The Curated Board

Inspired Platters & Spreads for Any Occasion — A Cookbook by Bebe Black Carminito

Get ready to elevate your entertaining game with The Curated Board by Bebe Black Carminito, a delightful guide to creating beautiful, delicious small-bite meals that are perfect for any occasion. Whether you're hosting a brunch with the girls, having everyone over for the big game, or keeping it cozy with date night-in, Bebe’s curated boards bring together delicious recipes with store-bought pairings and stylish presentation tips to create visually stunning platters that are as tasty as they are beautiful. No more last-minute scrambling—these boards are designed to make entertaining feel effortless yet impressive.

From savory spreads like Green Chile, Spinach & Artichoke Dip and Baked Herbed Ricotta with Hot Honey to sweet treats like Summer Thyme Strawberry Galettes, The Curated Board offers twenty-eight themed boards and sixty-five recipes that will make every gathering so tasty without too much effort! With options like the Lebanese Sheet Pan Brunch, Girl’s Day Charcuter-Yay Board, and a Chocolate Lover’s Soirée, you’ll find the perfect board for every gathering. This cookbook is not only about creating beautiful platters but also about celebrating food, fun, and the art of hosting. Embrace the joy of food styling, and bring your loved ones together with Bebe’s fun and flavorful boards that make every meal a celebration. With her thoughtful guidance, you’ll feel confident curating the perfect spread for any occasion.

Keep reading for my interview with Bebe and two special featured recipes from her curated board collection!

• Difficulty Level

  easy peasy!

• Perfect for

  brunch parties, happy hours, girls nights, date nights in

• Must Try Recipes

  Everything Challah Bagels

  Cappelletti Spritz

  Shrimp Ceviche with Toastads

  Tahini, Halva & Pistachio Blondies

buy a copy for your collection here

I recently sat down with author Bebe Black Carminito to chat about her new cookbook, The Curated Board, over Aperol spritzes and crispy zucchini fries (because, let’s be real, every good conversation should come with snacks). We talked all about her creative process behind curating the perfect platters, her background as a stylist, and how to the process of creating her book went. If you’ve ever wondered how to take your gatherings to the next level, Bebe’s insight into the art of food styling and board-making is pure gold. Keep reading for a peek into our conversation, full of inspiration and delicious ideas!

What inspired you to focus on themed boards and platters in The Curated Board?

“Every Friday night, David and I used to go to dinner and then the pandemic happened and we obviously couldn’t continue our adventures. I decided to bring “date night in” by putting together different cheese and charcuterie boards. David aptly coined it “Nibble Board Friday” and I started sharing them on Instagram. After 6 weeks of the same cheese and charcuterie selection, I had to find a way to change things up and add a bit of variety. We tried spins on thematic ideas including a Nacho board, a Greek board, a movie night theme etc... After sharing our Friday night rituals and “date nights in” on Instagram, these posts caught the eye of my agent Leslie Jonath. She reached out asking if I was interested in writing a cookbook which opened the door to The Curated Board!”

How did your background as a food stylist influence the creation of this cookbook?

“In a nutshell, you eat with your eyes first, so I wanted it to be visual and wanted to marry beauty and food together! Being a food stylist set the tone for the overall vision of the content. I wanted to convey my passion and drive for aesthetics in food and in the recipes provided. A few simple tips and tricks can really elevate your entertaining game such as; making sure things are fresh and vibrant, a variety of colors and textures are available and that spreads are composed in a somewhat thoughtful manner.”

Were there any particular challenges in crafting recipes that are both effortless and visually appealing?

“Sometimes recipes that are really delicious aren't always beautiful. So I wanted to make sure all of the recipes I included were equally as tantalizing as they were beautiful, colorful and vibrant! In terms of keeping recipes and menus more accessible, there can be shortcuts taken such as; buying a few things from the store, pantry pull, fridge forage or source from your favorite online vendors. Of course, you can make as many things as you want to [but] the concept behind the book is to spend more time with your loved ones and less time in the kitchen. I have learned from this that a few extra minutes before company arrives that you have to sit down and relax and gather your thoughts are worth more than making a few extra dishes. You can of course and I say this again, make as many things as you feel comfortable with. Remember, as Ina says ‘store bought is fine!’”

Can you walk me through the process of writing a cookbook?

“I think it’s different for everyone but I had a lot of help and coaching from my agent for the concept and proposal from Leslie Jonath and Kim Laidlaw, my editor. In December 2021, I was approached [about] in doing a cookbook by Leslie. From April 2022 through June of 2022, I worked on the proposal with Leslie. Every other Friday night we would have a 4:30 standing coaching call and by November 23rd (my mom’s birthday) of 2022, we had a contract with Abrams!

I had already at this point started recipe testing and continued writing the recipes. I also sought the contributors to see if they would be interested in collaborating with me on this very exciting project. The manuscript writing with Kim and a copy editor started in January 2023 and then September 15th, 2023, the manuscript was concluded and delivered. The cookbook and lifestyle photos were wrapped by October 1st and by then everything was completed! The next thing was to wait for the pub date which was September 3rd, 2024, almost a whole year later.”

Tell me about your approach to styling your own cookbook? That feels like such an overwhelming process!

