charcutepalooza

And the winner is….

January 7, 2012
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The Year of Meat has come to a close. We have a winner, and his name is Peter Barrett. Peter writes the visually stunning and always wry and clever A Cook Blog. From the very beginning, everyone noticed his spectacular, extravagent and enviable way of answering the challenges. I’d Like to Be Alone with the [...]

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savory tarts for this, or any, time of year

December 30, 2011
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We are coming to the end of party season. The time of year when we invite friends and neighbors into our homes, cook like crazy, add a little more butter, cream, bacon to our meals. I love this time of year for all the excuses there are to celebrate and I’m resolving as of today [...]

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charcutepalooza. the semi-finalists.

December 15, 2011
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A year ago, my little hobby, what Dennis called my “meat thing,” connected via Twitter with Kim Foster’s curiousity and a cheeky title, to become Charcutepalooza. It just happened in a crazy stroke of synchronicity. And then… along came sponsors, Food52, a huge grand prize, and, suddenly, there were all of you. Kim and I, [...]

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Meat The Competition

December 10, 2011
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Congratulations to these Charcutepalooza-ers – each of whom completed all twelve of the monthly challenges. From this incredibly talented group, we will be selecting the semi-finalists – to be announced December 15th. A Cook Blog Biscuits of Today Bite Me New England The Butcher’s Apprentice Chow Eng Down Curing the Heart Dabblings & Whimsey DoLoveWalk [...]

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charcutepalooza. my mincemeat experience.

November 18, 2011
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I had such hope for this post. Sometime back in the summer, I learned of the availability of beef suet and an idea was hatched. It became my own personal Charcutepalooza extra credit. The sweet side of meat preservation – just in time for the holidays. Real mincemeat. Sweet, savory, boozy. Intense. It’s how bits [...]

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november challenge. curing.

October 15, 2011
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The eleventh challenge. We’re almost through the Year of Meat and a trip to France is so close for one of you. We’ve come a long way. We’ve salted, brined, smoked, ground, stuffed, packed and stretched our way through parts of pork, slabs of beef, flocks of chickens, dozens of ducks and hundreds of feet [...]

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off to gascony

September 16, 2011
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I may be the luckiest person in the world. I am leaving for the airport in just a few hours. Tomorrow, Paris, and a day of crazy SHOPPING at Saint Ouen, Portes des Vanves and the other flea markets and brocantes around Paris. I’ll be on the lookout for terrines and plates and pretty things [...]

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october challenge. stretching.

September 15, 2011
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There are days in the kitchen that kick your butt. Tasks that ask you to stretch your skills. This month, we’ll be experiencing all the terrors and the thrills of the kitchen. We’ll be extending foods to make tasty appetizers. We’ll be lengthening the time we can keep foods edible, safely. You’ll be working hard [...]

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september challenge. packing.

August 15, 2011
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We’ve just returned from a few fantastic days spent floating down the Rhine river valley, and traveling the Routes des Vins d’Alsace. I peered into every charcuterie shop, checked out every butcher. Oh, don’t worry. I did not overlook the vegetables. Or the cheeses. Or pastries. I stopped at markets and chatted up the people [...]

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