I’ve been reading “Best Food Writing 2008” on my Kindle. Don’t get me started on how much I love it—especially the iPhone application; it saves my sanity on a daily basis. Anyway, back to the book. The 2008 version has a fair amount of politics and strong-minded ideals between its pages. The essay that really struck me today was one by Sarah DiGregorio, “The Salami Maker Who Fought the Law,” for Gastronomica, about Salumeria Biellese. Longtime readers know that we’re fans of their work; they make some of the best salumi we’ve ever tasted. The article discusses the lengths they were forced to go to get approved by the USDA. It’s a thought-provoking essay that shows old-school methods really do work, although most artisan producers will have a tough time coming up with the funds to prove their methods are safe for human consumption according to government standards. We’re glad that they were able to push their approval through and we only wish it did more to help pave the way for other quality producers.
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