Bacon Photography

A search of the keyword "bacon" on flickr.com produces 16,950+ results that range from photos of bacon sandwiches to bacon-wrapped-just-about-anything to pigs to an elevator with walls that look like bacon to clouds that someone thought looked like bacon to a kookaburra bird eating bacon to bacon grafitti to "bacon dispensers" (pictured here - "Press Button, Receive Bacon, Enjoy Bacon"). Thanks to flickr, I'll never again be able to look at a hand dryer with a straight face.

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Baaah-con

Earlier this evening I dined at Equinox Restaurant in Washington, DC with a colleague who is a regular patron there. This popular establishment located just down the street from the White House is known for its top notch mid-Atlantic cuisine.

We had a delightful 6 (ok, really 8) course meal. All of the courses were delicious, but the bacon blog-worthy course was the unexpected treat served to us by Chef de Cuisine Ethan McKee (Executive Chef Todd Gray was on vacation this week). That treat was lamb bacon.

I have to admit, I've never heard of anyone making bacon from lamb before, so I was definitely intrigued. But it was actually quite good. The bacon was cut from lamb underbelly and cured to give it that delicious salty 'bacon' taste. I likened the texture to corned beef, which probably seems kind of weird but there was just something about it texture-wise (not the way it tasted) that reminded me of corned beef. My dining companion thought it was similar to pancetta. His comparison is probably more accurate. Either way it was delicious. And for those who don't eat pork bacon for religious or other reasons, it's another way to enjoy the 'candy of meats.'

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'Meat up' those vegetables, people!

Meat is quickly catching up to ketchup and mayonnaise as a popular condiment.

"By 2015, our researchers predict bacon alone will supplant condiments as diverse as mustard and Worcestershire sauce," (Agriculture Secretary Mike) Johanns said. "Crumbled 'bacon bits' are a classic addition to salads, and in recent years, slabs of bacon are increasingly used to wrap vegetables, fruits, and seafood. Adding bacon as a topping to cheeseburgers is old news, but now we are seeing bacon-topped meatloaf, bacon-covered chicken wings, and deep-fried, bacon-wrapped bacon sprinkled on pork chops."

Click here for more of this story from The Onion.

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Mozzarella BLT

I stumbled across the following recipe for "Bart's Ultimate BLT" in Sunset Magazine this month, and we decided to give it a shot yesterday for lunch. The addition of mozzarella to a BLT was different and quite good. I've also long been a fan of using arugula for the "L" in BLTs. And there's nothing like a big, juicy heirloom tomato to amplify the "T" part of the sandwich. So all around, Bart's Ultimate BLT is a deliciously enhanced version of a great summertime sandwich.

By the way, we were having a lazy day at the pool yesterday and didn't feel like making the basil aioli, but substituting it with mayonnaise was just as good.

Bart's Ultimate BLT
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Makes: 1 sandwich

- 2 1/4-to 1/2-inch thick slices of artisan levain or sourdough bread
- 2 tablespoons basil aioli (recipe follows)
- 3 pieces applewood-smoked thick-cut bacon, cooked (hickory-smoked bacon is also good)
- 1 ripe medium tomato, sliced
- 1/3 cup loosely packed arugula leaves
- 2 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
- salt and pepper

Spread one side of each piece of bread with basil aioli. Stack one piece with bacon, tomato slices, arugula leaves, and fresh mozzarella slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with second slice of aioli-laden bread. Eat with gusto.


Basil Aioli
Prep and cook time: 30 minutes
Makes: 1 cup
Notes: If you are concerned about salmonella or bacteria in raw eggs, use 1/2 cup pasteurized whole eggs in place of the egg yolks.

- 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon each dried mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Dunk basil leaves into the boiling water for 20 seconds. Drain and squeeze out as much excess water as possible.

In a blender, whirl blanched basil leaves with olive and canola oils. Empty into a measuring cup or small pitcher and reserve.

In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, garlic, mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Whisk in a drop of the basil oil; continue adding drops of oil, whisking until mixture thickens to a mayonnaise-like consistency. Continuing to whisk, pour in remaining basil oil in a very thin stream. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

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Baconvision: DG Pizza

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Baconvision: Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

Here's another video from Chef Hill of David Greggory RestauLounge - bacon wrapped shrimp.

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An Extra Special Baconvision: Chef Hill's Tempura Bacon

Earlier this summer, Chef Greggory Hill of David Greggory RestauLounge in Washington, DC taped a series of videos to promote his bacon dinners and happy hours.

Featured here is the video about Tempura Bacon. Which, if you haven't been to David Greggory, is a sinfully amazing dish. And look out for the guest appearance from yours truly!

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Passion of the Bacon

Some guy in Ohio claims to see an image of Jesus in the grease stains on the back of this notepad that was used to hold bacon. And now you've got a chance to purchase this "miracle" on eBay.

I've got a few questions.

1. What in the hell was he doing holding bacon on the back of a notepad?

2. Does this really qualify for the "Collectibles > Religions, Spirituality > Christianity" category on eBay?

3. $50 starting bid? Seriously? He'd be better off following in the footsteps of the Miracle Tortilla if he's serious about making money from this discovery.

And by the way, thanks GoldenPalace.com for encouraging this kind of activity on eBay...it's nothing if not entertaining.

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A Faithful BLT

While touring Yellowstone National Park recently, a friend and I stopped for lunch at the Snow Lodge near Old Faithful. One of the items on the menu was a Smoked Wild Alaska Salmon BLT. Of course that is what I ordered. And it is quite possibly the only thing in Yellowstone hotter than the geysers. It was delicious, but the wasabi mayonnaise was a bit overwhelming. I would probably substitute the wasabi mayonnaise with normal mayonnaise next time myself. So I would recommend this sandwich if you ever find yourself in Yellowstone, but consider yourself warned!

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Safeway's "Great Meat Sale"...Not So Great.

Due to a one-time experience with Safeway grocery delivery a couple years ago, I now receive e-mail advertisements from them. I usually ignore them - to the point that I don't even realize when I'm deleting them anymore. However, today I received one that stood out from others I've received in the past - the subject line was "The Great Meat Sale." My first thought was - cool, I wonder what bacon products they've got on sale? So I clicked on the link to the page on the Safeway website for this so-called "Great Meat Sale" and started scrolling through the 64 featured items. It is an impressive list - New York strips, numerous forms of chicken breast, lamb chops, ground beef, pork loin, pot roast, ribs, cornish game hens, franks, Italian sausage, brats, and on and on. HOWEVER, there was NOT A SINGLE bacon item listed. Explain to me, Mr. Safeway, how you can have such an extensive sale on meats, label it as though it is the greatest meat sale ever, and there is no bacon involved?!? Totally unsubscribing right now...

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