For Love of Sopressata
While standing in front of a deli counter at the Granville Island Public Market in Vancouver, B.C., I fell in love with sopressata. The deli guy handed me a piece of the dark, red meat and the lively aroma reached my nose even at an arm’s length. It was thinly sliced and I couldn’t resist the desire to hold it up to the light to peer through it – a red and white stained glass window. The flavor exploded as it landed in my mouth: pork, garlic, red pepper flakes, and a crunch of peppercorn. I licked my fingers and ordered a pound. And there began my fascination with sopressata.
The dried, cured sausage is soft, not hard, somewhat like a pepperoni and often called a salami. In Rome, a cheerful, old butcher told me that in some parts of Italy it is known as a “poor man’s” salami – made from the leftover cuts of the pig. So far, my favorite “slice” came from a little storefront shop on Corso Italia street, in Piano di Sorrento, in the south of Italy. It just so happens that the best focaccia I’ve ever tasted came from the same shop. The memory of those flavors is still vivid.
Though I often recreate the meals I’ve eaten in restaurants, I’ve not yet had the courage to try my hand at curing, mostly because poisoning my friends and family with botulism is a very real possibility. On his blog, Notes from the Food World, Michael Ruhlman posted a recipe adapted from his book, Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing, for making sopressata. Ruhlman, a food god, is also the author of The French Laundry Cookbook, that I previously blogged about. Like a professional athlete, Ruhlman makes it look so easy. But I’m a smart girl and I know my limitations, so for now, until Ruhlman wants to invite me over to make it with him, I’ll stick to buying sopressata wherever I can find it.
Carol’s April Fool’s Joke(s)
One of my favorite cookbooks is Thomas Keller’s, The French Laundry Cookbook. Oh my! It’s a beautiful thing. I postponed the pleasure of buying it, for as long as possible, simply to appreciate it all the more when I got my hands on my very own copy. And, I was secretly hoping someone would buy it for me and give me the gift that keeps on giving. The recipes are challenging and cause me to expand the boundaries of my imagination. I’ve read it cover to cover *many* times and still haven’t gotten my fill. Not only is it a great cookbook, it’s also a great “coffee table” book filled with pages and pages of glorious looking food.
And while I’m on the topic of Thomas Keller, take a minute or thirty and view his interview with Charlie Rose on the Charlie Rose Show. I found out Mr. Keller had a role in the development of Ratatouille. A great little movie.
So when I stumbled upon Carol’s blog: French Laundry at Home a few months ago, I smiled for days and days and days. She’s working her way through the cookbook and telling her blog readers about her adventures. I enjoy her humor and her courage. Attempting the The French Laundry Cookbook is clearly not for the faint of heart.
Her April Fool’s posts were hilarious. Did I mention how funny she is? She first posted two disgusting recipes, which, by the way, appear in a cookbook on my shelf (embarrassing). Her second post didn’t fool me, simply because I’ve grown accustomed to her humor and I didn’t believe for an instant that Thomas Keller would discourage anyone from cooking. It’s just not in his DNA.
Thanks, Carol. For the adventure and the laughter.
Debbie Maken: Success Stories
Make your way over to Debbie Maken’s blog and read two success stories from a man’s perspective. Debbie’s the author of Getting Serious About Getting Married.
In her latest post titled Success Stories she does a Q&A and gets the guys talking.
As it turned out, I was wasting my time there, but, looking back, this was providential, because that church illustrated Debbie’s point about male- female ‘friendship’ actually blocking the formation of proper, adult marriage-bound relationships.
Are you over 30 and unmarried? Do you have a copy of the book? What are you waiting for? Some happily married guy is selling his on Amazon.
It’s difficult reading. Not because the words are too big, but because it makes you take a hard look at some of the decisions you’ve made. If you’re too cheap to buy the book (and no wonder you’re still single) go read it on the Crossway website.
