Boris Abrams

Can I also ask, would this work with a koshered duck breast that has ALREADY been salted to remove blood? Would you suggest I cure it for a little less time?

hmm....its strange that some places state that the salting in and of itself is a 'drying' of the meat. I wonder how necessary it is to hang the duck? I am still looking for a prosciutto substitute - its driving me nuts! I know nothing will taste like pork and I am not one of those people who seek to re-create a dish using new ingredients, whilst looking to taste something that is 'exactly' like the original. But i do want to have something to add that extra layer of depth in my food. I was thinking minced anchovies at first, but duck prosciutto seemed like the more obvious answer. Has anyone cooked with their duck prosciutto?

Ah gulfporter, that is an interesting take on how to make it! I was unaware that you could cure it simply in the fridge! Do you think it would be a good replacement for prosciutto in Italian pasta based dishes which include it (or French!)

Hi there! I am planning to cure meat for the first time - but I have a few anxieties and questions.I would like to make duck Prosciutto. Firstly, just how safe is this? I will be following the recipe provided by Paula Wolfert in 'The Cooking of Southwest France' (and using this recipe for added guidance:http://andhereweare.net/2014/01/duck-... However, I wonder, just how safe is it? I can hang it in our conservatory or a dark pantry (which will be the coolest) - its currently around 46F during the day time at the moment. I assume this is not too hot? Or would it be better to hang my duck breasts outdoors? (and hope the squirrels dont get too excited!) Equally, I could hang them in a dark room indoors, and turn a fan onto them ever few hours to mimic mountain wind.... What do you think would work best/be the safest? I am being paranoid, I know. As I dont cook pork in my house so many recipes are unacceptable. I would love to cook the ragus of the Kasper's Splendid Table, which contain Prosciutto and the numerous ham-based dishes in Wolfert's French cookbook. If I were to add my duck prosciutto to a pasta dish, soup or casserole, would it add the same umani savoury notes as true pork prosciutto? Or is Duck prosciutto based simply eaten on its own, as one would eat the finest Spanish ham (mmm just thinking about Jamon Iberioc Bellota makes my mouth water...) Any tips/advice would be welcome! Thanks!

Sorry no one has replied to this! I am in the same shoes as you were! Did you take the masters in the end? / Find somewhere which talks a bit more about it? Would be a great help!

Ah thanks for the response! I had a feeling it would be detrimental to removing the ingredient! I guess it wont be the same as just not adding fresh parmesan to a pasta! I may still buy the book though, especially seeing how much you enjoyed reading it! Can I ask, what recipe did you prepare from it? How did it turn out?

So I am a big Wolfert fan and am looking to complete my collection of her works! However, I am unsure if I can justify purchasing this book, as I dont eat pork products. I know - being S.W. France, pancetta/salt pork is going to find its way into a great number of dishes. And a brief look at the Eat Your Books index seems to confirm this. I was wondering - where cured pork seems to appear as a secondary ingredient (as oppose to a main dish - say something like the Chicken with red onion sauce), could it be left out? Substituted with added duck fat, perhaps? Or would I really be looking a lot from the dish by not including pancetta etc? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks everyone for all your help! I have since brought the book and love it! And now I want more., I was was just wondering if someone could tell me a little bit more about this book? I now have the original 'Cuisines of Mexico' and the 'Art of Mexican Cooking'. How does this book differentiate from the other two books? Are there many similarities and overlaps? I looked at the index of recipes briefly and there does not seem to be that much. Does this book have the usual anthropological/historical details? Or is it more like the typical run of the mill recipes with the odd note here and there? I ask as I seem to be able to find very little reviews of this book. I am looking to buy the March 1985 edition (I believe there was a revision done after this?) If anybody knows, Wikipedia seems to show that this book was only updated from 'Recipies from the regional cooks of Mexico' to 'Mexican Regional Cooking' in 1990. I would rather get the latter as the Eat Your Books index seems better. Is there a mistake on Amazon's part/the market place. I am looking to buy this copy: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mexican-Regional-Cooking-Harper-colophon/dp/0060911662%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJ7GYHFBU6QYY4JZQ%26tag%3Deayobo-21%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0060911662 Many Thanks! Many thanks,

Hi all, I recently came across Sonia Uvezian, on Amazon. I had never heard of her before, but on the face of it she seems like an excellent cookbook writer. However, Amazon reviews seem a bit sketchy, and a google search doesnt really reveal all to much about her. Before I go ahead and buy yet another cookbook, I wondered if anyone has ever seen or heard anything about her? Her books include: Recipes and Rememberances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen (The book I'd be looking to buy) and the Cuisines of Armenia.

Thank you all for the advice regarding the lard. I shall happily start cooking Mexican, knowing that I am not compromising the flavour too much. Ill experiment with Coconut oil and chicken fat for starters, and try with some vegetable shorting (though I havent got access to such great brands near me) . For bean dishes, I wonder if adding some veal bones would create a thicker, gelatinous consistency (I imagine that lard has this affect in bean dishes, as it does in some Cuban bean based recipes). Thanks again for all the advice folks!

Yea, I hear that. I guess I'm thinking of adding lard to more of the stewed/bean dishes. Im not such a pastry chef (as much as I'd like to be!) Thanks for drawing my attention to the Bayless book. I was in a dilemma as to buy the Kennedy or Bayless. It seemed most people favoured Kennedy, so interesting that you prefer Bayless! Tywst, I have seen that book. It looks like a great source of recipes but the lack of accompanying info to the recipes, at this stage away, really bothers me. Let me know how the recipes turn out!

Dear all, Thanks for all the advice! I shall start cooking without hesitation when my book finally arrives! Patrickamory, do you happen to know how one could go about recreating the flavour of proper mantec? Maybe throwing in some duck fat instead? I have brought a a product called Trex - made just of palm oil and vegetable oil (http://familybaking.co.uk/about-trex) Would this work as a lard....having a hard time working out if this constitutes as shortening or just another margarine! Gulfporter, how have you found cooking from Oaxaca Al Gusto. I have heard it is better used as a coffee table book...

Ah that is great to hear! As a rough proportion, if a dish called for 2 tbsp on lard, would that translate to the same amount of coconut oil? As I have never used it I am unaware how strong it is. Does the lard add some degree of flavour though? Perhaps some umami?

Dear all, I was wondering if you could lend me some advice. I am a huge cookbook collector - with a special focus on collecting regional culinary bibles. If a cookbook has history/culture etc, I buy it. Basically, anything along the lines of Claudia Roden or David Thompson (Thai Food). I live in the UK, and do not eat pork. So buying a Mexican cookbook has never really been on my mind. However, I do feel I ought to have at least one book by Kennedy. I have however heard mixed reviews about the updated 'The Essential Cuisines of Mexico'. Would it be worth finding a used copy of the original 'Cuisines of Mexico'? Does it have more history, anthropology etc than the updated version? I am not interested in just having recipes. Also, as a side note, what would be a good substitute for pork lard? I know it features pretty heavily in Mexican cuisine but I feel like it shouldn't be a barrier to looking to my cooking. Would olive oil work? Or should I use Chicken or Goose fat (Much in the same way I would substitute Goose fat for pancetta when making bourguignon? Or is the pork lard absolutely essential? Many thanks!