Ham

Talking with my grandmother this morning, Betsy and I learned how much she enjoys a good ham. I looked at Betsy with a smile, maybe because her Dad also enjoys a good ham. The question bubbled to the surface, is this a German thing? In Minnesota, ham is a well-respected meal and common at this time of the year. If you go to the liquor store (err, wine shoppe), there are plastic flags mounted on the shelves that state how well this or that wine tastes alongside ham.  It reads, "Good With Ham."

I've been busy carving a western red cedar plank into a sign for the head of my father-in-law's driveway. Finished this evening, a bit late, and rushed to run several errands for our trip. I was surprised and happy to see our Polish market still open after six on a Sunday. I was now looking for ham, thinking how well it may go with our road trip. Like many Polish markets, they have an extensive selection of slicing hams. The other day I bought two kinds, one spiced on the exterior and stuffed through its center with chopped garlic, and the other in the vein of speck -smokey, translucent, thinly sliced, inexpensive, only 8.99 a pound.  Today, they were out of the garlic ham, but I picked up some of the smokey, speckish ham, a cured pork loin, sliced, and another, peppered ham, sliced. I'll bake some bread. We'll have sandwiches by the road.

Tomorrow I pack my computer and the gig is up. Where we stay there is no internet, but at the coffee shop. If I get a post or two in, they will be at Letters, my blog away from home. 

Merry Christmas.