News
Have Yourself A Refreshing “Bacon On The Rocks” Over At BaconScotch.com
The name says it all, which is precisely what a name is designed to do, so mission accomplished BaconScotch.com, who is just about to officially launch their upcoming website that primarily focuses the vast majority of its creative attention on two specific topics, which I’m pretty sure you might be able to guess what they are.
That’s right “Bacon,” the world’s only perfect food and “Scotch,” which is that delightful distilled drinkable delicacy from the whiskey family, that was originally concocted in a part of Great Britain; that, once again, I’m feeling pretty confident that you could guess if you tried.
So you’ll soon see the “Grand Opening” launch of the website coming to a computer near you, but for now … you can “still” (moonshine pun intended) chime in and take part in all of the good wholesome bacony scotch fun by clicking on over to their increasingly popular blog where you can learn about Chocolate Bacon Bars (The candy … not the booze pouring establishment), Singleton Scotch and Rick Bayless’s (one of our very favorite connoisseur chefs) “Holy Guacamole With Bacon Recipe” along with a wide variety of other items of interest focusing in on … well … you get it!
Here’s what Mr. Andrew Woehr, of BaconScotch.com enthusiastically shared with me today! BaconScotch.com is “A perfect combination! Although we haven’t created a scotch-infused bacon flavor, we’ve built the site. We created “Bacon Scotch” to give both bacon and scotch the spotlight of fame that they deserve.” Andy continued by adding that “BaconScotch.com has assembled a staff of world class bacon loving bloggers who provide general information, recipes, new products announcements, and attends events.”
Andy also asked me to pass on to you all that “Bacon Scotch is always looking for the best and brightest products in both the cured porcine and the distilled spirits fields. Do you produce or sell a product you think we would be interested in? Please contact us here and we will be happy to discuss evaluating your products!”
Well said Andy … Please pour another pint of pork and let’s get this “starty parted!”
Shears!
Baked beans.
Where I hail from, baked beans come in a can (courtesy of Mr. Heinz), are an orangey-red colour due to their coating of tomato sauce, and are essential to a traditional, full English breakfast. I realise now in my maturity that the baked beans that I grew up on may not speak to authenticity in the matter, so I - upstart outsider that I am - decided to seek the truth on Boston baked beans, and provide for you an authentic, original recipe.
I do understand now that I have bitten off more than I can chew, if you will pardon the pun, in the matter of authenticity as it relates to baked beans. It appears that passions can be easily aroused on the subject, and that there are, in fact, almost as many authentic recipes as there are cooks in their country of origin.
The country of origin is, of course, presumed to be America, and the original cooks its original inhabitants, who taught the technique to the migrants/colonists/invaders. It is difficult to sort out the truth from the pretty legend here, and I eagerly await enlightenment from you, dear readers.
The original inhabitants and their early international visitors clearly used the local beans - but pulses have long been a staple in Europe, and migrants/colonists/invaders take their familiar recipes and preferences with them and adapt them as they need to. For the English, pease cooked slowly (with some bacon, if available) were a staple. And what about the French? Did they not adapt their cassoulet when they went to America?
My favourite interpretation of the story of 'American' baked beans (I do hope that it is true) is that the native American method of cooking the native beans was to mix them with bear fat and maple syrup and slow-cook them in earthen or deerskin ‘pots.’ The early Pilgrims did not allow cooking on the Sabbath, so the slow cooking method suited them perfectly as the pot of beans could be left to cook on the back of the stove the previous night, and eaten next day without any further attention.
Next questions. Why the ‘Boston’ connection? And what is specific about ‘Boston’ baked beans? I am bravely entering a mine-field here, folks, so be kind.
The most popular story has it that in the early days, Boston became the centre for rum production, using sugar from the Caribbean. A by-product of the process was molasses, which therefore became the sweetener of choice. So - the early settlers substituted pork for the bear fat, and molasses for the maple syrup, and Voila! Baked beans for breakfast.
