Jamon...you devil you!

Ok so I am coming clean, I have an addiction.

Is that a....yes, my friends it is! A leg of jamon....ok I just weeped.
I had a Carrie Bradshaw moment when I calculated how much I spent last year on Spanish JAMON BELLOTA in NYC. Let's put it this way at $165 a pound, I could of funded small countries.
Yet I say to you, anyone that has tasted this beautiful and wonderous item will tell you "yes, it is worth it's weight in gold." You see in the states this beauty is still a forbidden fruit, there are only a handful of places licensed to sell it. So you can imagine when I moved to the land of this gem, how my eyes twinkled and I danced with pure glee. (ok I'm pretty sure I twitched like a crack whore) anywho...

It's funny because I hate ham, I mean I would rather be run over by a mack truck than eat ham, but I "heart" jamon..jamon bellota to be specific. My friends this masterpiece can never ever be called ham.

My addiction caused me to believe that yes I was a real Spainard and bought the next best thing, a jamon iberica leg(bellota though not as much as stateside, is still expensive here) and a jamonera at the local Carrefour and drag it home.
I walked ahh struggled through the streets with pride. Ready to proclaim to everyone, "why yes, this is my jamon.". It's ok to insert geek jokes here....
What can I say, it was by far one of the best purchases I have made here. I get to feed my addiction anytime I want and most importantly, everytime I walk into the kitchen I feel like I have finally settled in. I have in my own little way become part of this wonderful fabric of life and tradition here.
I will always be American but now I have my slice of Spain as well. 
Buen provecho!