Italy has such a strong presence in the culinary
world that we forget it was not a unified country until the 1860's.
Before that, the separate states were independent and were influenced
by whichever outside power held sway. In those centuries each of these
states developed the art of curing meats. Some were similar with names
reflecting the many Italian dialects; some were different due to geography
or outside influence.
As the title indicates, Prosciutto Pancetta
Salame deals with the three most famous of Italian cured meats.
Author Pamela Sheldon Johns explains that salme is a generic term, and
discusses several other forms of cured meat. Johns has waded through
the confusion of names that each region gave to meats, to find both
their similarities and differences. She focusses her research on the
best known of these products and introduces us to some of the lesser
known - culatello di zibello, a cured port rump, or sopressata
di gioi, a dense lean salame made by only three families.
Johns toured the hillsides of Italy and found
the artisans who cure meat in the traditional way. In interviews they
share how they have kept ancient techniques alive, letting us in on
enough secrets that we understand why we prize these cured meats above
others.
The book contains instructions for preparing
homemade sausage and a detailed resource guide to purchasing the best
artisanal products and supplies. And there are more than 40 recipes
to show us delicious ways to use these meats, from sandwiches to pizza
to elegant, gourmet dishes. Photographs by Joyce Oudkerk Pool accompany
the text.
Pamela Sheldon Johns is the author of the
popular Italian Artisan series of cookbooks, including Parmigiano! and
Balsamico! A former cooking school director, she travels and lectures
to organizations. She lives in Italy with her family.
The author has kindly shared these recipes:
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