The first mention I have found to date specifically for Boston baked beans is in 1800. I feel sure that there are earlier references, and hope that one of you can point me in the direction of a genuine study of the topic. In the meanwhile I give you a recipe which appeared in the Massachusetts Ploughman, in 1847, which was repeated in a number of agricultural journals around the country in that year. An identical recipe was also included in The Improved Housewife: or,Book of Receipts … by Mrs. A.L.Webster, a married lady, published in 1847.
Boston Baked Beans.
The Massachusetts Ploughman gives the following recipe for cooking this famed Yankee dish. We can vouch for its excellence. Take two quarts of middling sized white beans, three pounds of salt pork, and one spoonful of molasses. Pick the beans over carefully, wash and turn about a gallon of soft water to them in a pot; let them soak in it lukewarm over night; set them in the morning where they will boil til the skin is very tender and about to break, adding a teaspoonful of saleratus. Take them up dry, put them in your dish, stir in the molasses, gash the pork and put it down in the dish, so as to have the beans cover all but the upper surface: turn in cold water till the top is just covered; bake and let the beans remain in the oven all night.
[Southern Cultivator, Volumes 6-7, 1847]
Quotation for the Day.
Beans are highly nutritious and satisfying, they can also be delicious if and when properly prepared, and they posses over all vegetables the great advantage of being just as good, if not better, when kept waiting, an advantage in the case of people whose disposition or occupation makes it difficult for them to be punctual at mealtime.
Andre Simon (1877-1970), in The Concise Encyclopedia of Gastronomy (1952)
Fourth grade maybe? (via Jim)
Fourth grade maybe?
(via Jim)
Better Homes Gardens Stops By With Some Great Holiday Recipe News!
For those of you out there, still trying to gauge exactly how HUGE today’s swelling trend of “Baco-Mania” has gotten, let this help you get a clearer picture of exactly how big and important bacon, at least “Gourmet Bacon” has become in our society over the past few years.
Today our good friends over at “Better Homes & Gardens” dropped by to let us know that their new Holiday Menu Suggestions and Holiday Recipes have now officially been posted, so that we can pass the news on to all of you deeply dedicated “Baconistas” or as “B.H.G.” likes to refer to you as, “Baconites,” which is a pretty clever and cool term that I think I’m going to help them spread around the Bacon World as a proud and popular “Badge of Baconism” around the globe.
They also had some nice things to say about our featured recipes, which was very cool of them to take the time to mention … but that’s just the point, isn’t it? Bacon, at least the truly good, premium quality stuff, is now so popular throughout every single strata and niche of our Western Culture, that long standing, traditionalist periodicals that probably wouldn’t have thought to come by and visit even 5 years ago, are stopping by to be quite genuinely friendly and we truly do value and appreciate “B.H.G.s” for being so cool and neighborly!
Truthfully, I believe that this says as much about how much cooler, open minded and universally expanded the new “visionaries” over at “Better Homes & Garden’s” are, in comparison to many of their stodgier, more traditionally set in their “olds days ways,” competitors.
So really I want to offer up a big, sincere “10 Snout Salute” to the very awesome people over at “B.H.G.’s” and recommend that all of you go check out some of their awesome new features, including a LOT of great “Holiday Recipes!”
YES, of course some of these menu items do include the all important bacon and / or pork and others can simply and easily have some delicious bacon added or substituted in for some other less glorious and “Hog Heavenly” protein!
I highly recommend that you go check out the new, delicious menu items featured over at our new, official “Bacon Friendly” buddies website and be sure to get back to us and tell us what you think! As always, were looking forward to hearing your thoughts and sharing this whole “Bacony” experience with our “Baconite” Brethren and Sistren!
Cincy Celebrates Bacon Day With Beggin’ & Top Chef Kevin Gillespie
The good folks over at Purina have dogs all throughout the city of Cincinnati excitedly wagging their tails and licking their chops in anticipation of this years “International Bacon Day, which will be featuring Top Chef finalist and all around favorite “Bacon Freak,” Kevin Gillespie as the official spokesman and “master of ceremonies” for the event.
