Joo Know Joo Love It

Today the baconista has been mentioned on my friend Seong’s blog What Joo Say? which is (oddly enough) about fitness! Bacon and fitness, hmm... But if you are trying to get in shape he has tons of great tips to counter any bacon overindulgence. And I love that he encourages indulgence (every once in a while) on what he calls CMD. I've often joined him on his Cheat Meal Day (although that's pretty much every day for me) at our usual spot, Won Jo. And yes, he does eat bacon—extra thick, super fatty bacon! And still he manages to keep in serious shape. There is hope for us all!

Fancy Bacon Pops

No, not the maple lollipops with bacon chunks—these are bacon and cheese. One of my favorite combinations! Skip the burger, baked potato, sandwich... whatever it is that you usually use as a vehicle for bacon and cheese. These lovely pops from thekitchn.com are a decadent mixture of goat cheese and cream cheese rolled in crispy, crumbled bacon beautifully served on apple slices! I know some of you are not big goat cheese fans but I'm sure you can substitute with some other kind of cheese. And as a true baconista, the “Extra-bacon option” would actually be a requirement.

Thank you Gristle!

The Greenest Meat

This may be a teeny bit late for Earth Day—but now every day is Earth Day for pork lovers! According to Slate, studies show that pig meat is greener than beef and other red meats. Although I do love a good steak... cows expel a bunch of methane when they belch or fart (the stinkers) whereas pigs do not. Pigs also reproduce more efficiently—cows & sheep give birth to maybe one little calf or baby lamb a year. Pigs on the other hand can have 20 to 30 little piglets. They also take less time (and less feed) to reach their market weight. 

So go ahead and indulge in all your favorite pork products—especially bacon! Organic, humanely raised, nitrate-free bacon of course.

Flaming Bacon

Smoked meat anyone?

What compels one to decide to create such a random thing? It’s a waste of delicious (& not exactly cheap!) prosciutto if you ask me... 

Swine Flu

Reading the Daily News over a fellow straphanger’s shoulder, I read a bit about this crazy outbreak of swine flu. I tend to believe these things can get over-sensationalized but it’s good to be informed. One of the questions in the Q&A portion I found particularly amusing: 

Q: Should I stop eating bacon?
A: No. You cannot get the flu from eating pork products of any kind.

Review: Punch

Brunch at Punch on Broadway between 20th & 21st in the Flatiron District.

Smoked bacon:

Bacon Cures Hangovers

In college, the preferred food option (for those dwelling in SVA’s GW dorms) after a night out was MT Deli’s bacon, egg & cheese on a roll. Even to this day I still crave a bacon, egg & cheese—but on a croissant and usually from John’s Bakery—whenever I’ve had a bit too much the night before. But that rarely happens...

Now it has been scientifically proven that bacon cures hang overs! Food in general helps to speed up you metabolism which helps your body deal with the after-affects of boozing it up. But bacon, more specifically, is full of protein which breaks down into amino acids. Getting wasted depletes neurotransmitters but bacon’s high level of aminos tops these up, giving you a clearer head. Research shows that even the simple smell of bacon cooking is a comfort to all of us alcoholics. 

The weekend is here. It will be a sunny 83° tomorrow (in NYC)—which means barbecues, picnics, and outdoor cocktails. So drink up! Bacon will be waiting for you Sunday morning (or afternoon...)

Bacontrepreneurs

The boys behind Bacon Salt have transformed their business from what began as a joke into serious success. In an interview on ABC News they claim the bacon biz is recession-proof. With the popularity of Bacon Salt and Baconnaise (which I’ve never blogged about because I hate mayo), they have recently expanded their line of bacon products to include Bacon Lip Balm. People have been purchasing them by the dozen and “love the feeling of bacon fat on their lips.” Hmmm... Yes, I do enjoy bacon fat on my lips—from REAL bacon! I think I’ll stick with my Burt’s Bees, thanks. 

Up next for J&D? Bacon-scented body spray, suntan lotion (now you too can sizzle!), and soap. I personally don’t use any scented body products—not even pretty-smelling ones from the company I work for. But who knows... perhaps J&D skin care could reach BK Flame status. It’s amazing what clever marketing can do for a novelty product.

Thanks to Karen for the link!

Review: RUB BBQ

Dinner at RUB on 23rd between 7th & 8th in Chelsea.

BBQ bacon chunks:

Note: Although tasty, the portion was ridiculously small for the price.

