Knowing when to stop

[ianeccleston]

Mr. Steingarten,

I've enjoyed your writing very much - from the issues of Vogue that I steal from my wife (or get to first, rather) and from The Man Who Ate Everything. You've written both about roasting your coffee yourself to brewing the perfect espresso: in both articles I believe you referred to realizing how obsessive one could be about a foodstuff - how deep the rabbit hole went - and being yourself an obsessive and detailed chef, that even you had your limits.

So the question is, where do you draw the line? I've cured my own pancetta, and am considering - depending on how amenable my wife is, and how deadly the results might actually be - curing salume, thai sausage, duck prosciutto, etc. etc. Would you cure your own meats, or would you leave it to the professional?

Cheers,

Ian