Tune in later for a fascinating interview that BaconToday.com did with the master Chef and “Baconista” extraordinaire! Kevin Gillespie, the all time fan favorite and 6th season 6 finalist of hit reality TV series, Top Chef, will kick off Beggin’® brand dog snacks bacon-themed party and Guinness World Record attempt for the world’s all time “loudest group bark” This dog-friendly family event will take place from 10 a.m. till 5 p.m. at the Blue Ash Recreation Center, which is located at 4433 Cooper Rd., in Cincinnati, which is one of the largest pork-producing cities in the United States. The Beggin’ Bacon Bash will feature special cooking demonstrations by Kevin Gillespie, favored and favorite finalist on Bravo’s “Top Chef” reality show known for incorporating pork into almost every signature dish.“I’m a huge fan of the pig, and I’m crazy about bacon in particular, so I couldn’t be more excited to be hosting this event with Beggin’®,” said Gillespie, who is currently the co-owner and executive chef at “The Woodfire Grill” in his native Atlanta. “I’ll be sharing some of my favorite pork dishes with other bacon-lovers and hope to inspire them to embrace pork within their own cooking. Let’s get the party started!” he enthusiastically added. Beggin’® Bacon Bash will feature live music and activities for both two-legged and four-legged bacon lovers. For the humans, All Pro Eating will sanction a bacon-eating contest as well as other hands on activities such as a Beggin’® Canadian Cuts toss.
Yes, Chef
So the city of Cincinnati is not only allowing pooches of every ilk, size and pedigree to enter the premises, they are actually beseeching human roommates to bring their barking buddies along for the day’s festivities.
According to Chef Kevin,
And of course, for the furry friends, there will be a canine costume contest for the most bacon-inspired costume and a bacon maze and bacon race. In addition, the Purina® Incredible Dog Team will perform canine agility and dock diving presentations.
Local dog owners are also invited to bring their dogs to participate in an attempt to set a new Guinness World Record for the “loudest group bark” to officially declare their love for bacon.“Because dogs – and their owners – share a hilarious obsession for bacon, Beggin’ wanted to create an exciting, dog-friendly event for the entire family that’s all about bacon,” said Stephen Trammell, assistant brand manager, Nestlé Purina Dog Snacks brand pet food. “There’s no better way to celebrate International Bacon Day.”
Be sure t keep your eye out for our upcoming BaconToday.com interview with Chef Kevin himself, you most definitely won’t want to miss want Bacon’s all-time greatest culinary “Baconquistador” has to say about … well … cooking with bacon and some other Top Chef, behind the scenes discussion.
In prison again.
I am delighted to report that on this very day in 1946 (a Monday), the daily menu for the inmates of Alcatraz was as follows:
Breakfast:
Stewed prunes.
Bran Flakes.
Fresh Milk.
Sugar
Orange Roll.
Bread and Coffee.
Dinner:
Split Pea Soup.
Roast Shoulder of Pork.
Sage Dressing.
Brown Gravy.
Mashed Potatoes.
Stewed Corn.
Apple Pie.
Bread and Coffee w/Milk.
Supper:
Split Pea Soup.
Boston Baked Beans.
Tomato Catsup.
Beet and Onion Salad.
Canned Pears.
Bread & Coffee.
Not bad, for the worst prisoners in the federal system, was it? As I indicated in the previous blog post, the policy at Alcatraz was to provide better than the usual prison fare, in an attempt to reduce rioting – prison food being a common source of complaint by prisoners. I guess it would also be harder to get up the energy to riot with a belly full of pea soup and roast pork and apple pie, wouldn’t it?
Beet and Onion Salad.
1 large cooked Spanish onion.
1 large cooked beet.
1 teaspoonful chopped tarragon.
1 teaspoonful chopped parsley.
Salt and pepper to taste.
4 tablespoonfuls olive oil.
2 tablespoonfuls vinegar
Slice the onion, add the beet chopped and the seasonings, oil, and vinegar. Mix well and serve with cold roast beef.
Salads, Sandwiches, and Chafing Dish Recipes, by Marion Harris Neil (Philadelphia, 1916)
Quotation for the Day.
Everything I eat has been proved by some doctor or other to be a deadly poison, and everything I don't eat has been proved to be indispensable for life. But I go marching on.
George Bernard Shaw
Forth grade. Note creepy farm-animal shirt. (via Beth)
Forth grade. Note creepy farm-animal shirt.
