Aw, shucks.

So, I don't know if you guys know Jessi Langsen, but you should. She's pretty awesome. Luckily, you can find her in several places out here on the interwebs - she has a Tumblr, a blog, and a Twitter feed. She is, in a word, joyful. Joyful about life, about food, about Chicago (her adopted hometown) - you name it.

So, why, you might be asking, do I have a picture of salami if I'm talking about Jessi? Well, friends, she very, very kindly sent me a little present the other day: two gorgeous links of Creminelli salami (The Americano and the Musica, both of which I am passionately in love with.).

The Americano is made with Berkshire pork and flavored with ginger and cinnamon - the perfect thing for fall. The Musica has a stronger flavor, likely thanks to what I've discovered is the secret ingredient: pork liver! Both are utterly luscious, with just the right balance of fat, meat, spice and salt. Seriously. I had to stop myself from eating both links whole.

I served myself a little breakfast feast of Jessi's gift, along with a dollop of maple butter and a dish of Dijon mustard (I favor Maille for its clean, wine-y flavor.). I spread a teeny bit of the butter and a smudge of the mustard on little slices of sourdough, then topped with individual slices of salami.

Pure, porky heaven. Thanks, Jessi!