Kind of redacting

I wrote a post back in September about how America is a big shameless copycat when it comes to food. I've continued to think a lot about this issue, and (as with most things) I'm of many minds on it. Ultimately, I have to appreciate that living in America provides so much exposure to different cuisines and ways of cooking. Perhaps my frustration comes from wanting to pursue everything back to its source. The longer I live, the less authentic life feels.

Whatever philosophical crisis I may be having with food and culture at the moment, one thing that will never falter is my admiration of Julia Child. She flung open the doors to the wide world of cooking and without her, well, I wouldn't be me.

Back to our regularly scheduled program tomorrow. This week is going to be all about fruits and vegetables and oatmeal, all of which I plan to eat by the cartload to try and counteract the indulgences of this weekend. You don't really want to know, but I'll leave you with a few hints. Eggs. Bacon. Strudel.

Yeah.

Eggs in the (lime)light

This method sounds a lot easier than the traditional simmering-water technique. I wonder if the shell is less hot, making the egg easier to peel? I can definitely see this innovation making its way into a nifty little home appliance. The new-generation egg cooker! On a nostalgic side note, I always loved the electric egg cooker my mom had, where you added a little water to the bottom, pricked the egg using a little spike in the center, then placed the egg in a tray to soft-steam. Mmm. Then she would serve them in these funny little cups.

Don't be fooled, peach-lovers...

...the season is officially over. I snagged a couple of peaches at the market this weekend and brought one for lunch today that seemed ripened to perfection.

I plucked it out of its brown paper bag, held it under my nose to inhale its sweet, airy perfume, and took a bite, with a napkin held just under my chin to catch that first trickle of juice...

which never trickled.

This peach, beautiful and fragrant as it looks, is mealy and mushy and not fit for eating.

Ah well. I had a lot of good peaches this summer so I can't complain. (And I can't promise that I won't try to buy one last great peach this weekend, should the opportunity present itself. Maybe I just got a bad one? It can be hard to tell with peaches.)

What is red and white and delicious all over?

(And kind of rhymes with Pinnochio?)

I've never been a huge fan of salami. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love an Italian grinder as much as the next girl, but generally, cured meats aren't that fun to eat. They are hard and chewy and salty. Plus, that smooth, unctuous film of what is usually pork fat on every slice makes it hard to deny how much cholesterol you're ingesting. (You know I'm not such a stickler about avoiding unhealthy foods, but still...salami always gives me a touch of heartburn.)

All that being said, I'd read a lot about Salumi and have been wanting to check it out. I picked up one of their sandwiches yesterday and I think I can safely say that it was the best salami sandwich I've ever had. At $9 it wasn't cheap, but at the same time, I think they put about a half a pound of meat on there, not to mention two thick slices of fresh mozzarella, a heaping spoonful of onions and peppers, and two different types of dressing, one garlic and the other pesto. This all sandwiched in a luscious foccaccia-type roll, which was nearly the circumference of my face. So, in that context, it was actually a pretty good deal. And to boot, I stretched it across lunch AND dinner.

I ordered some of their famous proscuitto which I'll pick up later today. They make a lamb proscuitto which sounds very intriguing, but it's pricy ($26/lb) and they were out of it anyway. I think maybe I'll try to get some next year to include in an Easter feast. For now, I'm looking forward to trying the pork variety. I've made it in omelets and also in a chicken-arugula-hazelnut roulade sort of thing. I'd like to try it with seafood, either as a wrap on scallops or halibut. Got any favorite proscuitto preparations?

And in prime beer season too!

Certainly worse things could be visited upon this nation than a hops shortage, but still--what's Oktober without beer?

Finally, someone understands.

Eggs are great dinner food!

In other news, I've been cooking, but not with enough inspiration to warrant recaps (hence the gap in posts). Going forward I'm aiming to post something new every day, even if it's just a link or various Chefty flotsam. Stay tuned! With fall now here in full swing, I expect my culinary pursuits will start getting interesting again (well, at least interesting to me.)