(via Beth)
Interview: “Bacon Is Like A Little Hug From God” Designer; Nicodemus Green.
In our continual effort to always keep our readers at the very cutting edge and vanguard forefront of the gourmet bacon world, we here at Bacon Today like to sit down and get the latest and greatest news directly from the horse’s … or should we say … pig’s mouth!
Today … Bacon Today is extremely excited to be chatting with Mr. Nicodemus Green who is the brains and designer behind that totally awesome and increasingly popular “Bacon Is Like A Little Hug From God” graphic that is taking the entire bacon world by storm lately.
BT: Nicodemus, welcome Sir. Thank you for agreeing to take a little time out of your very busy schedule to have a chat with us about the design that is being proudly worn on the chests of more and more “Baconistas,” male and female, all across the country.
NG: Thanks, it’s a pleasure to get to talk to you and all of your fabulous readers today. I love Bacon Today!
BT: So where do you originally hail from and where are you currently located now?
NG: I was born in southeast Michigan, and raised in the small town of Defiance, Ohio. I spent most of my adult life in Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Austin, Texas. I currently live in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It’s a very cool, laid back little city with a great food and art scene.
BT: OK, so the Bacon World wants to know … are you a true, legitimate “Bacon Freak” or was it purely a business decision to step up and fill a void amidst the current rising tide of “Baco-Mania?”
NG: Honestly? A little bit of both. I’m a total “foodie,” I love bacon, and I love art and graphic design, so it just felt natural to me to bring those things together in some way. I just wasn’t really sure how receptive people would be to my design.
BT: That makes perfect sense! So how in the world did your life journey end up placing you in the position of suddenly designing one of the most popular “bacon oriented” t-shirt designs out there?
NG: Ha! Is that true? I hadn’t realized it’s one of the most popular “bacon oriented” t-shirt designs, but thanks for kudos!
The design wasn’t something that I ever planned on showing anybody. During my time in Austin, I discovered my love of all things “Day of the Dead,” so I knew I wanted to incorporate that imagery into the design.
I was a bit bored one cold, dark January afternoon in Michigan, and I just sat down with my laptop … and about 4 hours later, I had the design pretty much finished. I’m not sure where it came from really, it just sort of evolved on its own.
BT: That’s so cool! Alright, you mentioned earlier that there’s an interesting story about how your previous gig at Trader Joe’s ended up playing a positive role in your coming up for the idea for the t-shirt motto?
NG: Actually, the phrase “Bacon is like a little hug from God” was born one morning while I was “scarfing down” some bacon during a morning shift at Trader Joe’s back when I used to work there.
Sunday morning shifts typically start at 4am in order to receive shipments, stock, and clean the store before opening at 9am. Usually, as a reward for loyally showing up early, management would cook us an elaborate breakfast with items from the store and often that included BACON!
I remember sitting on the floor of the store eating bacon with my coworkers and we were all mesmerized by how delicious the bacon was … and the phrase just kind of popped into my head for no apparent reason. It was so catchy and funny; I just knew I had to get it out there somehow.
This was during the whole “bacon craze” of late 2008 and I thought the “foodie” world would be receptive to some kind of artwork featuring that phrase. So I played around with several designs until I finalized the design now on Bacon Freak.
BT: Awesome. OK …I did a little investigating around and discovered that this design of yours is not just loved and adored by the “Bacon World” at large, but actually has quite the following on the contemporary art scene as well. What can you tell us about that very interesting “cross over” success?
NG: It started when I emailed Grace Bonney of “Design Sponge,” which is a very popular design blog that I read everyday, hoping she would feature the print version of the design. She did, and it was a hit.
As an entirely self-taught graphic designer, I was so flattered that such design-minded folks, not to mention professional designers and food people, actually got the joke and liked my work. One thing led to another and now here we are today, talking about it over a couple of glasses of iced lemon water.
BT: Wow … that is so cool! Alright, I would be absolutely amiss if I allowed this session to come to an end without finding out “WHAT’S NEXT” for Nicodemus Green – Bacon Celebrity?
NG: Ah, great question! Well, due to the huge number of requests I’ve received over the last year, I’ve just started researching things like organic fabric tea towels, and letter pressed greeting cards featuring the design.
