Iberico Ham

I recently had the pleasure of tasting Iberico Ham. If you're a big foodie then you've heard of this stuff. It's from Spain, hard to find & exorbitantly expensive. I'm talking $90+ per lb! That's 3-4 X the price of high end Italian prosciutto! Plus, that's the low end version...the type I tried was the high end...$150.00 per lb for ham! Well it's not quite just ham. As a matter of fact it has its own unique texture & taste. Must be the acorns they feed these black footed pigs... The good thing is can buy less the 1/4 lb at Despana & they slice it ultra thin.

Eat it right off the plate (or wax paper as we did) with nothing on it...it needs absolutely nothing. It is incredibly flavorful & buttery. I would highly recommend trying it. For the record...I'm not a Kobe Beef fan...I think it's totally & grossly over-priced & prefer a good Fillet or Sirloin. This stuff on the other hand is worth trying & like nothing you've ever tasted before.

Shark Attack on Long Beach!!!/Shark Week

OK...it wasn't exactly a shark attack, it was a shark sighting on the beach yesterday & the life guards did get everyone out of the water & closed off the area for an hour. What really surprised me was how calmly everyone got out of the water when the Lifeguard yelled "SHARK...get out of the water!!!" My theory is this...neither I or anyone else saw a dorsal fin skimming through the water. I'm fairly sure if people did they would have freaked out & panicked...but since they didn't they just listened to the Lifeguard. Which when you think of it is kinda odd...I mean if you can't see the shark but the lifeguards spotted one isn't that scarier then actually seeing where it is???

Which ties in with it's SHARK WEEK on the Discovery Channel...in HD! I love Shark Week. If you love the ocean watch shark week...it's brutal..but fascinating. Plus...when you understand the ocean & what's in it...if a Lifeguard tells you to get out of the water...for any reason you will listen without question.

Furthermore...kudo's to the Lifeguards working at Long Beach. Those guys & girls do a great job. Aside from the shark the water was rough with a strong pull & some rips. They had areas flagged for where to swim & where not, they got in the water & did a great job of crowd control to make sure no one got pulled out. They almost had to pull a guy in. Maybe the IDIOT listening to his ipod at Rockaway Beach the DAY AFTER SOMEONE DROWNED can sit with these professionals & see how it done.