I really enjoyed your article and am honored that you mentioned Volpi. My name is Lorenza and I am the third generation of the Volpi family and yes, this craft takes time and experience. I have been at this for over 40 years now. Why is charcuterie (Salumi) so interesting to craft? In my humble opinion it has to do with the many variables at play. The raw materials, the ingredients, the fermenting, the drying and aging, air-flow and humidity which all play their part in creating these tasty treats.
Your experience with the Smoking Goose charcuterie reminds me of the wave of cafes in the late '90s and early 2000s that sold upscale wraps. The list of ingredients in each wrap was ridiculously long... and inevitably, there were always one or two things that shouldn't have been in there. It's as if they ignored (or never knew) the lessons of decades of delis/sandwich shops about what flavors belonged together.
Also, I second your appreciation of Volpi. Very good salami and prosciutto! Until I read this piece, I had no idea that they were over a century old, but it makes sense.
Olympia Provisions is as good as it gets in the USA. Permit me to recommend the saucisson sec for the cheese board or the kielbasa to cook into spaetzle.
Grew up in a Jewish neighborhood in Chicago where there was a deli on every other corner. I thought the whole world was like that. No, it's not. Not even close. Even the old neighborhood is now Korean. I'd give anything for a good corn beef on rye. Not the pressed homogeneous crap you can get in the supermarket. Oh well.
First discovered charcuterie in France when I went there for a college semester. Learned charcuterie meant deli. Same stuff. No corn beef though.
I really enjoyed your article and am honored that you mentioned Volpi. My name is Lorenza and I am the third generation of the Volpi family and yes, this craft takes time and experience. I have been at this for over 40 years now. Why is charcuterie (Salumi) so interesting to craft? In my humble opinion it has to do with the many variables at play. The raw materials, the ingredients, the fermenting, the drying and aging, air-flow and humidity which all play their part in creating these tasty treats.
I'm a subscriber now!
Thanks for a great article,
Lorenza Pasetti
Your experience with the Smoking Goose charcuterie reminds me of the wave of cafes in the late '90s and early 2000s that sold upscale wraps. The list of ingredients in each wrap was ridiculously long... and inevitably, there were always one or two things that shouldn't have been in there. It's as if they ignored (or never knew) the lessons of decades of delis/sandwich shops about what flavors belonged together.
Also, I second your appreciation of Volpi. Very good salami and prosciutto! Until I read this piece, I had no idea that they were over a century old, but it makes sense.
Olympia Provisions is as good as it gets in the USA. Permit me to recommend the saucisson sec for the cheese board or the kielbasa to cook into spaetzle.
Grew up in a Jewish neighborhood in Chicago where there was a deli on every other corner. I thought the whole world was like that. No, it's not. Not even close. Even the old neighborhood is now Korean. I'd give anything for a good corn beef on rye. Not the pressed homogeneous crap you can get in the supermarket. Oh well.
First discovered charcuterie in France when I went there for a college semester. Learned charcuterie meant deli. Same stuff. No corn beef though.