Boards and Bites: Food Styling and Homemade Recipes for Elegant Party Planning

by Melissa Francis

Overview

Food Styling Charcuterie Boards Just Became More Elegant!

"The pictures are beautiful, recipes are clear (and delicious), and provides so many insider tips! Can’t say enough good things and so glad I bought it. I even gifted some to my friends for the holidays! —Amazon review

#1 New Release in Tablesetting & Cooking and Holiday Cooking

Learn the art of food styling with olives, grapes, cheese, jam, crackers, nuts and other treats with Melissa Francis’ charcuterie board recipe book Boards and Bites.

Be the hostess with the mostest! Learn the secrets of great food styling to elevate your charcuterie board creations. Boards and Bites is the perfect book for novice and experienced board creators alike. With accessible recipes and instructions, Melissa Francis shows readers how to create memorable spreads for every holiday party or festive occasion. 

Beautiful charcuterie spreads all in one place! Display your wine, fruits, nuts, jam, cheese, and bread in the most pleasing way. Boards and Bites is full of accessible recipes, board building basics, and food styling techniques. Get the behind-the-scenes story of how and why Francis creates her lovely charcuterie boards while you create your own divine bites with this charcuterie board recipe book. 

Inside, you’ll find:

• Food styling techniques that will highlight you as the hostess of the year
• Step by step instructions on how to create beautiful charcuterie spreads 
• Beautifully curated images of charcuterie boards with olives, grapes, cheese, and many other delicious treats

If you enjoyed books like Charcuterie Board Cookbook, Everyday Entertaining, or Beautiful Boards, your next read should be Boards and Bites.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781684812561
Publisher:	Mango Media
Publication date:	10/14/2025
Pages:	167
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Melissa Francis is the face behind the boards featured on her ever-growing IG platform @boardsbymelfran and is the author of Boards and Bites. In January 2020, charcuterie boards became her creative outlet and a way to bring her family and friends together in a meaningful way. Melissa received her Masters of Science from Chapman Universityin Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2021. She is currently a practicing Speech and Language Pathologist and loves what she does and the individuals she works with.

Read an Excerpt

13 Rules to Cook By

Before we dive into it,  I wanted to lay some ground rules that I personally try to live by in the kitchen. My lucky number has been number thirteen for as long as I can remember. I know that 13 is unlucky for most but when I was little my family told me that if/when I ever see the number 13 it is my granny checking in. Granny is my great grandmother who unfortunately passed away before I met her, but I have been told by countless people that  we are insanely similar. Since then, 13 has always brought me comfort-enough comfort that I have it tattooed on my foot (don’t tell Kfran aka my dad). So naturally, I needed to gather my thoughts and  create my 13 rules to cook by.  

Here is the breakdown of my 13 rules to cook by:  

In my house the standard was never “less is more” rather “more is better”.  If you took a survey of every person to be a guest at my home I truly believe not one would say they left hungry. Food can be and mean so many things to people. For me, my family, and guests I believe that food has always made everyone feel insanely comfortable. In my book (omg literally in my book!) one of the greatest compliments for a host to receive is that your guests feel comfortable in your home. Comfort directly correlates to food because for the majority of people food is comfort. Food is a topic of discussion and all inclusive sensory experience. I was taught and continue to put into practice that making sure every guest has enough food to enjoy is and always should be a priority so no board really is ever too big. Even if it is too big, has anyone ever complained about having leftovers? Not me.

Oh garnish! Garnishing my food is notably one of my absolutely favorite part to any recipe or board. To me, garnish time is the time for you to let your personality shine through and shine bright baby! The traditional  definition of garnish is to decorate or embellish. The boards by Melfran definition is to decorate or embellish to the nines and let it be your self expression. My love for garnish stems from the fact that you can create an entire vibe, color scheme, theme with garnish.Utilizing a plethora of garnishes creates  endless combinations of textures, colors, and dimensions. Don’t stress an entire chapter is dedicated to garnish.  

I am the biggest self advocate for work smarter not harder. If a recipe calls for dough, go to the store and buy yourself some premade dough. Unless you enjoy making dough or any food for that matter from scratch and if that's the case you do you. I discovered my love for creating semi homemade recipes when I used to make cupcakes for my friends birthday. I always did chocolate cupcakes from a box with vanilla frosting from a can. By using store bought mixes I was able to use the time I saved to focus on embellishing and customizing my friend’s birthday cupcakes. I always added in extra chocolate chips because why not and of course make custom frosting colors and swirls based on their aesthetic. Long story short, make your life easier, work smarter not harder and cut the corners where it does not matter.  

Table of Contents

Contents

Introduction

Meat the Cheeses
Overview Diagram
Color Contrasts

Accessorize Your Board
Dried Citrus
Herbs
Flowers
Rose Are...
Roasted Garlic
Fruit Garnish
Brie-tiful
The Glitz and Glam

Recipes
Sun Spread
Basil & White Beans
Grandma's Cheese Straws
Nana's Dressing
Crostinis

Every Occasion Deserves a Board
Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
Brie Mine
Luck of the Irish
Bunny Hop
4th of July
Monster Mash

Special Boards
Pupcuterie
Sushi Board
Vegan Board
Movie Night Board
Sugar High Board
Tailgate Board
Crudites Board

Acknowledgments
About the Author

Editorial Reviews

There’s no doubt that thoughtfully curated charcuterie boards are having a moment. In this book, Francis uses her wildest imagination to create delicious and attractive boards for parties, then breaks down her process to teach readers how to do the same. She started making charcuterie boards when she was a child to contribute to family gatherings and parties and sees boards as the perfect place to gather and connect. Throughout the book, with lots of photos, graphs, charts, and even a color wheel, Francis provides food styling tips and demonstrates how to use seasonal food, flowers, and herbs to create boards that satisfy all five senses. She also provides a time line, grocery list, and organizing tips to create a successful event. There are recipes for homemade dips and spreads and instructions for how to decorate a board for Christmas, Easter, or a spooky Halloween. There is even a section on ‘pupchuterie‘ boards for dogs. VERDICT: This book is a feast for the eyes. Perfect for home entertainers or professional party planners who want to go the extra mile to create a memorable charcuterie board.—Erin Dagenais.”
—Erin Dagenais, Library Journal

From the Publisher

01/01/2023

There's no doubt that thoughtfully curated charcuterie boards are having a moment. In this book, Francis uses her wildest imagination to create delicious and attractive boards for parties, then breaks down her process to teach readers how to do the same. She started making charcuterie boards when she was a child to contribute to family gatherings and parties and sees boards as the perfect place to gather and connect. Throughout the book, with lots of photos, graphs, charts, and even a color wheel, Francis provides food styling tips and demonstrates how to use seasonal food, flowers, and herbs to create boards that satisfy all five senses. She also provides a time line, grocery list, and organizing tips to create a successful event. There are recipes for homemade dips and spreads and instructions for how to decorate a board for Christmas, Easter, or a spooky Halloween. There is even a section on "pupchuterie" boards for dogs. VERDICT This book is a feast for the eyes. Perfect for home entertainers or professional party planners who want to go the extra mile to create a memorable charcuterie board.—Erin Dagenais

Library Journal