I even had a gentleman from Australia request laptop decals! BTW, I do have the design available on cotton canvas shopping bags through Cafe Press I would LOVE to work with a larger company designing kitchen-ware, wallpaper and fabrics featuring my designs.
BT: That’s absolutely excellent Nicodemus! Well, the very best of success in your future endeavors and thank you so very much for taking the time to sit and discuss one of the most prominent and popular bacon stories of the current decade, the “Bacon Is Like A Little Hug From God” T-shirt. Thank you Sir!
NG: My pleasure. It’s been a lot of fun!
Thumb-bits
It is obvious that I have been doing some foraging for old food words. A ‘thumb-bit’ is a piece of meat eaten on bread, and is so called for the obvious reason that the thumb is used to secure the meat in place. Delightful, isn’t it? Sounds more fun than ‘open sandwich’, doesn’t it?
The word is recorded in A dictionary of archaic and provincial words, obsolete phrases … (1847). The nineteenth century was a time of great interest in ‘lost’ English dialects, and there are many similar texts waiting to provide linguistic fodder for us in the coming weeks and months.
For added historical interest, you can, if you wish, use your thumb not to hold the meat on a vapid modern slice of white foamy stuff, but on a substantial large piece or ‘dad-of-bread.’ This treat is courtesy of Brockett’s Glossary of North Country Words (1825). A plain meat sandwich is getting more interesting and more fun all the time, isn’t it?
I have, I think, chosen an interesting recipe for the day. It is a sandwich. It is true that it is more complicated and more elegant than our thumb-bit, but who needs a recipe for a piece of meat on bread? It is attractive on a number of counts. It sounds interestingly savoury and tasty, which should be reason enough. It is versatile, which is always a virtue in a sandwich. It would, methinks, make a marvellous canapé, if cut as suggested, or a marvellously substantial snack if left intact. It requires a ‘knife-point’ amount to be spread on the bread – and when did you last see an instruction like that in a recipe book?
It is also impossible to resist the title of the book from whence it came - Culina Famulatrix Medicinae: or, Receipts in Modern Cookery, with a Medical Commentary, written by Ignotus (York, 1806). How many publishers of cookery books today would accept a title in Latin? Have we cookbook buyers become dumbed down?
A Cheshire Sandwich.
Take anchovies, Cheshire cheese, and butter, of each equal parts. Made mustard to the taste. Pound in a marble mortar till all the ingredients become well incorporated. Spread a knife-pointful of this upon slices of white bread, and between two pieces put a thin slice of ham, or any kind of cold meat. Press together, and with a sharp knife, divide the sandwich into mouthfuls.
Quotation for the Day.
Too few people understand a really good sandwich.
James Beard.
In first grade, the smirk. (via nato)
In first grade, the smirk.
(via nato)
Mari’s New York: The Bacon Brownie
Recently while I was at the Limelight Marketplace in downtown NYC, I realized that if you like bacon desserts, Limelight may be your new hangout.
I was enjoying my French Toast Cupcake with Bacon from CupcakeStop when a lady at the table next to me said, “Did you see the bacon brownie?” I turned instantly and squeaked excitedly “No, WHERE?!” She looked at me, eyebrows raised and obviously a bit confused by my outburst. You see, she was talking to her husband, not to me, a complete stranger stiting next to her who is bonkers for bacon.
I quickly explained, “I’m sorry! I’m eating a really good bacon cupcake and I write for Bacon Today so when you mentioned bacon, I lost my mind.” She laughed with me (not at me, I’m sure) and then gave me the scoop on where to find the bacon brownie.
She directed me to a dessert counter in the Limelight Marketplace’s Sweet Room called Mari’s New York. Mari’s specializes in tiny “artisanal” brownies, made from scratch, that you can eat in two bites. I thanked my new friend and rushed over to Mari’s counter and blurted out, “I hear you have bacon brownies!” The clerk said, “You heard right,” and handed me a bacon brownie. Squeeee(al)!
I in turn handed her $3 (which breaks down to $1.50 a bite) and took my treasure home. I ate it in 4 bites (I had to make it last) and realized that I would have paid more than $3 for it. DELICIOUS barely covers how this brownie tasted.
