Only Assembly Required

We had a few out-of-town friends over this past weekend for cocktails and snacks -- for no real reason other than I hadn't seen a bunch of them in a while and because...well, because I felt like it. There were pitchers of pre-made Manhattans (thank you Andy) and a ton of food, but the corner of the spread that I was happiest with was the one you're looking at above, which the astute observer might realize required not a single second of bonafide cooking. Pray tell, is there anything better than a Strict Assembly Job when entertaining? The key, as always, is to make sure that what you are assembling starts with high-quality ingredients, and since I'm lucky enough to live 20 minutes away from Arthur Avenue (the Little Italy of the Bronx), a quick trip provided me with everything I needed. Judging from what was left over -- nothing -- I got the feeling I wasn't the only one who happy with how it turned out.

Here's what you're looking at in case you want to make a go of it yourself: A pound and a half of Prosciutto di Parma; two Italian baguettes (sliced); 1 12-inch (or so) sweet Italian salami; 1 12-inch (or so) hot Italian salami; gherkins (from Trader Joe's, in my opinion the best); whole grain mustard; hot mustard; and pre-assembled prosciutto sandwiches on brioche rolls (inspired by my trip to Miami's Rosetta Bakery last week).