You heard it here first! As of June 1, the pig farmers of Italy are going on strike. That puts Parma ham, prosciutto, and Piacenza pork neck salami, as well as other Italian pork products, under threat.
The Italian farmers say their earnings have been cut in half, with falling pork prices and rising feed costs. They decided to strike when financial assistance talks with the government fell through earlier this month. Part of the strike calls for farmers to not recognize Protected Designation of Origin certificates, which then can't be sold under EU rules.
If you're a big fan of Italian pork products, you might want to think about stocking up. If the garbage strike in Naples is any indication, this could last for a while.
Speaking of asparagus...Most often, asparagus makes its springtime appearance in The Delicious household simply steamed with a little bit of salt and occasionally, in an omelet or frittata.
However, I will never go back to simple steaming of asparagus, nor to hiding them inside a mask of eggs after having them wrapped in slices of prosciutto and roasted. I realize, of course, that this is not a wildly innovative technique, but it is the first time I've done it and tasted it.
Now different recipes call for slightly different methods -- blanching the asparagus first, tossing them with olive oil, etc. -- but there is no need. Just trim the woody ends, wrap 3-4 stems in prosciutto, and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes. There's no need for oil since the prosciutto's fat will render onto the baking tray, and the salty meat is enough with the asparagus.
Though invented sometime in the late 19th century, Eggs Benedict is still, in my opinion, the ne plus ultra of brunch foods. But a lot of people (including myself) are put off by making hollandaise and poaching eggs. Well this twist on the classic brunch dish, from Bon Appétit, does away with the hollandaise, replacing it with a gorgeous but unintimidating chive oil. Prosciutto takes the place of Canadian bacon and asparagus adds a springy touch. Serve over traditional English muffins, or skip them in place of something else. We had these for brunch at my parents' this morning (thanks, Dad!), over cornmeal biscuits.
Egg-poaching tips: adding a little vinegar to the cooking water helps the egg white to solidify faster, cutting down on feathering. Make sure the water is simmering, not boiling, when you put the eggs in - vigorous bubbling will break the whites. And use the freshest eggs you can; they spread less.
I've seen meatloaf baked in bread pans and meatloaf baked in free form shapes (mock lobster, anyone?). But I've never seen anyone think to bake up a meatloaf in a tube pan until I was scanning through my RSS reader last night. But if anyone was going to think of a bundt meatloaf, I'm not surprised that it came from the minds of the chefs/bloggers behind the site Ideas in Food. They are always thinking creatively about food and manage to produce a number of interesting (and I'm sure tasty) dishes. I think that this is what I'd like to eat for dinner tonight.
I'm a big fan of pasta. I like the flexibility and options you have with it. I used to make this dish I liked to call "Rigatoni Sassone" (it's great when a food you love rhymes with your name). It was basically rigatoni mixed with various vegetables and then tossed with parmesan and cheddar cheese, served with rosemary and olive oil bread. It was cheap and easy, but I haven't had it in a while.
I thought of that after seeing this recipe on AOL Food (from allrecipes.com). I'm not a fan of vodka, though I guess it won't make that much of an impact, right?
When I think of meats that are stuffed, I tend not to think of cuts like flank steak because of its shape. The relatively thin cut of meat always seemed best suited to grilling and slicing, but I had to admit that it never occurred to me to pound it even thinner and roll it up, stuffing it with other wonderful flavors in the process. The mouth-watering Prosciutto and Roasted Pepper Stuffed Flank Steak pictured here was cooked up by Rachael, from Fresh Approach Cooking. The name pretty much sums up everything you need to know flavor-wise about the dish, but this presentation is outstanding - especially considering that there was no special plating to do once the meat was cooked and no garnish necessary, although you can catch a glimpse of some mixed veggies in the corner of the photo that add a bit of extra color to the plate and round out the meal.
A little slice of foodporn for yer - from last Saturdays London blogmeet. These were deliciously moreish and, I guess, surprisingly easy to construct. You just need the freshest of ingredients. In this case the ripest figs, the very best Parmesan and thin slices of prosciutto. Just one of ten or so superb dishes prepared by Jeanne and Johanna. [More images on flickr]
My mom and I went to buy some prosciutto recently and the woman in
front of us said that she wanted "four slices, trimmed of all fat." My mother was mortified.
"Doesn't she know the fat is the best part?!" Prosciutto fat is the best part. You
wouldn't want to eat it every day, but every once in a while? Yum. (And the fat is delicious when sauteed with
onions and garlic as the start to a tomato-based pasta sauce.)
When it was my mom's turn to place her
prosciutto order, she ordered a pound of the stuff (she doesn't mess around). We had it with melon from brunch today,
and man, if that just isn't a match made in heaven. The sharp, saltiness compliments the perfume-y sweetness of the
canteloupe perfectly...even the colors go well together.
You heard it here first! As of June 1, the pig farmers of Italy are going on strike. That puts Parma ham, prosciutto, and Piacenza pork neck salami, as well as other Italian pork products, under threat. 
I'm a big fan of pasta. I like the flexibility and options you have with it. I used to make this dish I liked to call "Rigatoni Sassone" (it's great when a food you love rhymes with your name). It was basically rigatoni mixed with various vegetables and then tossed with parmesan and cheddar cheese, served with rosemary and olive oil bread. It was cheap and easy, but I haven't had it in a while.
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