and there are hundreds of new cookbooks just out showing us how to make beautiful boards. One of the best of these cookbooks is Big Boards for Families: Healthy, Wholesome Charcuterie Boards and Food Spread Recipes that Bring Everyone Around the Table by Sandy Coughlin. This cookbook not only explains how to set up a beautiful board, and what equipment and props are needed to create a board, but also includes dozens of boards for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that will appeal to families. Although this book is written for families, the boards are perfect for using when entertaining not only families, but also adults.

One of the best parts of this cookbook is that there is a beautiful photograph of each of the boards that the author has presented. These boards are very appealing and beautiful, and most everyone will find several that they want to create. These boards are beautiful, and they have foods on them that are fun and mouthwatering. Boards are obviously a lot of fun, and this cookbook proves that they really aren’t too much work to present. Children may eat healthy things they wouldn’t normally eat because for some reason the foods are more appealing when included on the boards. Kids love to choose their own foods, (incidentally, so do adults), and these boards make it fun.

If you’re looking for a good cookbook for boards, this is one you should definitely consider adding to your collection.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

OMG you have to try the banana pancake board, oh and the taco board, oh and the chocolate fondue board.

Ok so you get it. It's a great book and lots of things to try. It is a good way to host in style. You know that special occasion. Also, they are not too hard to follow and do.

There are delicious recipes and some awesome pictures to go with them.
Some of the boards you may question for I advise you just go with it. For instance the pizza board. Hey just have fun and to be honest it may get people to stop being so picky.

Enjoy!

This book is beautiful! The recipes are versatile and easily adjusted to accommodate any size gathering. Boards can also be customized to meet each diners' taste and dietary needs. Coughlin approaches the design of her boards as artistic endeavors but stresses that creating them can be a family affair. She provides tips and resources for finding food-safe boards in various sizes (always with a lip so the food doesn't escape). The book covers every meal and snack opportunity you can think of. My personal fave is the game night board--wow! Bonus tip: sheet pan pancakes!

I am a massive Sandy Coughlin fan! I have a food Instagram account and I am always going to her page to see the delicious boards and spreads she makes. I was so excited to hear that she was coming out with a new book that is dedicated to bringing families and friends together at the dinner table while being surrounded by delicious foods.

Her recipes are so simple and easy to follow, using ingredients that most people have in their fridges or pantries, which I personally LOVE! The photography in this book is absolutely beautiful and I will most definitely be purchasing her book.

Two of my favourite recipes that I am looking forward to create for my own family are the Italian Tortellini Salad Board and the Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup Board.

Make sure you buy this book, it would make an amazing Christmas gift for the foodie in your life!

Thank you so much once again for allowing me to get a sneak peek of this beautiful creation!

Cover Appeal: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis: Big Boards for Families is an entertainment book that shows you how to create beautiful, delicious, customizable food boards that can be shared with your family at the table or a gathering of friends around the kitchen island.

What I Loved: This book is my dream. With a family with a wide variety of likes and dislikes these charcuterie boards give me the inspiration and base to build the perfect board for any meal or occasion. I love that Sandy gives detailed board assembly and recipes that are easy to follow. The European Breakfast Charcuterie Board is everything I want for breakfast and has such variety that everyone in my family will be happy. And the Mediterranean Shakshuka Board is my favorite, that I shrunk down and made myself a breakfast for dinner board for one! It was amazing.

What I Liked: The food photography is beautiful and super helpful capturing exactly what Sandy is conveying for each of the boards. It’s really nice to have a picture for each board to follow or just to add inspiration. I will definitely be purchasing the hard cover to add to my entertainment cookbooks.

What I Would Change: Honestly nothing. If you entertain or just want to get your family around the table this book is for you!

Overall Stars: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 1/2

#NetGalley #bigboardsforfamilies #tracythebibliovert #professionalreader

Fantastic cook book for those who want to go beyond the basic charcuterie board and feed a crowd. The photos are beautiful, the ingredient lists reasonable and the recipes easy to follow. This is the way to take a simple group of snacks and turn them into WOW. I am already eyeing the pretzel bites board and the prusciutto grilled cheese and orange basil tomato soup board for this weekend. Drool...Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Well I loved this book. Dinner time can get a little monotonous. This book has so so so many terrific ideas to change up meal time. All the boards look so fun and the pictures are gorgeous.

This book made me hungry. So many great recipes! I'm definitely going to try some of these out when I have guests.

I loved this book! We will definitely be making a ton of these boards because they're so cute and easy!

