Hot From The Kettle ®
Warning: “Porkographic” Food Content
I love the warm familiarity of Thanksgiving - turkey, yams, creamed mushrooms, gelatinous cranberry sauce, and Grandma’s stuffing with liver - a menu for olfactory nirvana! This year, my grandmother is passing the Thanksgiving torch to me. According to Grandma, this “will be a most interesting Thanksgiving,” because I’ve elected to transform Turkey Day into “Porkey” Day.
Happy Thanksgiving All! If you're wondering whether you should brine your turkey this year, Chef Johnny J has the answer. Read the chef's explanation and get the recipe on Out Of The Frying Pan!
About twelve months ago, Lou Palma, Montclair's favorite gastro-mechanic, and I began the Prosciutto di Palma Project. The process was well documented; from obtaining the Berkshire pig legs from Nicolosi Foods, then to curing it, pressing it, hanging it, and larding it.
Yesterday, the big day arrived and Baby Prosciutto di Palma came home! Finally, it was time to taste months of patient waiting. Lou cut into the large fat cap and revealed intensely marbleized, pink meat.
The flavor was beyond any other cured meat I've ever enjoyed - truly a one-of-kind! The Berkshire prosciutto has a unique flavor all it's own, savory with a very mellow sweetness - you could almost taste the diet of the pig.
One of the most noticeable characteristics of our little Baby Prosciutto di Palma is the texture. Due to the marbleizing, a rich creamy coating is left on your lips and fingers, that makes the finish last forever!
I happened to have some store bought prosciutto on hand, so we decided to do a side by side comparison. The store bought prosciutto not only paled in color comparison, but also in flavor and texture.
To keep the prosciutto safe and secure, and to make for easier carving, I purchased an Arcos ham holder from Amazon.
The prosciutto will be the perfect addition to our Thanksgiving table! I would like to send a very special thank you to Lou Palma for sharing and teaching this unique, and valuable technique. Thank you, Lou!
Visit the Meat Curing page for more of Lou's pork curing mastery.
If you’re thinking about letting someone else do the work this Thanksgiving, here are a few options that are sure to please your palate. 
Please enjoy the photographs from the Chaine des Rotisseurs Bailliage de New Jersey's 50th Golden Anniversary Annual Induction Dinner at the opulent Manor Restaurant in West Orange. View the Gallery!
Article and video to follow.
This Thursday, The Manor will host a private dinner to celebrate two auspicious events, the 55th Anniversary of The Manor and the 50th Golden Anniversary Annual Induction Dinner of the Chaine des Rotisseurs.
Most of us are familiar with The Manor. But what’s the Chaine des Rotisseurs? The Chaine is the oldest, international gastronomic society in the world. According to the Chaine: