Roma salumi porn

@Di per Di supermercato, Via IV Novembre, Roma: not a glamorous display of salumi like in Bologna or Parma, but a great selection nonetheless.

@Enoteca Cul de Sac: the menu w/all the salumi and cheese selections, with a glass of Mionetto Rosato frizzante (Raboso Piave/Lagrein).

@Enoteca Cul de Sac, clockwise from lower left: Finocchiana Toscana- sweet, peppery, fennel; Salsiccia di Cinghiale (wild boar); Caciocavallo Ragusano from Sicilia; Pecorino Pepato from Toscana; Tomino w/Paprika...soft, almost gelatinous, very sharp; 'nduja from Spilinga in Calabria, an unctuous spreadable pork sausage with a kick in the mouth from hot chili peppers and a vinegar-y finish.

@Enoteca Cul de Sac, clockwise from lower left: Salame del Cinghiale from Toscana;Pecorino di Fossa; a sharp crumbly cow's milk cheese w/black truffles...a-mazing but forgot name; Gorgonzola Piccante; 'nduja; Lonza Calabrese

@Enoteca Cul de Sac: Prosciutto San Daniele .

@Enoteca Cul de Sac, clockwise from lower left: Ciausculo from Le Marche, a garlicky savory and spreadable salumi; 'nduja; Prosciutto San Daniele from Friuli; then Pugliese burrata, Conciato Romano- a mixed sheep/cow's milk cheese and quite sharp, from Lazio, ricotta infornata- a baked and smoked ricotta.

The King of Culatello...Spigaroli.

Prince Charles gettin' his piggy kicks at Spigaroli

Armani, Armani, Ar Ar Armani!!! (a Pet Shop Boys reference for you geeks). Spigaroli custom ages Culatello for Armani's restaurant in Paris.

The breakfast and cooking demo room...not a bad place for a cappuccino and some eggs n' pancetta, eh?

The grounds outside Antica Corte Pallavicina's newly built agriturismo...special events are held in the courtyard, including a dinner last month honoring Lidia Bastianich.

Tagliolini al Culatello, sounded better than it actually was. I mean, it was tasty, but check out the miserly portion. I didn't want a big pasta dish after the Culatello degustation, but I didn't want my noodles in a thimble either. Wahhh.

A selection of salumi from Antica Corte Pallavicina, Spigaroli's farm (on land once owned by Giuseppe Verdi). From bottom, Strolghino di Culatello, which is a very soft and flavorful sausage made from the upper thigh of the rear leg of the pig; then Cresponata, a salami made from shoulder meat; Mariola, also from the shoulder; and pancetta, aka baconnn!

From left, 20 month aged Culatello and 30 month aged Culatello. Unbelievably buttery and silky texture with the 20 month, more pronounced nuttiness with the 30 month. Si scioglie in bocca...melts in the mouth.

A little stuzzichino of polpettine with a sformatino of ricotta and parmigiano

A visit to Massimo Spigaroli's restaurant, Al Cavallino Bianco, starts off with a Fortana Rosato aperitivo.

Bologna...Kestè

Some pigs gave a little, some pigs gave all, some pigs ended up on Salumeria Simoni's salumi wall.

Speck-tacular salumi at Salumeria Simoni

Culatello from Salumeria Simoni. Mmmm, hello piggy.

Tamburini Wine Bar: super dry Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro from Corte Manzini. Bone dry and best with salumi, not without as I had.

Trattoria Rosso: great prices, true trattoria atmosphere w/nonna at cash register, food is o.k., not a-mazing. I've had better in Bologna and elsewhere in Emilia-Romagna.

Crescentine, Prosciutto di Parma, nub of squacquerone

Squacquerone cheese, similar to stracchino (derived from "stracca", meaning lazy or runny), to spread on crescentine.

Crescentine: hot and waiting for me. At least someone/something is, LOL.

Bad lighting and a hungry and impatient photog but a nice antipasto. Crescentine, Bologna's answer to gnocco fritto (hi!) and some pedestrian, easily found at the supermercato salumi. Meh.

From Gelatauro, the gela- being gelato, of course, and tauro b/c two cones can be bull horns. Geddit? Owner gets ingredients from his farm in rural Calabria. I got my usual cannela zucchero (cinnamon sugar), then added fig with amaretto crumbles, and peach. Me being me, I asked the nice gelato girl to not mop the floor with ammonia near my feet, b/c the smell was interfering with my gelato pleasure. She looked perplexed but shuffled off to another chore, while her colleague giggled at her confusion.

p.s., could I use "with" more in this post? geez

Jamon Iberico de Bellota porn. You're welcome.

What Mark Bittman calls the "best sandwich in the world" in a NY Times article, from Cafe Viena on La Rambla. It was definitely tasty, crispy and narrow tomato rubbed baguette, and Jamon Iberico de Bellota (couldn't discern if it was Riserva level). But this type of sandwich can be had all over Barcelona and most of Spain (especially Salamanca).

Jamon Iberico de Bellota snackety snacks at El Xampanyet.

Pre-gaming before a breakfast of Xocolat amb Xurros in the Mercat Boqueria.

The chef (el chefe?) at Set de Born was kind enough to add some shreds of Jamon Iberico de Bellota to the salad.

I hate it when Jamon Iberico de Bellota is sliced by a machine...it's got to be done by hand! Rough life, indeed;-). From Set de Born, in La Ribera, BCN.

Jamon Iberico de Bellota chips in the Mercat Boqueria, scooped into a carry away pouch for your snacking pleasure.

Jamon Iberico de Bellota Gran Riserva, Mercat Boqueria. We're talking 165 euros/kg. The Tony Montana of Jamon.

Rimini is Porktopolis, not Gomorrah

Trattoria dallo Zio, a must visit if going to Rimini.

Pork spiedone from the Mora Romagnola pig, aka the source of Culatello di Zibello D.O.P.

Strozzapreti with sausage from Mora Romagnola

And doesn't hurt to eat well in beautiful surroundings.

Enjoy.

3 yr aged acorn fed Prosciutto di Parma: the riposte to Pata Negra

It's unreal, gorgeous and silken, with an initial salty hit and sweet floral finish. It's less tannic than the Pata Negra. Goes for around 38 euro/kg.

Main producer is Lupini and Salumeria Grisenti (http://www.salumeriagrisenti.com/) on Via Tommasini in Parma sells it.

Enjoy the Prosciutto di Parma porn pics!

Spicy pork gelato in Calabria?

Pretty crazy, but in Tropea on the Calabrese coast, I sampled 'nduja three ways: in an arancino di riso, on a pizza, and as a gelato flavor. Lemon gelato worked nicely with the 'nduja.