gloomy weather = homemaking ???

I can't really think of any significant cooking, cleaning or building projects I've attempted over the course of the summer. Clearly the great outdoors have been too much of a draw. I guess it's a good thing that this holiday weekend has been pretty overcast, because it's gave me a chance to reacquaint myself with the house. It started in the basement (where I discovered the savaged saw blade) for some cleanup that involved setting up a bike maint. table for my upcoming bike build (more to come) and some picture framing.

Then it was up to the kitchen. Rainy weather just screams out for a hearty chili and cornbread, both of which are in the making for tonight's dinner. But why stop there... anyone can make chili. To up the ante and truly dive back into the kitchen, I decided to break out the Charcuterie cookbook. The result? Duck Prosciutto!
Usually I play pretty fast and loose with seasonings, etc., but for this I decided to keep it simple and follow the instructions. This is preserved meat after all, and it will end up hanging in the basement for a week or so and I don't want to do anything to screw up the taste.
The recipe starts with a salt cure, basically packing duck breasts in salt. The salt draws moisture out of the meat, as well as dehydrating the microbes within the cells, microbes that alloy decay and bacterial growth.
The breasts will cure in the salt pack (in the refrigerator) for 24 hours, and will then be wrapped in cheesecloth and hung in the basement for a week.

Admittedly, the idea for attempting this recipe didn't emerge this weekend. I've been planning on trying it ever since I saw it described on The Paupered Chef. Their blog has inspired several of my cooking adventures, and is well worth following if you have any interest in food.