Punk Domestics's blog

Once again it's Three Things Thursday, where I highlight three things that ran on the site recently that inspired, intrigued or impressed me. Here's this week's picks:

DIY Soy Sauce
While hardly a trifle, it is possible to make your own soy sauce using this 19th-century technique, with a few modifications to accommodate modern conveniences and tools. And the soybean mash left over is a surprise bonus seasoning that sparks up a variety of foods.

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For this edition of Three Things Thursday, I'm focusing on one of my favorite vegetables, and showcasing its versatility. Here's this week's picks:

Butternut Squash Aigre-Doux
Aigre-doux involves a light pickling in a sweet-sour brine, often with spices. For this application, Blue Kale Road combines maple syrup with white wine and white vinegar and a crack of black pepper.

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My friends, it's time to draw the curtain in our little experiment. Three months ago I asked if you were ready to take on projects from Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn's latest collaboration, Salumi, an in-depth look at making Italian cured meats. We've had a lot of porky (and lamby) fun along the way. Here's the latest.

MrBelm
Charcutepalooza participant MrBelm took up the curing chamber once again, making salame, lonza and skin-on rolled pancetta.

Once again it's Three Things Thursday, where I highlight three things that ran on the site recently that inspired, intrigued or impressed me. Here's this week's picks:

Ginger Carrot Curd
Who says curds are just for fruit? A bright and cheery take on a lemon curd, this spread is delicious on scones and biscuits for breakfast or used as a filling in a layer cake.

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By now you've heard me blather on at length about how awesome our trip to Italy was in January: How we made preserves with the charming Marzia; explored the secrets of Parmigiano-Reggiano, prosciutto and balsamico; hand-rolled pasta with la sfoglina and nonna Fernanda; made Romagna's famed flatbread, piadina; and of course broke down an entire hog and turned it into a variety of salumi. I know, given your druthers, many of you out there would love to join us on this excursion.

I also know, however, that January is a difficult time to travel, so close on the heels of the holidays, and with the risk of incumbent weather. This is why I worked with Vanessa at Global Epicurean to devise a new itinerary at a more favorable time of year. It is with great excitement that I announce our next trip to Emilia-Romagna for October 11-18, 2013.

Autumn is an amazing time to be in Italy. However, the change of schedule also necessitates a change of plans in our itinerary. You see, the norcini, or hog butchers, only slaughter hogs for the purposes of making salumi in a specific period of time spanning from roughly late November to mid-January. This time around, the only pig parts we'll see will be at the prosciuttificio or on the table. 

But I am here to tell you that we are replacing it with something I think is at least as awesome, and something I personally am very excited about. We'll be heading up to Portico di Romagna, in the Apennines near the Tuscan border, where we'll head out into the woods with experienced foragers to look for porcini mushrooms. And then, of course, once we've found them, we'll come back and eat them. After, we'll visit nearby Brisighella to experience one of Italy's most prized olive oils. 

And because we've expanded the trip by a day, we will also head out to Sant'Agata Feltria, again up in the Apennines, but closer to the intersection of Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany and Le Marche, for their famed Sagra di Tartufo. These sagre are street festivals dedicated to local food specialties. Expect a crowded, very Italian experience with no tourists anywhere in sight. This is a family event when all Italians gather on the street, eat to their heart's content and just enjoy a fall Sunday out with friends and family. It will be as authentic as anything you've ever done in Italy!

So check out the highlights from our first trip, listen to what our guests had to say about it, then take a look at next year's itinerary. Join us for another exciting trip to Italy's culinary heartland.