After my latest Midnight Snack, I think I know how to say lardo in Polish: smalec. I found this small tub of Smalec z miesem in a small grocery in the suburban Long Island town where I grew up, which never had a Polish presence to my knowledge. The English translation for this mysterious meat spread is seasoned pork lard with cured pork added. And not just any cured pork, but pork dewlap, or the skin and meat below the hog's chin, pig wattle, if you will. I'm sure there are people who think that products that contain pork dewlap should be emblazoned with red stickers bearing the legend, "WARNING: CONTAINS PORK DEWLAP." As many of you already know, I am not one of those people.
Who am I to look down my snout at pork dewlap, much less lard? Though I must admit that this was the first time I've ever tasted either. When I tore the cover off the little tub, I was greeted by a lake of snowy white pork lard with a little island of cured dewlap in the center. After I mixed it up I spread a bit on some hearty rye and found it to be pretty tasty. But when I smeared a goodly amount on toasted rye with a little onion I was in porcine paradise. The lard melted onto the warm, crusty bread so perfectly that the fat sensor in my brain went off immediately, leaving me woozy with satisfaction. And with good reason, a mere tablespoon of this Polish wonder spread contains 3.5 grams of saturated fat.
In his interview earlier Nick
didn't want to pre-empt trends with suggesting the next big thing in the food world. After listening to the BBC Radio 4 Food Program (should be
available via Listen Again) I'm going to say that - in the UK at least - the next big thing is going to be
Eastern European Food.
Since Poland, Hungary, the Baltic republics and others joined the EU many of their residents have decamped to the UK. While stodgy dumplings and cabbage are the cliched view of Eastern European food it seems that these countries have much more to offer. We even have a Latvian blogging from Edinburgh. Pille has discovered a Polish deli there too.
There are several in London too. Next time I make it into town I will endeavor to find one and see what they have to offer; because I know nothing about their culinary traditions - apart from vodka, obviously.
As you know, Sarah G. and her Seahawks are going head to head this week with me, Sarah G. and the Steelers
in preparation
for the Super Bowl. Sarah Gilbert is a die-hard Seahawks fan, and has already started to show us the super foods
of Seattle with oysters. Pittsburgh is easy - with a fairly large population of Polish people, I'm doing
pierogis.
December may have peppermint bark, but have you thought to incorporate the taste of autumn into white chocolate with a rich pumpkin swirl?
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