About this item

For lovers of all things dry cured, award-winning chef, owner of Charlito's Cocina, and creator of charcuterie Charles Wekselbaum has written an unconventional entry-level guide to the process. Drawing on his Cuban-Jewish background and inspired by flavors from Asia to Italy, "Charlito" includes recipes for pork and beef salami, dry-cured whole muscles like prosciutto and bresaola, and more unusual seafood and vegan options made from salmon, tuna, figs, cucumbers, and more. He provides instructions for easily constructing your drying and fermentation chamber, putting together the perfect charcuterie board, pairing wines and beers with the finished product, and recipes to implement your favorite dry-cured ingredients. With information on everything from sourcing your materials through plating your dish, home chefs of all levels can enjoy their own dry-cured delicacies without being intimidated.



About the Author

Charles Wekselbaum

If someone told me as a kid that I would grow up to make salami for a living, it likely would have gone in one ear and out there other. I was not raised in a salami making family, nor do I think anyone in my family would have known where to start had the task presented itself. There are no old family recipes for these foods in my family, nor guarded family techniques that have been passed down through our generations. The tradition I come from is one of entrepreneurs. Both my Mother and Father are entrepreneurs, as were both of my grandfathers, and great grandfather's (well, one was a rabbi, which I guess counts) . The tradition I come from is one that teaches, "if you want to know something, and don't, go learn it. The best way of starting is just to start."

One could make the argument that Charlito's Cocina is the ultimate amalgamation of a mixed up kid from New York, the product of a Jewish Father from Cuba and a Mother from New York, whose identity was simmered and spooned out of a melting pot. Through a series of unforeseen twists and turns, ebbs and flows, my life, my work, and my belief in them are living, breathing illustrations of the maxim, "life is what happens when you're busy making plans."

I've written on the side of whatever it is I've been doing for the better part of the past 20 years. Writing has been a therapy, a way to pass the time, a foundation for friendships, and, in some cases, a life saver. While I hadn't planned on publishing a book, the idea felt like like a pipe dream to me. That said, if ever the opportunity presented itself, I would certainly jump on it. I am extremely that the opportunity did indeed present itself and, in June of 2016, the pipe dream of publishing a book became a reality.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and, feel free to reach out to me if you'd like at charles@charlitoscocina.com.



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