So, I am past the halfway point. I swear that my mouth has healed. Honest. I feel like I could take down three bags of potato chips and a bag of popcorn (extra butter). Alas, on doctor’s orders, that’s a little over a month away.
But it doesn’t mean that I can’t go large while I wait out the second half of the soft-food mandate. This week, I stopped in at La Prosciutteria, which is best described as a… sit-down deli? It’s a great space, with lots of light coming in from the corner of 109th Street and 105th Avenue. In the middle is a deli counter, worked by staff in old-school green aprons. There are shelves filled with pasta, sauces and oils imported from Italy. But, if you choose to sit down, there’s a selection of charcuterie boards, sandwiches, wine, cocktails and Scotches on the menu. And olive bowls — I am not going to forget the olive bowls, because they are important.
Charcuterie trays are usually meant for sharing, but it’s OK to be totally selfish and order one off the menu just for yourself. That’s what I did, and I make no apologies for it. There’s a lot to choose from, different styles of cold cuts, cheeses, breads and accompaniments. I eventually decided to go with the Puglia a plate of Capocollo salami and Burrata cheese, with a large dose of olive oil and a smattering of microgreens. It’s served with some soft Italian bread and, of course, I ordered some olives on the side, because charcuterie without olives is like a summer day without the sun. (Note to the doctor, I am an expert at not biting into the pits.)
It’s a rich meal, for sure. I use the salami as a salty blanket over the burrata, which spreads as easily as butter. Take a bite, of the cheese and salami, chase it with an olive. Repeat. Salt, a kiss of sweetness and then a wonderful dose of silky cheese. Who needs to cook anything when you have cured meats on hand? Charcuterie as a meal, what a concept. And long may it continue.
