The nights are long, and the days are cold...but, in true
Italian spirit, a holiday, or feast day, is celebrated (all over the Christian world for that matter) on January 17 to
honor the life of St. Anthony the Abbot. He is patron saint of domestic animals, ie: the barnyard...and the father of
the austere life known as monasticism.  The above picture is of a tile in the town of Monteroni in Lecce, way
down in southern Italy.  From the top of the boot to the island it kicks known as Sicily, St. Anthony's Day is a
respite from the rigors of the winter.  It is a time for celebration and feasting, most importantly, on all things
pork.  He is not pictured there with a duck or a chicken...  In her wonderful book, Celebrating Italy,  Carol Field
http://www.amazon.com/Celebrating-Italy-traditions-festivals-sumptuous/dp/0688070930
recounts how children would call la Festa di Sant'Antonio, alternatively called la Festa del Porco, the best day
of the year.  She tells of the orgy (what a word when describing something food related) of eating this day
brings to the time between the harvests, the lean time.  I'm sure an orgy of pork consumption will put some
of you, my dear blogfollowers off...but, then there are the rest of you.....drooling and salivating at the promise
of a day of non-stop pork in all its' incarnations, something every countrys' culture can relate to.  It
may be Italys' Porchetta, Pernil in Puerto Rico, or Kalua Pig Luau in Hawaii, or a North Carolina Pig Roast,  or
the Lechon of the Philippines, pork is king.  It is at the forefront of most non-Muslim and non- Jewish food tra-
ditions with good reason.  Nothing gets wasted.  It can be cured, preserved, freshly cooked, and adapts to
any, literally all techniques of cooking.

Everyone has a favorite pork recipe in their files.  I urge you to get into the spirit of the day. It makes an ordinary
Sunday in January extraordinary.  Start a family tradition of serving that dish on Jan.17 every year.  To be more
authentic, make it an Italian dish, since I am speaking about how this food feast day is celebrated in that
country.  But, be creative.  The last blog post had a pork recipe in it.  Please send me comments on your favorite
pork dishes/recipes. 

Now, enjoy some of my favorite ways to prepare pork!!
 
Penne Rigate with Amatriciana Sauce,  a saute of guanciale
(if available, a cured pork jowl), or Pancetta, onion, San Marzanos, some hot pepper flakes, olive oil...

my Saveur Magazine featured Porchetta, a roast of pork,
rolled with fresh rosemary, fennel seeds, a touch of garlic, olive oil and lots of salt and cracked black pepper.

a view of the Porchetta sliced...stuff that onto a good Italian hero
roll, with shards of Imported Auricchio Provolone, and some Broccoli Rabe sauteed in oil and garlic...

Polpette di Salsiccia e Porcini,  Italian Sausage and Porcini meatballs

 Chili, Cocoa, and Coffee rubbed garlic and spice grilled pork ribs

 Classic American B L T, nothing finer....