The choclate is delightfully rich and the bacon tastes fresh off the frying pan. The moistness of the brownie is a great contrast to the chewyness of the bacon. Sweet and salty, this brownie is terribly satisfying.
If you’ve been reading my articles, you know this is the point where I say, “Obviously I needed to know nore about this porky dish of delish!” So here is my interview with Mari’s New York:
ME: The Bacon Brownie is wonderful! Please explain what the ingredients are that make it so delicious.
MARI’S NY: The bacon brownie has homemade Niman Ranch bacon jam swirled in the batter and a sprinkling of candied bacon on top.
ME: JAM! I never would have guessed that in a million years. How did you come up with the bacon brownie?
MARI’S NY: I started with pureed cooked bacon mixed in but that wasn’t enough to sate my bacon needs – it needed actual pieces of bacon that you’d discover as you chewed. The candied bits on top gild the bacon lily, so to speak.
ME: I’ll second that statement. How often is this bacon brownie for sale at your shop in Limelight? Are they only available here?
MARI’S NY: We try and have enough for sale every day but we have been known to sell out. They are also offered at GRAB Specialty Foods in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
ME: What made you think, “I need to make a brownie with bacon in it”? Are you a bacon enthusiast?
MARI’S NY: I Love Bacon. Who doesn’t?
ME: For real. Who indeed?
MARI’S NY: Bacon goes with just about everything else, so I thought why not brownies? Ever since perfecting my bacon jam, I’ve been adding it to anything and everything at home.
ME: You are my kind of people. So my appetite needs to know if you have any brownies in the future that might contain bacon?
MARI’S NY: Maybe. One thing’s for sure, there will be other bacon offerings at Mari’s New York.
ME: YAY!
– Jennifer Eolin
Beer recipes, Part 3.
At the end of the two posts we had recipes outstanding for ‘melon balls with beer dressing, beer bread, sweet potatoes in beer, beer sauce on asparagus, potato salad with beer dressing, jellied vegetable salad containing beer, beer with eggs.’ Some of these are still proving elusive, but today I offer you beer soup (not in the menu quoted, but why not?), and a fine alternative for the fish course.
Bohemian Beer Soup.
2 cups beer (room temperature)
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 whole eggs
Little grated nutmeg.
Get the milk very hot and then add to it eggs, sugar, and nutmeg beaten together. Stir until thickened then pour in the beer. Then pour all the mixture back into the kettle from which you poured the beer. Try this pouring back and forth for 4 to 6 times and serve immediately – to six of your best friends.
[From the United Brewers’ Foundation beer cookery book; quoted in a New York Times article of September 1937]
Fish Sauce [with beer].
5 ounces shallot onions, cut fine and braised.
2 ounces gingersnap crumbs
1 stalk celery, finely cut
Parsley
Put in a fish kettle the desired fish, add the onions, celery, gingersnap crumbs, parsley, salt. Cover the whole completely with a light bottled beer and cook slowly till done.
To prepare the sauce, use the fish broth, cook it down to two-thirds of its volume and put thru a sieve, add 5 ounces of fresh butter, beat lightly, and pour over fish.
[From ‘Joseph Happle, chef at Schroeder Hotel in Milwaukee’, quoted in the New York Times of April 27, 1934]
Quotation for the Day.
I have a total irreverence for anything connected with society except that which makes the roads safer, the beer stronger, the food cheaper and the old men and old women warmer in the winter and happier in the summer.
Brendan Behan
Didn’t we love the 80’s? (via Aritha)
Didn’t we love the 80’s?
(via Aritha)
Bacon Cures 101 – Class Proves Taste Is More Than Just Skin Deep!
A popular Portland, OR butcher and renowned chef, Berlin Reed, will start teaching a series of three classes designed to teach bacon enthusiasts the various “ins and outs” of the numerous, flavorful cures (taste enhancers) used throughout the bacon industry, as well as a few special “custom concoctions” of his own, to make the worlds greatest ever flavor (BACON) taste even better!
