Fluffbuff

  Some of you have noticed that I haven't made any food entries in a while. Between the heatwave, the bug infestation and consequent lack of sleep, and then starting to work out and watch what I eat, the past two months have seen little beyond survival cooking.

This whole getting in shape business can be pretty sad at times, especially for someone who grew up not just in Italy, but in Emilia-Romagna. But enough with the whining; I am talking food again.

As part of my new regime, I've given up my beloved baguettes in favor of whole grain bread (fortunately I've found a bread called seeduction at Whole Foods that I like a lot), eliminated butter and in general reduced quantities. The tricky part is making what I prepare as tasty as possible while keeping the amount of fats and salt down. Since I am using a lot less olive oil, I decided to splurge on some aceto balsamico tradizionale. Without getting into the intricacies of tutelage and nomenclature, aceto balsamico tradizionale has to age a minimum of twelve years under very specific conditions. The long production times and heavily regulated process make it an expensive product, not easy to find at most food stores. That's why I ended up ordering it online from Zingerman's, a deli in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Hey, it's for a good cause.

This was my first time ordering from Zingerman's and thought I'd try more than just one thing so I added two items to my order: a box of Spanish saffron and a guide to good Parmigiano-Reggiano. Yes, I entrusted a Jewish American guy — Ari Weinzweig — to educate me about Parmigiano-Reggiano. And why not? Only Emilia-Romagna can make it, but I am open-minded about the rest.

My package arrived yesterday and I am almost done reading the booklet. It's a really good read: informative, straightforward and with some humor. By contrast, the booklet that came with the vinegar, written in Italy, had me yawn after the first few lines. I had forgotten how logorrhoeic Italians can be. But back to the cheese. The Parmesan cheese in the photo is not from Zingerman's, but after reading their little guide I really want to try their own. If only they weren't so expensive; shipping alone is a killer. Anyway, the balsamic vinegar is yummy (already tried it with salad and grilled salmon) and I'll let you know how the saffron fares next time I make risotto allo zafferano.

Five pounds down, twenty-five to go…