Made At Home: Curing & Smoking

Hand-crafted food is a major new lifestyle trend.

Curing and smoking are two of the best ways to preserve and enjoy meat, fish and even dairy products. From salami and ham to bresaola and smoked salmon, cured meat and fish can be expensive to buy and cook with, and often the quality is questionable. So take control and do it yourself. Nothing could be better than sitting down to dine on luxury made at home grub. With very little effort, you can create your own cures, hot and cold smoke with wood chippings and even smoke delicate meats and seafood on your stovetop with scented teas and rice.

Whether you're an urbanite or country lover, it's easy to have a go at the Good Life. With a how-to guide on every technique featuring step-by-step, practical instruction, tips and advice, and dozens of delicious recipes to inspire you, you'll be making your own salt beef, dry-cured hams, salamis, smoked cheeses, gravadlax and smoked oysters in no time.