Four Inane Questions with Salumi Rose’s Kris Beckman

Kris Beckman. // Courtesy photo

Ever wondered how those intricately ornate, delicious-looking charcuterie boards are designed? Well, apparently, it takes a village—along with a certain amount of cheesy creativity and craftsmanship, says Salumi Rose co-owner Kris Beckman. Alongside her friend Alice Arredondo, the duo has teamed up to teach artistically adverse folks the ins and outs of charcuterie making. 

Salumi Rose: A Charcuterie Experience, which opened in Waldo in the summer of 2022, has become a hit interactive experience. 

“One that’s left people with more than just a memory,” says Beckman. Patrons go in and can custom wood-burn their own walnut or bamboo boards and then learn how to put together all the fancy-schmancy trimmings to go on top. 

A graduate of Truman State University, Beckman says she’s “as goofy and as down-to-earth as they come—oh, and I love cheese.” It comes in quite helpful when she’s teaching the skilled art of creating a precision—and nearly overflowing—charcuterie masterpiece. 

With Valentine’s/Galentine’s Day looming, you can bet Team Salumi Rose is up to their cheeseballs in upcoming classes. But it’s all in a day’s work for Beckman, who has the patience of Job. (She should, given that she’s also worked in the insurance industry for nearly 25 years.)

We got the chance to pepper(jack) Beckman with our stupid questionnaire after taking her hands-on class.

Courtesy photo

The Pitch: What’s one thing that one should absolutely, positively not put on a charcuterie tray?

Kris Beckman: One should not put wet produce on their charcuterie board. After the produce is washed, you need to let it dry because the water will make cheeses and other charcuterie ingredients mushy. If you’re a charcuterie stylist who places the crackers on the actual board, you will want to make sure the produce doesn’t touch the crackers because—well, nobody likes a soggy cracker.

At Salumi Rose, we always put the crackers on the side. This way, customers are guaranteed no soggy crackers, and there is more real estate for all the other charcuterie favorites.    

If you were a soup, what kind of soup would you be?

I love a good soup. While alphabet soup isn’t the tastiest, it probably describes me the best because I love to journal as a way to savor moments in life. Plus, I love to rhyme.  

I love rhyming so much so that I wrote a children’s poetry book about 10 years ago called Sugary Boogery Book: A Healthy Dose of Sweet and Gross. It wasn’t a New York Times bestseller, but it was very meaningful to me as a mom because I got to share the experience with my daughter, who inspired the majority of the poems.

Kris Beckman creates a charcuterie board. // Courtesy photo

What’s the best Wi-Fi name you’ve ever seen? 

CharcuterieforThanksgiving is a great Wi-Fi name. And it may or may not be mine.  

If you were to give your car a name, what would it be? 

I’d probably call her “Wheeeels!” as I often hear myself saying “weeeee” when turning the corner. And, she’s been a reliable set of wheels that has transported many cheese wheels over the past year.  

See how the answer to this question all came together? It’s kind of like a beautiful charcuterie board that anyone can learn to make at Salumi Rose.