At the table with Laura: tasty ideas from our charcuterie lover.

The perfect ingredient in the kitchen? "A mi me piase el ciccin!" (and sorry for the purely Venetian dialect - the land from which many products we have selected come, but if you didn't understand "el cicin" is meat).
Specifically, I’m talking about cured meats: on their own or accompanied with other dishes, for me they are nothing short of exceptional, if not essential!
Cured meat is a food made from meat, raw or cooked, and there are many types available for all tastes.
Want to know what my favorites are? Then make yourself comfortable: as a cured meat lover you can imagine that the list is not exactly short.
Don't worry, you will find them all in the selection of Spaghetti & Mandolino!
Ready... set... go!
 

The perfect cured meats to have at home: my top 3 from the pantry

Well yes, I made a list. It was tough, but in the end I did it! I managed to put three cured meats on the podium that I think deserve such a position. Obviously these are personal tastes, someone else may have different preferences... don't worry, I won't judge you!
I decided this top 3 based on the cured meats I eat most often and without which I can't do without.

Shall we start with first or third? Come on, I'll leave you in a bit of suspense... Let's begin with the third position.
Ladies and gentlemen, here is the Prosciutto Crudo! Its organoleptic characteristics that I love so much distinguish it for its sweetness, savoriness, aroma, and of course, an excellent taste. I adore it when it’s sliced very thin, so thin that it melts in your mouth!
The Alpine Prosciutto from La Casara is a cured meat to always keep at home because it is great for making simple, quick, yet just as tasty and flavorful dishes! An example? The piadina! With a bit of stracchino, you're all set.

However, I want to reveal a very tasty dish where I love to add chopped prosciutto crudo: salad! A nice big salad with plenty of vegetables enriched by a few slices of prosciutto crudo is the best way to make a healthy dish both tasty and delicious.
Never tried it? I absolutely recommend it.

In second place, I had to include something that has to do with pizza, because it’s one of my favorite dishes! And what do you think I could top it with? Obviously with a cured meat! But not just any cured meat, the spicy salami! I really like strong and decisive flavors, and among them, spicy ones!
For me, a pizza with spicy salami and gorgonzola, please! My mouth is watering, isn’t yours?
To tell the truth, I also keep a nice spicy salami, like that from Corrado Benedetti, at home... you never know! Great for topping a nice homemade pizza too.

Curious to know which cured meat I awarded the gold medal? In first place, just slightly ahead of the second position, we have the queen of cured meats, the one and only bacon!
For me, bacon is at the top because it is rich in flavor and goes well anywhere, from pizza to piadina, but it’s also good on its own.
My favorite is the Rolled Bacon from Corrado Benedetti, because it can be sliced. I also really like the Lucanian Tesa Bacon from Salumificio Burgentino. The latter grilled is truly exceptional. I won’t deny that I also use it for carbonara, a dish that I love to cook! Yes, I know, with carbonara you should use guanciale! I love this first course both with bacon and with guanciale, and regarding that, I feel I can recommend the aged guanciale from Fattoria Lepini.
 

Cured meats to enjoy alone, but perfect in the company of someone

Do you think I’m done? Of course not! There are many other cured meats I love, and now I present you with two that I particularly like on their own, either on a nice appetizer platter or in a sandwich!
I’m talking about Salame Nostrano from Salumificio Freoni Danzi: enjoying a few nice slices laid out on a wooden board and paired with pieces of aged cheese is the best way to spend a pre-dinner time in company, all accompanied by a glass of red wine.

The Mortadella Bologna IGP Ovalina from Salumificio Pedrazzoli is for me a cured meat that brings back memories: when I was a child, my mother prepared the sandwich with mortadella for the workers fixing the house and always gave one to me as well: I think it's a simple but excellent pairing, and I still enjoy it!

And here we are at the end of my list. I had to make a nice selection and put together my favorite products. I could have included many others, like Tastasale from pure pork by Corrado Benedetti or the Pork Hamburger by Quadro Carni e Salumi 1860.
 

At the table with Laura: cured meats to gift to friends and relatives

One of the things I love to do is give food products to friends and family, fresh and artisanal: an original and innovative idea to surprise anyone!
Speaking of cured meats, I like to amaze my friends with Cordivino Salamino refined in Amarone by Corrado Benedetti, which comes from the aging process of a product of simple origins in the must of a noble wine, namely, Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG.

Another perfect gift, in my opinion, is a nice Black truffle salami from Quadro Carni e Salumi 1860, a special cured meat with a powerful flavor.
Finally, I often gift my family ready-made ragù, such as the Chianina Beef Ragù by Tartufi Bianconi.

What can I say, I hope I've given you good advice and some ideas to try in the future!

S&M