Chef and butcher Berlin Reed is the insightful and informative writer behind “The Ethical Butcher” a website and blog dedicated to his authentically held moral principals and driven by his sincerely valued personal relationships with the local, small farm owners, as well as his deep love of food and respect for the animals we eat, along with the environment on which we all depend.
We all know that bacon is the ultimate, perfect food, but have you ever wanted to know more about the plethora of herbs, spices, vegetables, flowers, fruit, spirits and other flavorful factors that are infused by manual meat massage in order to create a taste that is utterly unique and found no where else on Planet Earth?
Then you definitely need to get yourself to Portland for this 3-part series of classes, which begins August 10th and covers a god solid education and ample samples of bacon cured with fruits and flowers. Then, the following week, on the 17th, Chef Berlin will present bacon cured with various coffees, teas and spirits, all culminating on Aug. 24th, were the coarse focuses on all kinds of delicious glazes and crusts, including the age-old traditions of rolling bacon slabs in everything from oatmeal to pea meal.lasses cost $40 per session or you can get the package deal of all 3 for only $100. For more information, check out Chef Berlin’s blog.
The c
Digestive biscuits.
It seems that my impression of an English origin can be blamed squarely on Messrs. Huntley and Palmer and Messrs. McVitie, who were responsible for the modern commercial product. These very popular biscuits – renamed ‘sweetmeal biscuits’ in the 1950’s - are, however, a far cry from the original ‘digestive biscuits.’
Wikipedia claims that the term ‘digestive’ is derived from the belief that the biscuits had antacid properties due to the use of sodium bicarbonate when they were first developed. Sorry, Wikipedia - the earliest digestive biscuits had no soda in them at all. They were leavened with yeast if they were leavened at all. They were frighteningly ‘healthy’ unsweetened brown discs, named ‘digestive’ with the same rationale as ‘dyspepsia’ bread was named – because, being excruciatingly plain, they were good (that is, they were not bad) for the digestion.
I give you a couple of terrifyingly healthy-sounding nineteenth century digestive biscuits, so that you may go down on your knees in thanks to the commercial biscuit manufacturers who gave us the ‘sweet-meal’ chocolate-coated versions which you can enjoy today.
Brown Digestive Biscuits.
Take equal parts of fine wheaten flour and meal, and mix them together. To 5 quarts of liquor, use 2 ½ lbs of butter, and 2 oz. of German yeast. Mix the whole into dough as directed for “butters”. When it has proved, make into biscuits as captains’, and bake in a sound oven. They will bake well after captains’ and Abernethy’s.
Complete Bread and Gingerbread Baker’s Assistant, London, 1854
Brown Bread Hard Biscuits.
Ingredients: 1 ¼ lb of brown wheaten flour, 1 oz. of fresh butter, a teaspoonful of salt, and rather better than ½ pint of water. Proceed as for Thick Captain’s, No. 323*. These are biscuits are also called digestive biscuits.
*Spread out the flour on the slab with a hollow in the centre, add the butter dissolved in the milk just tepid, mix, and vigorously work all together into a stiff compact smooth paste; this must be well-worked for ten minutes by pressing and jagging it with a rolling pin held in both hands; (bakers have a machine made on purpose, with which they achieve this hard work with comparative ease). You then wrap the biscuit paste in a napkin, and allow it to rest in a comparatively warm place for an hour: and, at the end of that time, divide it into twelve equal parts, mould them into balls with your hands on the floured slab, roll them out to the size of small saucers, prick them all over with a fork, bake on a floured baking-plate, in rather sharp heat.
The Royal English and Foreign Confectioner (1862)
Quotation for the Day.
“How can a society that exists on instant mashed potatoes, packaged cake mixes, frozen dinners, and instant cameras teach patience to its young?”
Paul Sweeney
Oh, the hair! The shoulder pads! Sad thing is, I was the same...
Oh, the hair! The shoulder pads! Sad thing is, I was the same age then that my daughter is, twelve!
(via Suzanna)
Bacon Love! Calendar
Consider the “Bacon Love!” mini day-to-day calendar from Andrews McMeel publishing. Although the publisher missed out on what would be a sales-boosting slogan for their company (“Without bacon, it’s not a McMeel!”), this stationery commodity delivers a great gift to bacon aficionados everywhere: namely that, with a recipe, quotation, trivia, or celebration on every one of 2011′s 365 days, never again will we let a day pass by without pausing to give thanks for bacon’s crisp and plentiful blessings.
