Bacon Killed the Vegetarian?

If any meat had the power to convert a diehard vegetarian, it’s bacon. I’ve had vegans tell me they still dream of bacon and heard of vegetarians who claim to be "bacontarians." A former vegetarian friend (who I believe was responsible for food gone missing from my plate while I'm in the restroom) places bacon on his list of top favorite smells. It’s allure is quite intoxicating... And with the ever-widening availability of better quality meats that are responsibly raised, is it so wrong to eat meat now? How could you possibly resist? Pork-centric restaurants all over the city are only fanning the flames. Edible Manhattan has an interesting discussion on the matter (click the bottom link for the audio clip). And if you are a proud vegetarian/bacon lover, this is the shirt for you.

update:

New York Press has an article on the same subject of vegetarians succumbing to bacon. One former vegetarian, now rock-star butcher, Tom Mylan says his fight to keep flesh out of his diet just got old and that, “If I wanted to eat bacon, I would eat bacon.” Take that tofu... another win for bacon!

East Meats West: Social

Meatpaper—one of my favorite magazines—is at long last doing a food event on the East coast. Better yet, in Brooklyn! The Bay Area meets (or “meats”) Brooklyn to celebrate indie food magazines and great seasonal food from both coasts. Unfortunately, I already have plans that were made quite a while ago... even meat does not take precedence over good friends. For those of you who are free, you can purchase tickets here. Details are below:

WHAT
EAST MEATS WEST : Social
A launch party for Meatpaper and Diner Journal
Specialty cocktails
Beer & wine
Charcuterie and prepared dishes from west and east
Roasted New York goat
And of course, more meat.

FOOD AND DRINK FROM:
Marlow and Daughters
Nico Monday
Jerome Waag
Taylor Boetticher / Fatted Calf
Ryan Farr / 4505 Meats
Morgan Maki / Bi-Rite Market
Scribe Winery
St. George Spirits
Bols Genever
21st Amendment Brewery
Hudson Valley Whiskey
... and more

WHERE
Enid's
560 Manhattan Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11222

WHEN
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
8pm - 11pm

TICKETS
$50

Super Bacon!

Easting healthy is all about balance... Wait, why am I talking about healthy eating on a bacon blog? Well, it turns out that bacon is really good for you (in moderation of course)! According to Bon Appetite, bacon is #1 on the list of “10 surprising Superfoods.” Jennifer McLagan, author of Fat (which no one has bought for me yet!!!), tells us that nearly half of the fat in bacon is monounsaturated—this fat is oleic acid. I don’t really know what any of that means but it is basically the same kind of fat found in olive oil—the good for you kind of fat!

Also on the list is duck breast, fresh strawberries, and milk—WHOLE milk to be exact (good, because I hate the 1% crap). Eating healthy sounds a lot more delicious...

Illustration by Travis King.

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!!