It's Jamon! It's Jamon! Dear God, It's Jamon!

If you were a fly on my wall this morning, that is all you would hear coming out of my mouth as I twirl around and around and around, clasping today's Good Eating section of the Chicago Tribune close to my heart.

It's Jamon, people. Jamon has come to Chicago.

THE Jamon.

Jamon Iberico.

(Excuse me while I bust a move....uh huh, uh huh, watch me get down, watch me get down...)

Okay, yeah, it tops out at $113/pound, but what price Heaven, people? What price Heaven?

Before you go thinking I have either wayyyy too much money (Please don't make me laugh while I drink my tea, I hate when scalding liquid comes out of my nose) it isn't that I can actually go buy some today (although I do see it is in a very close suburb and there is a certain Rishi with a certain birthday Friday...shoot, now I think I have to go, and you don't need a pound...just maybe 4 paper thin slices...not more than 6...really), it's just the fact that it's here. Just the potential of it all makes me high.

Quick digression, I still wonder what impression we must have made on Monique's boyfriend during our little "It's so cute they are growing up now" dinner party before they headed back to college that made him say to her, "They totally get high every day, don't they?  Like every day."  As perhaps one of six 45 year olds who honestly has never smoked pot everrrr, I can only imagine how I would come across if I actually did.  But back to my story...

So, how do I know this jamon, you ask? What has been the nature of our relationship?

Blame it on this girl, who lives in the land of the special acorn trees (pictured above) where these boars feast. She is the one who introduced Scott and I to this absolute marvel. (And he was smitten with her as you can plainly see, even BEFORE the jamon.)

It literally melts in your mouth.  Dark, earthy, sensual...No, not their passion! The JAMON people.

Focus!

It's JAMON!!!

Let's just say, if Johnny Depp, Eddie Vedder and Patrick Sharp (who I am so not in love with no matter what Scott and Michael say) and a thin slice of jamon with a piece of crusty rustic bread and exquisite olive oil were all lined up I'm totally going for the jamon...totally.

Although...

Michael, did Patrick really score that shoot out against Nashville for ME?!  No way. You're lying. Did he say that? What did he say? You have to tell me what he said.  Call me!

Comments

[erin]

Oh I meant to tell you that. A Spanish company (the first) just got the okey dokey to import jamón, thanks to my favorite Spanish chef, who owns a pile of restaurants in Washington where he wanted to serve ibérico.
And the company, the only one, that won the okay to import it's jamón is Fermín. Of La Alberca. :)
The town was as excited about your eating it soon as you are, when I was there at New Year's.
:)

[Laura Young]

Oh I meant to tell you?????
Oh I meant to telllll youuuuuu????
Don't even speak to me right now.
Oh La Alberca....
Oh now you have me thinking about morcilla...

[Di]

Morcilla?
Please, are you talking of Salamanca's blood sausage?
I hope not but too late, I remembered tapas bars there and ... oh you two made me laugh when I came here to comment.

I even forgot what I was going to say except ... who is the gorgeous little blonde there in the pic :)

[Laura Young]

Yes, the blood sausage. How an 18 year vegetarian could eventually come to such a place, I cannot say...

[erin]

Why, yes, who IS that little (bless you for that adjective, Di) blonde? I know someone who looks like her, except much thinner and oddly serene, after taking a long walk. Hmmm.

[Kate]

OK, I was coming up this weekend for jamon, but I got an email from Erin. It's MUCH cheaper in Spain, so I'm going THERE!
...but blood sausage, now, I don't know...
:)

[Nancy V-B]

WOO HOO! I'VE GOT DIBBS ON JOHNNY DEPP WHILE YOU'RE JAMON-ING!!!!!