When it comes to charcuterie boards, contrast is the name of the game, and including unexpected flavors can elevate your board. While the classic cheese board will include a spread of cheeses, meats, nuts, fruits, and honey or jam, you should introduce new flavors like Giada De Laurentiis’ unexpected addition.

De Laurentiis spices up her board with Calabrian chili paste, a spicy condiment made of Calabrian chili peppers combined with oil, garlic, and salt. The resulting paste is flavorful, garlicky, and quite spicy, clocking in between 25,000 and 40,000 Scoville Heat Units, but De Laurentiis doesn’t leave it at that.

De Laurentiis mixes a bit of Calabrian chili paste with fig jam and half a lemon; the tart, slightly sweet, and tangy fig jam perfectly balances out the spicy, garlicky chili paste. De Laurentiis serves the jam mixture by dolloping it on a crostini with a bit of brie cheese, but it can be scooped directly onto your cheese board for a laid-back approach.