“In an era of fast and easy food barraging us from page and screen, why is Charcutepalooza such a compelling idea?” he asked by e-mail. “This is a book devoted to animal fat and salt - star bugaboos in American food paranoia; and, as Amazon noted in its review, some recipes take days, even months to complete. And if you don’t do them right, they could even kill you.”

-Charcuterie, by Mark Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn, takes flight in a amazing blogospheric cookalong.