hey, guys - thanks for the kind words - i'll be sure to keep you posted on progress ~
ahron - if you get the chance, give this a try - it's a great way to get in touch with your roots, i'd say. it doesn't need to be made with deer only - it can be made with pretty much any meat - in fact, pastrama made from goose is quite popular in romania.
an important note of clarification: this is NOT pastrami! pastramă and pastrami are related, but there are some subtle, yet fundamental differences. there is a some background on this traditional romanian specialty available, but no need to review it here in this posting. anyone interested can click here to learn more information:
http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/traditional-romanian-pastram_topic283.html