If I Learned to Drive...

I would have to steal this plate. Mmm, indeed. Via Grub Street.

Bacon Exploration

Earlier this year, I asked “Why, NY?” because I could not find and haven’t heard of anywhere in the city that makes bacon doughnuts. NY is filled with prized doughnut shops... the last place I expected to find them is at a fancy midtown restaurant. Atria’s butterscotch doughnuts aren’t your traditional breakfast donuts—which is kind of what I’m looking for—but this dessert looks just fantastic! Described by the Post: “Fresh thyme lends a savory touch to warm butterscotch-filled doughnuts as does smoky bacon ‘powder’ made from bacon drippings, salt and modified tapioca starch.” Yum, that’s what Bacon Salt should be made of!

The Post also has a list of places around the city to indulge in various and delicious forms of bacon. Many of the bacon treats I’ve already tried (PDT, Roni-Sue...) but some I have yet to visit. After Atria, at the top of my list is The Buttermilk Channel in Carroll Gardens for maple & bacon roasted almonds. Then The General Greene in Fort Greene for candied bacon!

Time to plan another night/weekend of research... Who’s coming?! (Obviously not Khary or Eric who couldn’t handle the last bacon exploration.)

Illustration Bacon (part 3)

Bacon Sandwich by Riki Takaoka. Check out his Phood Blog and even order some take out. I guess Riki doesn’t eat bacon that often—or pork really. But I especially like his desserts and amazing black and white drawings.

Coconut Ice Cream

Turkish Coffee

Sushi: Fatty Tuna and Salmon Roe

Thanks to foodie friend Michelle for sending me the link!

Support Pork Week

With the fear of Swine Flu spreading about, one NY TImes blogger has declared this week their own personal Support Pork Week. I urge you to do the same as American pork is being banned in other countries leaving many hog farmers worried about sales. I’m doing my part—I ordered pulled pork for lunch today over my usual favorite meatball dish. Some other fun ways to support pork:  

Show your pig love without getting pig flu. Via inlovewiththerisk.

Sip a Bakon Vodka cocktail from this snout cup. Via what-ever-the-weather.

Or stop by Joe Doe in the East Village for a “Conflicted Jew.”

Bacone

Like an ice cream cone but meatier: a bacon cone filled with scrambled eggs and country gravy topped with a biscuit. Thanks DirtyBlonde for the photo!

Canadian Bacon Flu

On a very last minute business trip to Montreal I felt rather ill. I must have looked pretty awful because everyone was asking me if I had the Swine Flu. The flight attendant said I looked like I was “really hating life right now.” Well, yeah—since we were stuck on a freezing plane for 2 hours before taking off. She was kind enough to move me to some empty seats where I could lay down. Then the woman across the aisle requested to be moved away from me. I guess I don’t blame her... A herd of pigs in Canada caught the virus from a Canadian who recently visited Mexico. But I wasn’t near those pigs! Hell, I don’t even like Canadian bacon.

The hysteria is a bit out of control. Restaurants aren’t serving pork... I had to wear a mask in the doctor’s office waiting room... By the way, my doctor assures me I DO NOT have Swine Flu! (No one believes you just have a teeny cold when you’re a known pig lover during a pig flu epidemic.)

BACN vs. SPAM

I think we all know who wins (as proven in previous fights to the death). This is obvious in the world of meats, but in the world of email this also holds true. “Bacn” (minus the “o”) is better than spam. The very recently coined term refers to all of your middle-class email—the newsletters and updates you signed up for but never actually read. 

For example, I get bacn from my favorite online shoe store, my local wine shop and for events posted on facebook. It’s self-inflicted spam—they flood my inbox and I usually just delete them immediately. But you never know when you'll want to use that 20% off promo code, find out when the next wine tasting is, or attend your FB friend’s next show. So in that way bacn is far superior to spam.

According to NPR, many “dismiss bacn as yet another trendy—and annoying—cyber-term and predict it won't sizzle for long.” I don’t know... people do love bacon. I’m sure email users everywhere will gladly take any opportunity to insert it into their daily dialogue. 

Thanks to Pete LaCock (the only person that could possibly be more tech-challenged than myself) for introducing me to the term.