Let me tell you all a little about my roommate, Yan Ping. She's AWESOME. That's all there is to it. Not only is she a super-rockstar roommate and friend, but she's also a bit of a food connoisseur. Now that it has gotten a bit cooler lately, she's been into making these amazing, hearty soups in her gigantic Crock Pot (one of many reasons why I love Crock Pots: you can put stuff in it before you leave for the day and come home to a warm, delicious meal). Every once in a while, I'll leave for the day and come home to an apartment which smells of warm, comforting foods which sort of remind me of home. This is a bit of an aside -- the point is, Yan Ping has impeccable taste in food, so I always trust her judgment in things that pair well together.
Sometime last weekend, Yan Ping made a trip to Trader Joe's and got some groceries for the week. "Do you know what's in salami?" she asked while preparing her dinner one night. "Um, combination of beef and pork?" I replied hesitantly. "This one only has pork! Try some. Pair it with this Toscano parmesan cheese and pita cracker."
Salamis are cured (they can also be prepared fresh and cooked, but those are less common) sausage meats that are typically made from pork, but can be combined with beef, or less commonly, exclusively made from beef (mostly Kosher or Halal salamis). They can also be made with turkey, goose, horse, swordfish, or even shark meat! They are eaten in many parts of Europe and Asia, and are a particularly common meat among Southern European peasants because of their long storage time (up to 10 years) at room temperature (in the case that fresh meats are not available or are mad expensive). These variety of meats are often seasoned with herbs and spices, and can also be infused with wine. Typically, the raw meat used to make salami is mixed together and fermented for about a day, after which it is encased and hung to be cured and aged. (For additional information on salami, you can go here) It turned out that this particular salami that Yan Ping was offering me was infused with chianti, and tasted like it was also seasoned with garlic and perhaps something else that gave it a spicy kick.
We all know and love parmesan cheese to be a dry, salty cheese that is used to season Italian foods and salads. It gives foods a bit of a sharp, salty edge that often brings the other flavors in the dish. However, the Toscano parmesan cheese my roommate had was infused with a syrah wine. Syrah is a type of wine grape found in the Rhone region of France and has been described to be "spicy and peppery...show[ing] characteristics of sweet blackberries, black currants, and plums." Regardless, the syrah made the parmesan surprisingly softer, sweeter, and really buttery. Guys, it was like eating BUTTER CHEESE. And let me tell you, pairing a piece of the semi-soft Toscano parmesan with a piece of cured, hard salami infused with chianti on top of a crunchy Trader Joe's pita cracker...it was pure awesomeness. A mixture of textures, of flavors, all marrying together to create happiness on a chip.
Shortly after, I made a trip to the farmer's market to pick up some loose leaf tea, and the ENTIRE WAY AND BACK I couldn't stop thinking about salami and cheese on pita crackers. Anyway, I ended up calling my roommate when I got home to see if I could take another nibble and ended up DEVOURING that poor salami. No worries, Yan Ping, I'll buy you another roll one of these days. :)
Sometime last weekend, Yan Ping made a trip to Trader Joe's and got some groceries for the week. "Do you know what's in salami?" she asked while preparing her dinner one night. "Um, combination of beef and pork?" I replied hesitantly. "This one only has pork! Try some. Pair it with this Toscano parmesan cheese and pita cracker."
Salamis are cured (they can also be prepared fresh and cooked, but those are less common) sausage meats that are typically made from pork, but can be combined with beef, or less commonly, exclusively made from beef (mostly Kosher or Halal salamis). They can also be made with turkey, goose, horse, swordfish, or even shark meat! They are eaten in many parts of Europe and Asia, and are a particularly common meat among Southern European peasants because of their long storage time (up to 10 years) at room temperature (in the case that fresh meats are not available or are mad expensive). These variety of meats are often seasoned with herbs and spices, and can also be infused with wine. Typically, the raw meat used to make salami is mixed together and fermented for about a day, after which it is encased and hung to be cured and aged. (For additional information on salami, you can go here) It turned out that this particular salami that Yan Ping was offering me was infused with chianti, and tasted like it was also seasoned with garlic and perhaps something else that gave it a spicy kick.
We all know and love parmesan cheese to be a dry, salty cheese that is used to season Italian foods and salads. It gives foods a bit of a sharp, salty edge that often brings the other flavors in the dish. However, the Toscano parmesan cheese my roommate had was infused with a syrah wine. Syrah is a type of wine grape found in the Rhone region of France and has been described to be "spicy and peppery...show[ing] characteristics of sweet blackberries, black currants, and plums." Regardless, the syrah made the parmesan surprisingly softer, sweeter, and really buttery. Guys, it was like eating BUTTER CHEESE. And let me tell you, pairing a piece of the semi-soft Toscano parmesan with a piece of cured, hard salami infused with chianti on top of a crunchy Trader Joe's pita cracker...it was pure awesomeness. A mixture of textures, of flavors, all marrying together to create happiness on a chip.
Shortly after, I made a trip to the farmer's market to pick up some loose leaf tea, and the ENTIRE WAY AND BACK I couldn't stop thinking about salami and cheese on pita crackers. Anyway, I ended up calling my roommate when I got home to see if I could take another nibble and ended up DEVOURING that poor salami. No worries, Yan Ping, I'll buy you another roll one of these days. :)
Love it!! When I was a kid, I discovered the joys of salami, cheese, and crackers. I think I asked for a box of those ingredients for several Christmases in a row, to hoard it all for myself. You two have great taste!
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