2012 was a year of abbondanza for Salumeria Italiana -- good products, great customers, and media recognition.  Feb 13, 2012, Andrew Zimmern of Travel Channel featured the North End and especially Salumeria Italiana on Bizarre Foods. Zimmern and a television crew came in the previous August to film his favorite foods. He raved about Coppa di Testa, head cheese filled with all the bits and pieces of pork he loves. He sampled our Olive Antipasto with seven different olive varieties, caper berries, pickled garlic, and sundried tomatoes. And he chatted with owner Gaetano and staff members. Coppa di Testa, usually sought out by older Italians, suddenly became a hot-selling item with customers coming from far and wide to taste what Andrew likes.

Spring 2012 brought an epiphany in super premium extra virgin olive oils. Gaetano read "Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil" by Tom Mueller, about authenticity and fraud in EVOO, and began a hunt for exquisite small-production extra virgin olive oils to offer our customers. 274th Il Novello from Sicily, Colonna Molise DOP from Molise, Le Amantine's Amantino, Taleo and Unico from Lazio, Garda Orientale DOP from the Veneto, and many more were added to our already impressive stock of EVOOs from all over Italy. We feel passionately that the extra virgin olive oil we sell must be the very best. And our customers rely on Salumeria Italiana to tell them about the oils, let them sample, and give them a good value for superior products. 

Many customers are very familiar with our retail store, coming in several times a week for bread, cheeses, meats, and other necessities. Others shop online for the best, but have never visited the store. This summer, a crew from Media Temple, our web host, chose Salumeria Italiana to be profiled in a video. It's a glimpse into the life of the store that everyone from Boston to Los Angeles to Texas to North Dakota can enjoy. http://player.vimeo.com/video/48766445

It's nice to know that taste testers for the Wall Street Journal agree with Salumeria Italiana on our Sweet Soppressata. In a  Dec. 7 Mini-Guide to Salami, our Alps Sweet Soppressata was chosen best in its category. All the salumi sold at Salumeria Italiana is tasted before purchasing to sell at the store, and each shipment is tasted to guarantee consistency. That way customers can feel confident that they are getting the very best product we can find. The article caused a run on Sweet Soppressata; luckily we keep a good supply of it. (And Alps Hot Soppressata is deliciozo, too).

As we say good-by to 2012, we offer hopes for a happy and prosperous 2013 for all !! Buon Anno!!!

Staff member Pietro LoPriore's wife Maria is a talented cook. Here is a light version of Tiramisu she makes for family and friends.

Ingredients

• 1 package Vantia Savoiardi (Italian Ladyfingers)
• 1 pound Polenghi Mascarpone (2 containers)
• 4 large eggs
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 2 cups brewed Illy Dark Roast Ground Espresso
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup brandy or Amaretto
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder

Separate eggs, setting aside whites in a mixing bowl or copper bowl.  In a stand mixer or using a sturdy hand-held mixer, beat egg yolks with sugar for 5-10 minutes until thick and pale yellow. Add mascarpone and mix until creamy. Using a stand mixer or hand-held mixer, whip egg whites until stiff, about 5-6 minutes. Fold into egg-mascarpone mixture. Mix espresso with milk and brandy or Amaretto in a shallow, wide bowl. Dip ladyfingers in the coffee-milk mixture and lay them in a layer in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Spread half the mascarpone-egg mixture over ladyfingers. Sprinkle with cocoa powder. Dip more ladyfingers into the coffee-milk and layer over mascarpone. Cover second layer of ladyfingers with mascarpone mixture. Sprinkle with cocoa. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight before serving.

Tip: Don't dip ladyfingers too much. They should keep their shape in pan.

Recipe by Maria Lo Priore

For Swordfish

ingredients

• 1 1/2 Swordfish (1 inch thick and cut into 4 to 6 serving pieces)
• 1 cup Almond Flour or all-purpose flour
• Sea Salt and Black Pepper
• 2 tablespoons Olio Carli Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tablespoons Delitia Butter of Parma
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 2 lemons (juice and zest) plus extra slices for garnish
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Bomba Calabrese
• 2 tablespoons Capp Ars Capers, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons Italian flat parsley, chopped

For salad

Ingredients

• 1 head escarole (torn into bite-sized pieces)
• 2 tablespoons Badia a Coltibuono Red Wine Vinegar
• 3 Scalia Anchovy Fillets in Olive Oil, chopped into a paste
• 2 tablespoons Badia a Coltibuono Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Sea Salt and Black Pepper

For Swordfish: Place flour, salt and pepper on a plate, and dredge swordfish filets in flour. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over high heat, and cook swordfish in oil, flipping to brown both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove swordfish to a platter covered with paper towel to drain. Add butter, white wine, lemon juice and zest, and Bomba Calabrese to skillet and warm over low heat until butter melts. Add capers and parsley. Season with more salt and pepper if desired. Cook for about 1 minute until flavors combined. Place swordfish filets on warm plates and top with pan sauce. Garnish with lemon slices and rest of parsley. Serve with escarole salad. 

For Salad: Combine anchovies, red wine vinegar, and garlic in a medium bowl. Whisk in olive oil. Toss with escarole leaves. Season with salt and pepper.

Adapted from Mario Batali as seen on ABC's The Chew

Send your questions to contact@salumeriaitaliana.com and the staff at Salumeria will give you their expert advice.