The pancetta is hanging in it’s peppery jacket and last night I dedicated to the piece of bacon that was in the fridge curing next to the guanciale. Following the recipe from the Charcuterie book, Ruhlman suggests baking as an alternative to smoking the bacon. I did not know bacon was baked, but decided to…
Pancetta Progress- Charcutepalooza
You know you are living in the right place when a sign like this is at the exit of the grocery store, to make sure you know about it. At the Meat Counter you can reserve your pork for salting. The cool air in January is perfect for families to age their own cured pork…
Preserved Duck Breast “sott’olio”
In Italy, many foods are preserved under oil- “sott’olio”. That includes pork.Dario Cecchini makes a fabulous Tonno del Chianti, using a cooked pork, preserved in oil, which tastes like Tonno- tuna! When I was down in Maremma, where the Tuscan cowboys roam, I was served an appetizer at a local trattoria which was cubes of…
Getting Cheeky for Charcutepalooza
Once there was a pig. A special pig. Now his cheek is in my fridge. I promise to treat it with love. This passion for pigs goes way back. Now living in Tuscany I am blessed to be able to say I really know where the food I eat comes from. These are Cinta Senese…
Charcutepalooza –
It is quite appropriate that the Charcutepalooza begins now.January 17th is Sant’Antonio D’Abate, patron saint of barnyard animals and the day, traditionally, that the pigs are slaughtered to become prosciutto, pancetta, guanciale and salami. The weather is cold and damp and in stone farmhouses, perfect for aging meats with no special rooms or treatments, for…
New Projects for 2011
I sort of have a love-hate relationship with the holiday season here in Italy. Life seems to shut down from Christmas Eve until after the Befana- Jan 6th. They love their holidays, but when you have things to get done, it tends to make you a little crazy! So now we can get on with…