John Barlow's Everything But The Squeal: Eating The Whole Hog In Northern Spain. Ahh, where's the crispy pata?

I TREATED myself to a trip down my favorite bookstore and got myself a book because the cover was interesting.

The book is Everything But The Squeal: Eating The Whole Hog In Northern Spain by John Barlow. It's an exploration of all things porcine. The autobiographical account starts out with a family trip—the author, his Spanish wife, and his kid Nico—to a region called Galicia, where pork is a celebrated food component. I'm on to the third chapter, and I'm surprised that there's still no mention of the Philippines yet. Lechon, or roasted pig, is our national dish. Wasn't it the travel and food writer Anthony Bourdain who said that the best pig can be tasted in our country?

This is the first book I've read that deals almost entirely with food. My stomach churns out its juices as I flip the pages. It's like watching a good food TV show, but so much better. I'm excited how John Barlow's food adventure with pork turns out.

Meanwhile who wants to eat pork chop with me?