“I loved doing my own food styling for my book because I knew how I wanted the food to translate visually and jump off the pages. Also, the aesthetic that Marie Reginato (my photographer) and I share is very similar. We both love colorful vibrancy as well as how we work and flow. For me, the styling is organic and once we have the shot list I get an idea and determine the mood we want to convey. I choose and pull the surface and props and style as I go pretty much in the moment. I always like to incorporate a little bit of mess in each shot, something spilling off the board, crumbs scattered around, something to make it reflect that activity has occurred and that it has or is about to be enjoyed thoroughly!"

I did the food styling for the book along with having 2 assistants and Marie who is also a brilliant food stylist. Also, 4 of the contributors came the day we shot their particular boards [and] helped in the styling. Rezel Kealoha came the day we shot the Filipino Merienda board, Anna Voloshyna attended the day we shot the BUDMO! board, Eric Lundy joined us for the French Apéro Hour, and Christine Gallary came the day we shot her Dim Sum Celebration menu.

[My assistants, Lauren and Emily] were incredibly helpful with [prepping] the food, shopping, runs to Bi-Rite, edible flower pick-ups, hand [modeling], striking sets, doing dishes, putting away and packing up food and pulling props. In fact, Emily’s board that she leant us is on the cover. I could not have done this without their assistance and still think how valuable having them there was!”

You talk about eating with your eyes first. For readers who may be new to creating curated boards, what are some essential tips for assembling a balanced, beautiful spread?

“Understanding color and composition is a great place to start, then adding elements that look fresh (being sure to avoid anything that looks bruised or less than) and creating an abundant board that looks very full is more inviting. It makes people want to eat it and is a bit more enticing. But more importantly is to have fun and enjoy the process, it doesn’t have to be perfect.”

What do you hope readers will take away from The Curated Board beyond just the recipes?

“Embrace the ideology behind The Curated Board by enjoying time with people they love while connecting over beautiful food! I wrote the book with that very thing in mind: make a few recipes, buy a few of the components and find your own voice within the book by mixing and matching recipes whilst embracing the connection over food!”

Looking back, what’s been the most rewarding part of this cookbook process?

“This—what we’re doing, talking about the concept, going on a book tour, meeting people, seeing people make the recipes, signing my cookbooks, seeing David in his bright orange “Bebe’s Husband” shirt, and connections with others along the way. I know how I feel when I meet authors I loved, meeting Rebekah Peppler for instance. Rebekah was so lovely and I was just so excited to meet her. So being on the other side and meeting people who are excited to meet me, it resonates and is heartfelt. Food is a connection to our past and meeting people who enjoy my book and the recipes is extremely special.”

If you could host a dream dinner party, who would be at the table and what would you serve?

“Oh wow, what a fun question! Definitely Susan Spungen (my mentor and a dear friend who wrote the foreword for my book) Ina Garten, and Eden Grinshpan. They would be my dream guests as I am inspired by them all. What would I make? I would have to make my I Love You Chicken, (Olive Chicken which are thighs with a crispy skin and aromatics) turmeric buttered rice, and roasted Parmesan and lemon broccolini. Dessert would be a blueberry or blackberry crisp with cinnamon ice cream served with an espresso or Amaro!

Are there any board themes you're excited to create?

There were 2 boards cut from the book. First, my Movie Night Board which was Hot Dog Puff Pastries (David’s favorite recipe) store-bought candies, and three types of popcorn toppings: taco seasoning, everything bagel, and pizza seasoned popcorn. Second, my Pizza and Rosé All Day board, which were Pizza inspired snacks. I would love to re-create these boards and spreads as I loved these multiple iterations of one of my all time favorite foods, it was a shame they were cut but I’ll have to share those soon!

Also, I do have a few things in the works including comforting and classic appetizer, dinner and dessert recipes. You might see my recipe for my I Love You Chicken dinner as aforementioned above along with a cocktail party menu…”

Bebe offered to share her Crudités, Dips, and Sip board, and I obviously wasn’t going to turn that down. A spread of crisp, colorful veggies, creamy dips, and a perfectly paired sip? Say less. It’s the ideal way to experience her approach to effortless hosting—simple, stunning, and packed with flavor. Whether you’re curating a board for a cozy night in or pulling together a full spread for friends, Bebe’s philosophy of mixing homemade elements with store-bought finds makes entertaining feel less like a task and more like a joy. Huge thanks to Bebe for sharing her time, her insight, and of course, her snacks!

Crudités, Dips & Sips

Recipes To Make

• Green Chile, Spinach & Artichoke Dip

• Lemony Dilly Dip

Accompaniments & Drinks

• An additional dip of your choice (optional)

• Seasonal vegetables, such as romanesco florets, sliced watermelon radishes, peeled tiny carrots, halved sugar snap peas, thinly sliced fennel, and radicchio leaves

• Toasted slices of seeded baguette or Crostini

• Croccantini crackers

• Sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, or rosé

Putting it together

• Try to source seasonal vegetables of all different colors. Place the artichoke and dilly dips with serving spreaders on the board with the vegetables. Add another dip or two on the board or on a separate bowl with the crackers and the baguette slices. Place a stack of appetizer plates nearby and arrange all of it on a colorful linen to add flourish.