Why? Because you can! And pickle, and jam, or otherwise celebrate the resurgence of the domestic arts our forebears held so dear. Put on your best apron and step into our kitchen, won't you?
Start collecting poppy petals to make an unusual liqueur that can be drank as a sweet dreams nightcap.
If it's not to your taste you can use it as a cough medicine!
On day one of the Punk Domestics trip to Italy in January, 2012, we made three kinds of preserves with Marzia Brigante: Quince jam, pear jam with aromatic spices and savor, a conserve made with apples, pears, quince, nuts and saba.
On day 2, we went to a caseificio in Parma to watch the production of Parmigiano-Reggiano, the king of Italian cheeses. This is a truly artisanal production done on a large scale.
After seeing Parmigiano-Reggiano, we headed to the nearby Prosciuttificio San Giacomo to see how prosciutto is made. Like Parmigiano-Reggiano, prosciutto is a case of a truly artisanal product that is made on a very large scale.
We headed to Acetaia Pedroni to learn about the production of Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena -- true balsamic vinegar, not the stuff you find on the grocery store shelves.
We visited Cesenatico's pescheria, or fish market, saw the conserve where fish were stored before refrigeration, and learned how to prepare Adriatic fish. And, of course, we ate a lot of fish.
Veg*ns avert your eyes! On day four, we finally met our pig, and made it into salame, salsiccia, cotechino, pancetta, guanciale, strutto, ciccioli and fegatelli. And, I am confronted with a cosmic conundrum. (Warning: Graphic images of pig butchery.)