Ladies Love the Meat

There’s a misconception that bacon lovers (or meat lovers in general) are all a bunch of male fatties. I chose the name “baconista” specifically because it sounds very feminine. The Daily Beast has a great article that describes the relationship between women and meat. 

“Still, the old notion that meat is masculine remains internalized for many women. We suffer the tyranny of veggie plates when we’re hankering for something with charbroiled substance.”

I definitely do not suffer from that notion. I may be a mere 5' tall, 92 lb. chick but yes, it’s usually me who will order the steak and eggs AND a side of bacon (so please don’t set it in front of my male dining companion).

Meatpaper: The Pig Issue

Issue 7 is out now!! Run out and get your copy today! Meatpaper is a fantastic magazine devoted to art and ideas about meat—and the latest issue is all about our favorite subject here in baconista land: the pig! According to Gothamist, there's an article on a new medical treatment called Bacon Therapy, a profile on Allen Benton of Benton’s Bacon (of PDT fame and highly recommended by Mr. Cutlets himself), and a comparison piece on vegan bacon (is that even necessary??).

I love that the editors of this meaty mag (Sasha Wizansky & Amy Standen) are both skinny gals. I have a feeling that if it were run by two slovenly dudes it wouldn't be nearly as tasty. Kudos on the very elegant aesthetic, ladies! I want that Meatpaper tote!

Thanks to Gristle for bringing this to my attention!!

Bacon Wrapped. Deep Fried.

Paula can be annoying at times but her recipes are NEVER disappointing. I want to go to to Savannah just to eat at Lady & Sons!

I believe this is based on a recipe from Stuff Magazine. It looks gross but if you use the right dogs and good cheese (NOT spray cheese!) I bet it's pretty damn tasty!!

More deep-fried, bacon wrapped goodness:

Deep-fried Bacon Wrapped Chicken Cubes

Deep-fried Bacon Wrapped Oysters

Bacon Wrapped Mushroom & Feta Cheese Stuffed Deep-fried Chicken

Deep-fried Bacon Wrapped Banana

Pig Brother

Piggy, Lilly, Pauli and Fredi are the stars of Australia’s latest reality show “Pig Brother” which will be promoting the town of Helfenberg’s 3rd annual bacon festival, the Speck Spectacle. For the next 6 weeks, the piglets’ lives will be filmed non-stop and broadcasted on the internet. Viewers can vote for their favorites... but don't get too attached! Hopefully the reality stars don’t end up as speck!

Review: Bonnie’s Grill

Dinner at Bonnie’s on 5th Ave & 1st in Park Slope.

Kobe beef gorgonzola stuffed burger with bacon:

NOTE: This burger is not part of the regular menu.

Review: Char No.4

Brunch at Char No.4 on Smith between Baltic & Warren in Carroll Gardens.

House smoked bacon:

Cheesy bacon grits (fantastic with their buttermilk biscuits) :

Pork for a Cause

According to Gothamist, upcoming pork events are going to benefit such worthy causes as Just Food and Kamay at Puso. Park Slope’s Pork Off will benefit the latter—an organization dedicated to helping toxic waste victims in the Philippines. A far better reason than just to get a bunch of annoying hipsters to drink at your awful bar (a la the Bacon Takedown). As much as I’d love to partake in the pork, I’ll be out of town that day to see my father before his annual trip to the Philippines. Maybe he can start a Pinoy Pork Off! They do love the pig over there... I'm thinking the dishes would be quite different than Brooklyn’s offerings. Some ideas for you Pork Off competitors:

Pork adobo

Lechon

Dinuguan

Crispy Pata

Lumpia

Chasing Bacon

I love pork too, Wolf.

Sex and Fast Food

We all know sex sells. So what could possibly make bacon sexier? I think it’s pretty damn alluring on it’s own... but Carl’s Jr. (who caused one woman to call 911 to enforce her bacon cheeseburger) has Top Chef’s Padma Lakshmi to make their Western Bacon Thickburger even more appealing. I haven’t seen the ads as there are no Carl’s in the NYC area. According to an LA Times article, Lakshmi is practically fucking the burger. Hot woman + hot burger? I can see how men can enjoy this. Is it objectifying women & sexualizing fast food? I personally think it's awesome to see a sexy, slim woman eating a greasy, bacon-laden burger. It’s certainly a change from the baconistic commercials we’re used to seeing. I often lust after the most unhealthy of food choices (and then proceed to eat them). However, I doubt I’ll ever have the desire to eat a fast food burger—no matter how sexy it is.

