A Simple, Glorious Lunch

Take one slice of good bread such as a Ciabatta or Pugliese and nicely toast it.  Grab it immediately when the toaster pops it up and rub a small clove of garlic over it.  (Rub lightly if you’ve a meeting in the afternoon, rub more heavily if you don’t care who your breath offends for the next few hours.)  Sprinkle a tiny bit of sea salt over the bread (sea salt, I said! Not that Morton’s garbage.), then drizzle lightly with a bit of top-notch olive oil.  Plop a slice of salami or proscuitto over the still-hot bread and wait a moment for the bread’s heat to warm the meat and release the wonderful aromas.  (And melt the lovely pork fat!)

Devour.

Repeat as necessary.

Late August iteration: replace meat with a slice of vine-ripened tomato from the garden.  Eat in a well-napkined fashion.