Big Boards are the new buffet or family style way of serving!
So many great ideas and pairing foods together.
You can make any meal or snack on a board. It can be for your family or just for you.
Great Idea book that works for all.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

I was simply wowed, wowed, wowed by the food displays in this book. They are so breathtaking - so colourful, so scrumptious-looking, truly works of art! My artist heart felt happy just looking at the pictures. This is taking table setting to the next level! I mean, I have seen such spreads in hotel buffets but I have just never ever imagined preparing food boards in a home setting. I texted my daughters and told them we have to do something like this next party!

Ideas for a big board abound, with things you can buy from the store and things you can cook at home. Recipes are given. I have wondered how some of the food such as crackers would fare in such preparations especially since I live in a humid country where humidity makes things wilt pretty fast. However, boards are about creativity and there's no rule against putting in an airtight container among the cheeses, I suppose.

Gorgeous book and great reference for keeping the ideas flowing.

Pros: Although the title of this book says it’s for families, I think it also applies to any hosting opportunities! With charcuterie boards being all the go, I got many ideas from this book for what to serve when I next host book club or for when I have friends and family over for the holidays. The photographs in this book are incredibly helpful for people like me who have a hard time knowing how to arrange things on the board—I might not be able to come up with the idea on my own, but I can follow a photo as a guide. The boards I’m most eager to try are the pretzel bits board, the sweet and savory trail mix board, the Italian tortellini salad board, the cheese fondue board, the game day board, the mini brie en croute board, and the classic charcuterie board . . . and all the dessert boards. My favorite things about this book are how it includes foods from around the world and that the ideas are easily adaptable to meals not featured in this book.

Cons: As a single person, I do not love that the title references only families. It makes the book feel a bit exclusive when meals like those featured in the book bring people together—sometimes families but other times friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Fair Winds Press for the opportunity to read this book.

Thanks to Quarto Publishing Group – Fair Winds, Fair Winds Press, and NetGalley for a complimentary advanced copy of this book.

The title doesn't lie. If anything, it understates just how gigantic these charcuterie boards really are. Like most cookbooks, it's broken down into sections based on time of day. The breakfast section features boards such as oatmeal and a European breakfast bar and breakfast tacos. The lunch chapter contains spreads for soup, nachos, sloppy Joes, burgers, and an enormous chopped salad. The after-school snack boards include pretzel bites with dips, a peanut butter and jelly tray, and a trail mix spread.

While there were a lot of fun and creative boards featured, many of them were more of a build-your-own ______ bar rather than a traditional charcuterie board where you grab a random assortment of things to snack on. For example, there might be a huge bowl of chili in the middle surrounded by toppings such as shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions, etc. While certainly not a bad thing, it's just not quite what comes to mind when I think of a charcuterie board. I still think this book is a worthwhile investment if you entertain or have a large family.

Big Boards for Families: Healthy, Wholesome Charcuterie Boards and Food Spread Recipes that Bring Everyone Around the Table by Sandy Coughlin is filled with such fun and creative board ideas! The boards are artfully arranged and full of great accompaniments to the main idea. However, there are a few boards that are downright silly, like the trail mix board and the pan pizza board. All in all, the pictures are lovely and really show off the food, the recipes are easy enough for novices, and there is a wide variety of boards.

***** I received an ARC from NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my honest review. *****

Yum! These recipes look delicious! I love the idea of everything being on one big board for everyone to make their own plate. We eat together anyway and I think this would encourage everyone to be more social at the table. I can't wait to try out some of the recipes with my family.

Most people think of boards strictly for meats and cheeses as an appetizer spread. This book shows the limitless possibilities of building boards for everything from breakfast to after school snacks to dinnertime. An ordinary chili night becomes something special with an arranged board of sides and toppings. Oatmeal gets some extra oomph when displayed with fruits, nuts, and spreads to make a signature bowl. Beautiful photography accompanies each board and recipes and fairly straightforward. Could also be a great hostess gift!

Charcuterie boards are very popular right now and this is another great book to show you how you to can create them at home. Whether you want a snack board or one for breakfast you can find what you are looking for. Maybe you are ready for a twist on taco Tuesday. You can find the answers. You don't need any special equipment to make these at home. All you need is a little creativity and imagination and you can dress up any weeknight meals.
I can't wait to create some of these during the holiday season.

This book is not just a book of delicious recipes, but a book that enhances the relationship between family members and friends. I found it creative and the photos are inspiring.

I enjoyed seeing the food board photos and getting some ideas for the next time I have people over. The photos are amazing, and the boards are very colorful and packed with goodies! I love all the ideas. I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

This book makes me want to throw a party!

Love the board ideas, there are so many choices - a taco board, a fondue board, the dessert boards look so tempting! Savory boards, sweet desserts, full meal ideas. There are so many options included in this book. The photos really showcase the boards and the recipes seem easy to make. I like that a lot of the ingredients are things you'd have on hand or are easily obtained.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.