YumSugar

Taste Test: Hormel Pepperoni Minis

YumSugar — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:00:25 -0700

Both PartySugar and I are fiends for cured meats as well as suckers for anything mini - so you can imagine our reactions when we opened up a parcel that was filled with pocket-sized packs of Hormel Pepperoni Minis! I stepped out to run an errand, but Party confessed she couldn't wait for me to get back to break into them. Were they as delicious as they were tempting? Find out when you keep reading

Definition: Speck

YumSugar — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:15:00 -0700

An Italian cured, smoked meat native to the Alto Adige, a region that straddles Northern Italy and Southern Austria. To make speck, a boned pork leg is cured in salt, and spices like laurel and juniper, then intermittently slow-smoked, using pine or juniper wood for several months.

Deep red in color with heavily marbled traces of fat, speck is served thinly sliced as an appetizer, or used in to flavor cooked dishes.

Note that speck from Alto Adige or Tyrol, which enjoys a protected designation of origin, should not be confused with the German usage of the word, which refers to lard.

Source: Flickr User dags1974

Burning Question: Are Salumi & Charcuterie the Same Thing?

YumSugar — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:30:47 -0700

With cured meats making a comeback, it's common to see charcuterie and salumi platters on restaurant menus across the country. But are charcuterie and salumi the same thing? What about salumi and salami?

While charcuterie and salumi share many similarities - both are cured meats, and both maximize the use of every part of the animal - they're not the same thing. Charcuterie, a French term, typically refers to cooked meats such as pâtés. The Italian equivalent of charcuterie is referred to as affettati, while salumi generally refers to salted and dry-cured meats. Salame (plural is salami) is a cured sausage made from ground pork, and is a type of salumi.

Got a burning question? Contact us.

Must-Read: Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It

YumSugar — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 09:00:20 -0700

Given that some say we're in the middle of a food revolution, and local, sustainable, home-grown produce is popping up everywhere, it's only logical that an uptick in home preserving will happen, too. Enter Karen Solomon's Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It, a new book that's focused on making your own artisanal food products, either to keep or to give as gifts. The tome isn't simply limited to fruit jellies and quick pickles - it also includes instructions on making everything from flatbread to watermelon Popsicles to chai tea. But did it live up to its high expectations? Find out when you read more.

Pros:

The cookbook covers a wide range of basic preserving techniques that run the gamut from dairy products to cured meats.
Each recipe provides a general overview of the dish, estimated time required, and suggestions for storing.
Book size and binding make it easy for the tome to stay on the desired page.

Cons:

This do-it-yourself book could benefit from having more instructional pictures.
Recipe directions are written in paragraph form, which can be hard to navigate.

Recipes: I'm excited to create homemade versions of many different comestibles using the book's artisanal techniques and tips. Intriguing projects include:

Baked potato chips
Kimchee
Gravlax
Smoked trout
Ricotta salata
Lemon curd
Jamaican ginger beer

Imagery: While only a quarter of the book contains images, all of them are vivid, visually appealing color photographs.

Overall Rating: If you're looking to be a resourceful kitchen do-it-yourselfer, then this book would seal the deal.

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Taste Test: Nduja, Boccalone's Spreadable Salame

YumSugar — Thu, 28 May 2009 06:50:36 -0700

I've long been a fan of local talent Chris Cosentino and his offal-inspired Italian restaurant, Incanto. So when news, well, spread last month that Cosentino's salumeria Boccalone Artisan Meats was debuting the first spreadable salame - Nduja, as it's called - to be produced in the States, I knew I had to get my hands on some right away. Did the salumi live up to all its wonderment? Find out when you read more.

Nduja is nothing new - in fact, it's one of the better-known specialties that comes from the southernmost Italian region of Calabria. Pronounced "en-doo-ya," this delicacy takes its name from the French word andouille, which means "sausage." Made of pork meat, pork fat, salt, and copious amounts of red pepper, nduja is extremely spicy - and, for that reason, considered by many to be an aphrodisiac.

I picked up some spreadable salame at the Boccalone boutique in the Ferry Building Marketplace, but the Oakland-based company also carries most of its products online, including the nduja ($24 for two sausages). Despite my penchant for all things spicy, the nduja, which had a texture slightly firmer than that of liverwurst, was shockingly fiery on the tongue. In addition to possessing the vibrant flavor of Calabrian chili peppers, the burnt-orange-hued meat spread also had a robust porkiness and a hint of aromatic bitterness from the addition of orange rind. The high fat content made for a creamy, smooth texture that was a great foil to crispy water crackers or toasted, grilled bread.

Given all its press, I wondered if nduja would be merely a novelty, but a taste test proved me wrong. With its piquant, highly seasoned flavor, this spreadable delight isn't for everybody, but for those who appreciate spice, it's a worthwhile endeavor. Does spreadable salame sound like something you would try?