Thinking about the year-long quantification of bacon’s virtues limned in the McMeel codex triggered in me a flashback (which is like fatback, but more nostalgic and less salty) to my high school days, when I was obsessed with the Broadway musical Rent. Yes, unlike the raw materials that constitute bacon, I have long been an incurable ham. What would Jonathan Larson’s Bohemian proto-hipsters have thought about this calendar? Well, it’s probably not their cup of herbal, fair trade, shade-grown tea, based on their predilection for pasta with meatless balls. What I meant to ask was, in the spirit of Rent‘s signature uplifting anthem “Seasons of Love”: how do you measure, measure a year? In rashers, in sizzle, in protein, in B3 (Niacin)…
Okay, on second thought, Rent is probably fine just the way it is (except for a few songs in the second act: I’m looking at you, “Your Eyes”) and the calendar is fine just the way McMeel created it. I don’t think I would want to eat five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred slices of bacon in one year at the rate of one per minute, but thinking about it makes me happy and optimistic about the opportunities for bacon love in the coming calendar year. Do you think they have rush delivery?
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It’s always fun to have your awkward stage recorded for...
It’s always fun to have your awkward stage recorded for posterity. Hair growing out of a bad haircut? Check. Bangs cut crookedly by mom? Check. Tooth growing in? Check. Unflattering new glasses with gold initials in the corner on display? Check. Mismatched outfit? Check. Top lip curled under in a way that has never happened before or since? Check. Infected earlobes from bad ear piercing on display? Check! Hey, it looks like we’ve got everything here for a really embarrassing picture! Snap away!
(via Rosy)
The Classic Age of Bacon
Recently I stumbled upon this video about the classic age of bacon and the American favorites stream into popular culture.
After watching and hearing about all the bacon products. I decided to search for the best kind of products for bacon lovers! Aside from the normal products, like bacon kitchen utensils and bacon foods (bacon bits, bacon favored cupcakes, etc.) you could also have a bacon scarf (my personal favorite this homemade knitted one) or bacon art or so much more….
Here are my top 10 favorite products found during my search:
10. Bacon Bandaids: Yes friends, anytime you get a paper-cut or the next time you knick your arm on a staple you could cover it up with a adhesive bacon band-aid.
These particular band-aids are even cut to have edges like real bacon
9. Bacon USB: A few of these can be found online, I posted the link to the most realistic looking 4GB at a reasonable price for a trendy commodity. The perfect way to show off your love for bacon with a piece seemingly sticking out of your computer.
8. Bacon Earrings: I own a couple hundred of pairs of earrings, so I have a preference towards them. There are two types of bacon earrings that I really enjoyed. The first being a pair that looks like real little strips of bacon. And then the was a breakfast pair:
7. Bacon Gummies: We have gummy bears, gummy worms, gummy coke bottles and now we have bacon gummy. It looks like bacon, it is packaged like real bacon but it doesn’t taste like bacon. Apparently that is a step to far for the candy makers, its a bacon gummy that tastes like strawberries which just makes it amusing. But I still think it is a pretty cool product.
6. Bacon Formal Wear: You can find tuxs that have bacon designs, dresses, and ties. No article of clothing left unturned even shoes and headbands. (There are even bacon bras ladies, in case you wanted to be ahead of the next trend).
5. Bacon Tape: Much like duct tape but with bacon on it, it’s what holds the universal together.
4. Bacon Envelopes: This one came close to being one of my favorites. Envelopes that taste like bacon!
3.Bakon: A potato vodka that tastes like bacon! We might be exploring some of the drinks we can mix with that!
2. Bacon Jelly Beans: Bacon the candy meat, small enough to swallow in one bite and plenty of them to snack on for an entire afternoon.
1. Bacon: A Love Story. A book filled with trivial facts and enjoyable stories about everyone’s favorite meat.
Remember you never know what can prove your love for bacon out there! There are over a 100 different types of products and several variations of each!
