Shopping Cart: Parmacotto Brand Salumi and Skups

-- Balducci's stores in the Washington area now carry Italy's artisanal Parmacotto brand salumi at the deli counter. The truffled ham ($18.99 per pound) is brined and lightly steamed Parma ham that has been infused with truffles and herbs, giving it a subtle vegetal flavor; the prosciutto di Parma ($22.99 per pound) has been aged for 18 months and is rich and perfectly salty; and the roasted pork loin ($15.99 per pound) makes a succulent hors d'oeuvre or sandwich. (A pound sliced thinly should yield enough for about five sandwiches.).

-- We're big fans of labeling foods on buffet tables. Skups (pronounced "scoops") ceramic serving tools put the answer to "What's this?" right on the handle. The small scoops are built to hang on the rim of a bowl. Dry-erase markers, permanent magic markers and china/laundry pencils can be used and wiped clean; Skups are dishwasher-safe and come in white or brown. $19.95 for a set of six; available at Rooms With a View, 1661 Wisconsin Ave. NW, 202-625-0610; by phone at 678-467-4776; at http://www.placetile.com; and through various retailers listed at that Web site.