Beautiful Creatures

The following post's relevance to bacon may not seem immediately obvious, but bear with me for a moment...

My friend Jen's younger brother, Andrew Zuckerman, is an accomplished photographer and film director in NYC. Andrew has just published a beautiful book of photographs called "Creature."

The subjects of the photographs are animals he has photographed against a white background. Some of the animals are exotic, others are relatively common. But all of them are photographed against the white background to focus your eye on the creature and their individual characteristics, rather than the creature's relationship to its surroundings.

From the epilogue:

The images you see in this book are the end product of a journey of discovery and learning how to connect with the soul and essence of all creatures.

...when a subject is stripped from its context, its behavior, rather than its purpose, is all that remains.

These images are an attempt to reveal an underlying consciousness that all living things share.

So...you're wondering which part of this has to do with bacon?

The answer...there is a great photo of a wild boar, which I've given you a preview of here (but I'm not gonna show you any more of the photo because you need to check out his website and take a look at all of the other fantastic photos you will get to see when you purchase a copy of the book!).

Even though I'm a big fan of bacon, the reality is that bacon comes from the humble pig, an animal that is worthy of the kind of respect that Andrew displays for animals in his book.

(And wild boar bacon happens to be one of the best kinds of bacon I've ever eaten - see, I told you I'd bring it back to bacon!)

Anyways, Andrew is a great guy and the book is awesome, so go buy a copy now!

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Interview with James Villas, Author of The Bacon Cookbook

James Villas, renowned author of numerous cookbooks and food-related essays (The Glory of Southern Cooking, Stalking the Green Fairy, Between Bites: Memoirs of a Hungry Hedonist) and former Food and Wine Editor of Town & Country Magazine, recently published a book about the Best Meat Ever.

The Bacon Cookbook is an international guide to bacon that includes over 150 recipes for various ways to enjoy the deliciousness of cured pork belly.

In describing the 43 commonly known varieties of bacon that can be found in 13 different countries, Villas highlights those adaptations that might not be as familiar to the average bacon-loving American such as toucinho ("pig belly that is either dry-cured and smoked or air-cured...produced in northern Portugal from pigs fed chestnuts and potatoes"), bauchspeck ("air-cured, birch-smoked pig belly popular in Switzerland and southwestern Austria"), and lop yuk ("pig belly that is either air-cured with soy sauce, brown sugar, and spices for seven to ten days till mellow and very hard, or cured for four days, then smoked about five hours...used for flavoring numerous Chinese dishes").

The Bacon Cookbook also contains recipes for using all of the bacon varieties described in the beginning of the book (and very helpfully makes suggestions for substitutions when you can't get your hands on those bacons that aren't commonly available in the United States). The recipes range from the familiar (Iceberg Wedges with Bacon, Blue Cheese, and Buttermilk Dressing; Quiche Lorraine; Cobb Salad; and The All-American BLT Sandwich) to the more adventurous and exotic (Bacon, Peanut Butter, and Scallion Canapes; Swedish Open-Faced Mussel and Bacon Sandwiches; Chinese Sweet Rice with Black Mushrooms and Bacon; and - again with the peanut butter - Bacon and Peanut Butter Chocolate Truffles).

Fortunately I was able to get Mr. Villas to take a few moments from his busy schedule to answer a few questions for Bacon Unwrapped.

Question: In your book, you include a pretty extensive list of the various kinds of bacon produced around the world. If you had to pick one favorite bacon variety to sit down and eat right now, which one would it be?

James Villas: Probably English back bacon--a nice chunk of lean with a tail of fat--perfect ratio of lean and fat. Only now is English back bacon starting to appear in our better markets.

Question: Bacon and peanut butter…what do you think it is about the marriage of these two foods that is so appealing?

JV: Perhaps the saltiness of the bacon balanced by the slight sweetness of the peanut butter. Also the contrast in textures--crisp bacon and smooth peanut butter. Even children love this combination.

Question: Of all the recipes in your book, is there one that is a particular favorite of yours – something that you could eat regularly and never get tired of?

JV: Impossible to answer, but I could never get tired of eating Cobb salad, any corn and bacon chowder, quiche Lorraine, and spaghetti carbonara with pancetta.

Question: Have you ever been introduced to a dish with bacon in it that you didn’t think you would like, but were pleasantly surprised?

JV: Yes, Portuguese Egg and Bacon Pudding (or "egg sweet"). My friend Jean Anderson told me about it, I cringed, but when I made it, it turned out to be glorious--and so unusual.

Question: When eating a piece of bacon on its own, which do you prefer – crispy or chewy?

JV: Depends. I think it's a crime to overcook any breakfast bacon and prefer mine slightly soft and chewy. But items like lacquered or glazed bacon and Japanese bacon tempura definitely must be crisp. And, generally, I prefer crisp bacon in my salads, and crisp bacon sprinkled on top of soups.


I'd like to thank James Villas for taking the time to answer my questions. And I urge everyone to go out and buy a copy of The Bacon Cookbook and cook something with bacon for dinner!

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Egg, Bacon, Chips & Beans

Earlier today, while flying to my parent's house for Christmas, I indulged in the brain candy that is Russell Davies' book Egg, Bacon, Chips and Beans (thanks to a friend who gave it to me for Christmas). This book, based on his blog of the same name, is an unapologetic love poem to the British national breakfast, the "fry-up." Davies explores a few dozen of his favorite English cafes where one can get a proper fry-up, and he does it with a great dry, witty sense of humor that is as philosophical as it is entertaining.

