charcuterie

1️⃣ Consistency Check:
How identical were your two boards? What small differences did you notice when comparing them side by side? The boards are very similar. There are a few misshapes from different sizes and placements, such as the lettuce. 

2️⃣ Teamwork + Communication:
How did you and your partner divide the tasks? What communication strategies helped you stay consistent? We communicated the whole time to make sure it was all even. We did one step at a time together and listened to what the other had to say. 

3️⃣ Design Decisions:
Why did you choose the specific shapes, textures, and colors you used? How did those choices improve “meal appeal”? We used mainly squares to complement each other, along with the normal shapes of other items, of which we couldn't really control. We kept the pairs pretty basic, such as crackers and meat, and tomatoes and cheese. The colors complemented the pairs we put them in, along with the items around them. 

4️⃣ Professional Standards:
How did you ensure safety and sanitation during prep and plating? What would a restaurant manager praise you for? What might they ask you to improve? We washed the tables, washed our hands, and used gloves. We washed everything after it was used, such as the knife and cutting board, and never touched our faces. 

5️⃣ Problem-Solving:
What was one challenge you faced while trying to match both boards exactly — and how did you fix it? The one challenge would be the angle we wanted to use for the board. They were all nice, but it was difficult to find the most pleasing angle. 

6️⃣ Food Photography:
What techniques did you use to capture a clear, appealing final photo (lighting, angle, spacing, background, etc.)? We angled the camera up more to make sure we got everything. We stayed out of the light to prevent shadows and used a clean camera. 

7️⃣ Real-World Perspective — Restaurant Ready?
Imagine your mini boards are being sold at a trendy café:

• How much would you charge for your mini charcuterie board? $8 per mini charcuterie board.
  
  

• Why would that be a fair price based on ingredients, labor, presentation, and customer expectations? It is a fair price because it includes everything one would need- protein, dairy, grains, greens, and fruits. Everything is of serving size or less, and takes a bit of time to cut everything exactly how we wanted to.