GARLIC SAUSAGE

"L'aglio fa bene allo spiraglio e rafforza il battaglio."

Roughly translated: "Garlic does good all intestine long, and reinforces the ding-dong."

This old Tuscan adage is apropo to this particular way of preparing pork.
Garlic sausage is the simplest thing in the world;
pork meat, sea salt, black pepper and fresh, crushed garlic.
And like all simple things, it is very difficult to get just right, mixing the ingredients together at length by hand, looking for the perfect balance of flavours, a harmony of taste.

Eating salsiccia brings back memories of adolescence, of youth; and sets one dreaming.
It is a flavour that belongs to Tuscany. Many times have I caught myself daydreaming of the salsiccie I ate as a boy, then as a youth, and so on and so on as I got older, sometimes raw, sometimes lightly cooked and served with a bowl of white beans and olive oil, or between two slices of just-baked bread, warm and fragrant from the oven. There are things that go beyond food. They are part of our DNA, and to consume them is to return to our roots.

Give us this day our daily bread, garlic sausages and a glass of red wine, forever and ever. Amen