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Creative charcuterie beautiful charcuterie board to a whole different level," says Faubel, who started her business just before Covid hit. Faubel said she makes boards for all kinds of events — birthday parties, bat mitzvahs, baby showers, weddings and more. "They have multiple levels, so there are beautiful displays of food with grapes and other fruit cascading off cakes of brie cheese," Faubel says. "And all the food is framed by fresh edible flowers, herbs and seasonal foliage. They are really showstoppers." Along with standard meat and cheese boards, Faubel also arranges many themed boards, including a brunch board with smoked salmon, bagels, fruit and seasoned goat cheese, holiday boards, and dessert boards with mini cannoli, mini cupcakes, chocolate dipped strawberries, and one of her specialties — white chocolate chips inside of raspberries. "Pretty much anything can be themed," Faubel says. "On boards for Valentine's Day I will do heart-shaped cutouts of different cheeses, and for Halloween and fall boards, I'll do a lot of pumpkin shapes. And in December, I'll be offering charcuterie wreaths with beautiful cheeses and meats folded into them in a big circle along with foliage and fresh herbs on round boards that will have a Christmas theme. "Basically I'm a food stylist. It's like edible art. I take the food and make it look as beautiful as I can, and I'm always looking for new ways of being creative and adding something new and fun to my orders." Another popular trend in Marin and beyond is veganism. Vegan charcuterie boards are growing in popularity. "The whole vegan thing is just exploding," says Johanna Stefanski, founder of My Sweetheart Wife's Vegan Kitchen. "When I became vegan, there weren't the options that there are now, so it's pretty exciting." Stefanski started the business about seven years ago and bakes mostly pastries, including vegan croissants, which are rare. "I like to turn people on to vegan food by serving them dessert," Stefanski says. "They are usually amazed by it, and are then more open to considering plant-based meals." Stefanski only makes vegan charcuterie boards when she is entertaining friends and family, and says she likes to use a lot of different colors and textures. Along with vegan breads, her traditional boards contain cheeses, salami and fruits, seasonal vegetables, sprigs of parsley from her garden, and sometimes pecans. "There's a brand-new woman- owned business called Renegade Foods, and they make salami in three different flavors that are just incredible," Stefanski says. "The other real mainstay is Miyoko's cheese, another local, woman-owned business in Petaluma. They have probably a dozen different kinds of cheese and she always has some seasonal options." Stefanski also mentioned another new, woman-owned vegan cheese company called Nuts for Cheese that she said makes an incredible brie, and that many of the products she talked about are available at Whole Foods. For the holidays, Stefanski decorates her boards with a redwood or pine bough or pyracantha berries along with other seasonal fruits. "One of the fruits that is great to use right now is the persimmon because they are very much in season and have that nice bright orange color, which is really pretty against some of the other darker colors," Stefanski says. Given the artistry and the variety of foods on charcuterie boards, it is no surprise that they are in demand. Whether you want to create one of your own, or order from a professional, the holidays are a wonderful time to discover the charm of charcuterie. n In December, Mill Valley Boards will be offering charcuterie wreaths with beautiful cheeses and meats folded into them in a big circle along with foliage and fresh herbs on round boards that will have a Christmas theme. – Photo courtesy of Mill Valley Boards 14 December 12, 2021 Holiday Guide 2 A Marketing Supplement of the Marin Independent Journal | marinij.com