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'Wich of the Week: Cap'n Blue Cheese Chicken Sandwich

YumSugar — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:00:09 -0700

With double-meat sandwiches, it is important to tread carefully. So for this indulgent combination of marinated chicken and cured meat, I gathered exceptionally gourmet ingredients: Point Reyes blue cheese, capocolla (aka coppa) from Chris Cosentino's Boccalone deli, and organic chicken thighs. Since I was piling meat upon meat with creamy cheese, I made extra-small sandwiches using soft but firm dinner rolls.

Somewhere between salami and pancetta in terms of flavor, the capocolla adds a bacon-y bite, so the resulting cap-and-cheese-laden creation is reminiscent of a bacon cheeseburger without the beef. Using chicken thighs and a nutty, salty marinade adds to the heartiness, while the sautéed mushrooms and tomato help temper the richness. To get the recipe for this double-meat delicacy, read more.

Cap'n Blue Cheese Chicken Sandwich
Original recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup peanut sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoons hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
8 pieces of thinly sliced capocolla, or coppa
2-ounce block of blue cheese, sliced
2 small roma tomatoes, cut into 8 slices
1 cup button mushrooms, ends trimmed and caps sliced
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
4 soft but sturdy white dinner rolls

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the first five ingredients to make the marinade. Toss the chicken thighs in the mixture so that they are evenly coated; cover and refrigerate for 1-3 hours.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place the chicken thighs, with the marinade, in a casserole dish. Bake for 20 minutes or until the juices run clear.
Heat one tablespoon of butter or olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and sautée until medium-brown and soft, 10-12 minutes.

To make each sandwich, slice the dinner roll horizontally, stopping just at one edge to create a hinge. On the bottom half, place one chicken thigh, followed by two pieces of capocolla, two slices of blue cheese, and two tomato slices.
Divide the mushrooms evenly among sandwiches, and place atop the tomato. Cover mushrooms with top half of roll and serve.

Makes 4 sandwiches.

Print recipe with images | without images

Would You Eat This Charcuterie Plate?

YumSugar — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:15:08 -0700

One of the hottest new restaurants in town is becoming well known for its charcuterie plate. The last time I was there I ended up with the plate in the photo. I loved every bit of it, but my friend was a bit squeamish about the white proscuitto on the left. It looked too fatty and she refused to eat it. Her loss was definitely my gain, and I was able to enjoy all of the porky goodness. What do you think, would you have eaten it?

Would You Pay $2100 For A Ham?

YumSugar — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 08:57:32 -0700

Yep, you read that title correctly. I didn't forget a decimal point, that does indeed read twenty-one hundred dollars. Or, if you prefer, $160 per pound.

The salt-cured Spanish 2006 Alba Quercus Reserve ham won't be available until 2008, but you can put your $250 deposit on it now. Producer Manuel Maldonado - whose family has been in the business for four generations - has taken the art of ham to the next level by pampering his pigs with a free-range life and high-quality acorn feed. He then cures the meat for two years, instead of the standard one.

Originally Maldonado had hoped to have a batch available for this year's holiday season, however the 2005 ham didn't live up to his standards. Next year he hopes to have 80 to 100 legs available for purchase. If you think the price is too extraordinary, Maldonado would like to remind you that:

"A ham like this can be shared among 20 people, he notes, whereas a bottle of the finest wine going for the same amount goes down quickly among just a few."

It's a really great point, but I still don't know if I could ever justify spending $2100 on a ham leg. However, you know I won't turn down the opportunity to taste such a fine product! Just looking at this picture is making me drool!

How about you? Would you spend this much on a ham?

Source: Yahoo News

Photo Gallery: Hormel Pepperoni Minis

YumSugar — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:27:35 -0700

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In Season: Figs

YumSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:00:10 -0700

Fig season is like pre-Fall in the fashion world, a tasty little teaser that helps bridge the gap between Summer and Autumn. Perhaps it's partly because the season is so fleeting that this fruit tastes so sweet, but when figs are just right, they taste downright sinful. When people tell me they don't like figs, I say, they just haven't had a good one yet.

This soft, fleshy fruit with a thick but edible skin comes in many colors and forms. In North America, the most common types are Mission figs, Brown Turkey, and Brunswick, which have dark skin and a pink-purple middle; Calimyrna, the green-and-pink beauties like the fig pictured above; and Kadota, another green-skinned variety. Learn how to select fresh figs, and how to prepare them when you read more.

When buying figs, choose fruits that are firm but not hard, with a slight amount of give. Pick figs that feel juicy and rich, rather than dry, and be sure to handle them gingerly until you're ready to eat them, as they bruise easily. They are delicious on their own, but figs also play nicely against salty cheeses and cured meats. Here are some recipes to try:

Wrap them in prosciutto for figs in a blanket hors d'oeuvres.
Poach them for an elegant but simple dessert.
Smash them into panini with nut butter and banana.
Use them as a sweet topper for a salty pizza.
Bake them in a fig and goat cheese scone.

How do you plan to cook with figs this season?