When Fatted Calf, our newest San Francisco retail charcuterie, tweeted their recent sandwich special, I knew I had to try it. Headcheese, ham, butter lettuce and pickled turnips filled a crusty baguette that was liberally spread with garlic butter. More

Head cheese, also known as aspic, is popular throughout Europe. Just to clear things up before we move any further: it does not actually contain any cheese. Head cheese belongs to a family of dishes where prime quality meats from the head of a pig or calf (seafood, lamb, and poultry can also be used) are preserved into a jelly made from cooled stock that's been turned into gelatin. More

Here's "Granpa's": 1 hog's head 1 hog's tongue salt and pepper sage or chili powder Clean and scrape hog's head and wash thoroughly. Wash and trim tongue. Cover head and tongue with slightly salted water and simmer until meat falls from the bone. Drain meat, shred, and season. Pack tightly in bowl, cover, and weigh it down. Let stand 3 days in a cold place. Slice. Makes 6-8 pounds. The site also has recipes for scrambled brains, cheddar coffee ("when the coffee is gone, slurp the glob of melted cheese", and a "banana worm bread" that calls for 1/4 cup of dry-roasted army nuts. At last, some hors d'oeuvres ideas for my next book club meeting...... More