There are many, many laugh-out-loud moments in this book. A few of my favorites:

"Bacon is the uber-food, the uhr-food, bacon is the alpha and omega, bacon is quite nice, bacon is proof of the existence of God."

"Bacon drives vegetarians mad. It's the food they always go on about. It's the thing that finally breaks them. Why? Because it's absolutely bloody delicious. And it's not a vegetable. So ha! to all you vegetarians. Your choice may be ethically and nutritionally admirable, but it's tastually inferior."

There is also a brilliant part of the book that compares each of the four components of a Egg, Bacon, Chips & Beans (EBCB) breakfast to the four personalities of the members of the rock group Queen.

This is seriously one of the funniest books I've read in a while, and it would make a great gift for the breakfast-lover in your life. Even if you don't live in the UK, reading Egg, Bacon, Chips and Beans will make you want to immediately go out and find the nearest breakfast joint.

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Pig Perfect

I've been on a reading kick lately at a pace that is somewhat unusual for me, with a particularly unusual focus on books about pork. Despite odd looks from people sitting next to me on planes and from family members who are perplexed about my increasing obsession with all things porcine, I've actually learned quite a bit from the books I've read recently and feel like my knowledge of pork has reached new heights.

But of all the books I've read about pork, "Pig Perfect: Encounters with Remarkable Swine and Some Great Ways to Cook Them" by food critic and "hamthropologist" Peter Kaminsky is definitely my favorite.

Pig Perfect is the true story of a pork-obsessed man's journey to discover the best cut of pork, to learn more about the history of civilization's connection to pigs, to understand why pork is taboo in some cultures and religions, and to save the last of the Spanish pigs that roam wild in the United States. And while I already consider myself to be a proud carnivore who doesn't feel guilty at all about my position at the top of the food chain, I was moved by his examination of the mutual relationship between humans and pigs in which pigs are just as dependent on humans for existence as humans are dependent on pigs as a food source.

The author's vivid and often humorous writing makes you feel like you're right alongside him experiencing the ritual of a pig slaughter in Spain, searching for Spanish pigs on Ossabaw Island, and sampling cochinita in the Yucatan.

The author gets a bit preachy and political towards the end of the book when he makes his opinion about factory hog farming very clear. But while I may not totally agree with his assessment of the situation or what he would consider to be a reasonable solution, you do have to give the guy credit for being passionate about the subject and doing his own part to change things for what he believes to be the better.

But politics aside, Pig Perfect is a great read regardless of how obsessed you may be with pork or, in my case, bacon. I recommend picking up a copy and experiencing it yourself.

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Pork 101

As I was milling around my mother's kitchen while at home for Thanksgiving this week (where despite the large turkey dinner and subsequent leftovers, I've still somehow managed to consume a respectable amount of bacon over the last couple days - go figure), I came across a book about pork that she's had for ages but I've never bothered to actually pull off the shelf and read.

It's a cookbook that is part of a series that was produced by Time Life Books in 1980. The name of book is The Good Cook: Pork. It is clearly geared towards the average reader - there isn't really any information in the book that any dedicated porcine lover wouldn't already know. However, this is a very good book when it comes to the basics of understanding the history of pork and preparing basic cuts of pork in a variety of ways - it's a great book for the novice chef. And in particular, it includes a few sections on the topic of bacon.

There are also dozens of recipes in the back of the book, a few of which include bacon that sound delicious and I will be experimenting with over the next couple weeks. But in general, The Good Cook: Pork is a good basic reference book for any cook to have on the kitchen shelf.

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The Whole Hog

Earlier this week, on a cross country flight, I immersed myself in Bruce Aidell's 'ode to the pig' - the Complete Book of Pork. This book truly is the bible of all things pork. Aidell thoroughly explores the pig as an intelligent animal, a food source for many cultures over thousands of years, and even a pet and companion. Did you know pigs were amongst the first immigrants to the United States?

After an introduction and historical overview, the book dives right into the art of purchasing and preparing pork for consumption. Aidell starts with the very basics of cooking various cuts of pork and tells you how to adjust the recipes to your own taste.

He then goes into how to buy the best pork for your needs, including a detailed explanation of the various cuts that are commonly available (as well as some suggestions for where to find less common cuts).

The bulk of the rest of the book includes dozens of recipes and covers how to use just about every inch of a pig in the kitchen.

Of course, bacon is not ignored and is prominently featured throughout the book. There is even a section of the book dedicated to the art of preserving pork, including a few recipes for bacon.

Overall, the Complete Book of Pork is a great resource for people just beginning to explore the culinary world of pork, as well as the most knowledgeable porcine expert. Aidell explores the various methods of preparing pork and provides detailed instructions that can have the most novice chef making their own bacon in no time.

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Unwrapped Book Review: "Don't Forget the Bacon"

Don't Forget the Bacon!
by Pat Hutchins

When I found this book on Amazon, I immediately bought several copies to give to all of my friends who have recently had a baby or are about to have a baby. But of course, before giving it to any of them, I had to read and review it myself!

At face value, the book is cute, it's short enough that kids will enjoy it without getting bored, and it's full of goofy words and phrases to entertain. But at the end of the book I was left with only one question...how in the hell did the kid forget the bacon??? I can understand forgetting the eggs, cake and pears...but the bacon??? Clearly he is the product of bad parenting. (SPOILER ALERT) At least they made him go back and get the bacon in the end!

All joking aside, it is a cute book and I will give it to my friend's kids anyways. And hopefully they will learn a valuable lesson from it - DON'T FORGET THE BACON, EVER!!!

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