Bacon Ettiquette

Kansas City Star’s Dear Abby fills us in on the proper way to eat bacon:

DEAR ABBY: What is the proper way to eat bacon in a restaurant? — Mother Knows Best

DEAR MOTHER: It depends upon how you like your bacon cooked. According to Emily Post, bacon can be eaten as a finger food “when it is dry, crisp and served whole. If the bacon is broken into bits, served in thick slices (as with Canadian bacon) or limp, eat it with knife and fork as you would any other meat.”

I’d rather not order bacon that requires a fork and knife to eat—except in the case of Applewood’s delicious thick cut bacon.

Happy Easter!

A whole new take on bacon & eggs. 

Thanks to in love with the risk and DirtyBlonde for sending pics from SF’s Bacon Camp.

Beautiful BLTs

Make your next BLT extra special. Via whatever-the-weather. 

(Ooo... this toast would be perfect on a breakfast plate with Mr. Singh’s Bangras!)

Brooklyn Fare Brings Home the Bacon

New independent grocery store Brooklyn Fare opens on April 22nd. Located on 200 Schermerhorn in Downtown Brooklyn, the gourmet market promises “everyday items at everyday prices” as well as a large selection of beers, cheeses, and prepared foods. Pete LaCock informed me they will also offer local deliveries in a van that bacon-lovers are sure to welcome. Read more about BF here.

No Pretty Pork Sausage

Mr. Singh’s Bangras are gourmet sausages branded with a henna-pattern. They're almost too pretty to eat and would be sure to impress at a dinner party—served with bacon flavored toothpicks perhaps? Too bad pork isn’t commonly used in Indian cooking (bangras are either lamb or mutton)... I would love to serve up some pretty pork sausages.

Taste Testing

Due to my pamphagous desire to explore all things bacon, I ventured into the world of bacon flavoured snacks. That’s flavoured with a “u” because these were all acquired by Charlotte on her trip to London. Now that my fingers are stained with the scent of artificial bacon, here are my findings...

I first heard of Walkers Smoky Bacon Flavour Potato Crisps from my friend Khary who claims that they do taste a lot like bacon. The texture is exactly like a Lay’s potato chip and while they do have a meat-tinged flavor to it, I'm not sure I’d call it bacon-y. When you open the bag it almost smells like BBQ flavor—they definitely have a smokey smell and taste.

Smiths Bacon Flavour Fries were actually pretty tasty—probably my favorite of the bunch. They are perfectly salty with a hint of sweet bacon. They even look a bit like bacon...

Wheat Crunchies Crispy Bacon Flavour Crunchy Wheaty Tubes look kind of scary... Resembling something like a dog treat, I expected them to have a fairly meaty flavor. They were indeed crunchy and wheaty (as the name suggests) but the flavor was rather bland and didn't come close to tasting like bacon.

Red Mill Bacon Streaks Cereal Snacks have an interesting texture—kind of light and airy but sort of saturated with oil at the same time. These had the most bacon-like flavor... but I can’t say that I really enjoyed them. 

In conclusion: I prefer the real thing.

Bacon “Flavour”

I thought America could not be beat in it’s bacon-obsession. So why is it that the UK has such a variety of bacon flavored snacks not available here in the states? My friend & fellow pork lover Charlotte recently made a trip to London. She was kind enough to bring me back a plethora of crisps, crunchies and cereal snacks—all with that “extra crunchy bacon taste.” I should mention I was given these snacks with a warning... but I'm not afraid (well, maybe a little). Stay tuned for the results of my bacon snack tasting.

Thanks again to Charlotte for going on a mini-mission to help support my research!

I♥Bacon

Not to be confused with my dedicated bacon photographer & baconista follower.

I ♥ Bacon necklace by Lady Spleen via Skulls & Bacon. Thanks to Rosa for the link!

Review: Bridge Street Cafe

Lunch from Bridge Street Cafe in Irvington, NY.

Pork with bacon braised cabbage:

NOTE: I do not like cabbage. Although... the addition of bacon did make it more tolerable.

Bacon in the Bathroom

Hahaha... Photo by jsotelo via Flickr. (Click to enlarge)

“Is your breadmeat lackluster?”

For only $7.99 you can have your very own bottle of Squeez Bacon! Each bottle contains 16 servings—that’s like 64 slices of bacon! Scary part: a 12 year shelf life, no refrigeration needed. But hey... even bacon is made better with a squirt of Squeez Bacon.