By JANET K. KEELER
© St. Petersburg Times,
published November 28, 2001

deconstructing
explanations from the inside out

Italian cold cuts

Genoa salami. Known as Genovese salami in Italy, it comes from the Northwest coast of Italy near the French border. Genoa salami is air-cured, flavored with garlic, dotted with peppercorns and made from pork and veal or beef with additional fat thrown in to combat the dryness of the veal. It is often used for sandwiches here.

Hard salami. Northern-Italian-style hard salami is sometimes dotted with peppercorns, giving the pork sausage a spicy tang. If the peppercorns aren't visible, they may be finely ground into the salami.

Cappicola. Originating in the Calabria region of Italy, cappicola is made from meat from the tenderloin. The entire piece of meat is cured with salt, pepper, garlic and, in Calabria, peperoncino. Because of the high proportion of cured meat, it can be an inexpensive alternative to prosciutto.

Soppressata. Lean meat from the head of the hog is coarsely chopped, mixed with lard, pepper and spices, stuffed into a natural casing and then pressed under a weight. It originated in the area around Venice. Rustic soppressata, a Calabrian specialty, is often spiced with peperoncino.

Mortadella. A very large sausage from Bologna, sometimes 10 inches in diameter, made from very finely ground pork, garlic and coriander seeds; it is the antecedent of American bologna. The Italian original, only recently imported, is made with cubes of fats and sometimes pistachios. It is usually eaten cold, thinly sliced, and has a smooth, mild flavor.

Prosciutto. Salt-cured, air-dried ham cut from the hind legs of the pig. The most revered and most expensive at $15 and more a pound is Prosciutto di Parma, which is made in the region of Parma and strictly regulated. Because of its price and strong flavor, it is used sparingly. Make sure deli workers slice it paper thin and lay a piece of cellophane between each layer, otherwise the prosciutto will stick together and tear.

It is traditionally served with melon, figs and other mild fruits, or twisted around a crisp breadstick.

this web site cooks

www.foodsiteoftheday.com

This site is the brainchild of Marty Martindale, a freelance writer who lives in Largo. The beauty here is that Martindale combs the Internet for food sites to pass on to subscribers, who register free by e-mail. That's a great service to Internet-savvy foodies who don't have the time to survey all that's on the Web. And there's a lot.

A regular e-mail alerts subscriber to fun food sites such as www.chopstix.com (an Asian food site), www.azostrich.com (all about ostrich products), www.chiletoday.com (hot chiles and other spices) and www.backofthebox.com (recipe on products).

constant comment

"You have to eat oatmeal or you'll dry up. Anybody knows that." -- Kay Thompson, author of Eloise

cooking class

When choosing ripe pears, select those with a slight give at their base and a pleasant floral aroma. Pears suited for eating out of hand or serving with cheese are juicy Anjou, Bartletts or Comice. When cooking, use the dense tan-skinned Bosc pears, which will transform into delicious tender fruit when roasted or poached.

gingerbread wow

Do you have the best-dressed gingerbread man, woman or child in town? If so, you might win some real dough in Baker's Joy's "America's Best-Dressed Gingerbread Person" contest. The top designer of hot cookie couture wins $1,500; second place is $1,000 and third $500. The cookies can be no taller than 6 inches and any evidence of "repair" (glued on arms, legs, etc.) will be grounds for disqualification. Deadline for photo entries, by mail or e-mail, is Dec. 14. For rules by mail, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Best Dressed Rules, c/o the Londre Company, 3365 Barham Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90068, or log on to www.bestdressed.bigstep.com.

Pies, cookies, cakes, oh my

The baking season is fast approaching and now is a good time to assess your baking equipment. Are your cookie sheets in good shape? How about your baking pans? Other items to survey include spatulas, cooling racks, parchment paper and measuring spoons and cups. Even your oven should be scrutinized. If it's just 10 degrees too high, you and your cookies may get burned. Also, buy new baking soda and powder to ensure that your baked items rise properly. The Baker's Catalogue has lots of good equipment and ingredients . . . use it as a wish list. Call toll-free 1-800-827-6836 to get on the mailing list.

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