Bacon Unwrapped

Wendy's Bacon Deluxe

2009-10-21T19:05:00.003-07:00

In interviews I'm often asked to explain why bacon is so popular at the moment. It's a topic I also explore in my book, Bacon: A Love Story. In summary I think there are a few reasons why bacon is experience a culinary renaissance. Several Food Network chefs love bacon and talk about it all the time; more artisanal producers are selling bacon over the Internet; more people are cooking/eating

I didn't have to pay for 2/3 of the ingredients in this meal

2009-10-19T19:42:00.005-07:00

I'm not gonna lie - one of the best perks of having a food blog is the samples I receive. And I have absolutely no problem with giving something a try and writing about it if I like it.So for tonight's meal I had a chicken breast wrapped in No Name bacon and marinated in Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce.No Name bacon is a nice traditional bacon if you're looking for something new to try. And

Bacon so good it doesn't need a name

2009-09-30T16:35:00.003-07:00

You've probably heard about the bacon and chocolate bust of Conan O'Brien that made an appearance on the Tonight Show several weeks ago. If for some reason you were in a coma, here it is again:The creative minds behind this culinary behemoth hail from a company called "No Name" - a family-owned purveyor of meat products based in Minnesota. When not carving chocolate busts with hair made from

Savory, Salty Food of the Masses: Interview with Diana Page Jordan

2009-09-28T17:37:00.003-07:00

Click here to listen to my recent podcast interview with Diana Page Jordan. And you can read her blog post about the interview here.

Buy dad a tie for Christmas...a bacon tie

2009-09-26T19:24:00.001-07:00

Get yours at BaconTies.com.

It's a bacony news day

2009-09-24T12:32:00.002-07:00

A few news items worth sharing:According to the Phoenix New Times, a local alt magazine that runs an annual "Best of Phoenix" contest, I am the "Best Bacon Lady" in Phoenix this year. I wonder if I had competition?There is an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about speck, the smoked cousin of prosciutto, which mentions my book. It's an interesting read if you've ever wondered what the

Blue Ribbon Bacon Tour in Pittsburgh THIS WEEKEND!

2009-09-22T09:30:00.001-07:00

REMINDER: Join us in Pittsburgh for bacon mania this weekend!!!Join us on Saturday, September 26, 2009 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for the next stop on the Blue Ribbon Bacon Tour presented by Vande Rose Farms! CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETSPresented by:Vande Rose FarmsEvent hosted by:Harris GrillThe Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival in Des Moines, Iowa has been going strong for two years and now we’re

September is Hunger Action Month

2009-09-20T09:21:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a short time-out from the bacon silliness that usually consumes this blog to talk about a more serious food related issue.Each year, the Feeding America network provides food assistance to more than 25 million low-income people facing hunger in the United States, including more than 9 million children and nearly 3 million seniors.Regardless of your politics, you can do something to

My interview on Fox 12 Idaho's Morning Show

2009-09-19T07:56:00.001-07:00

Cloudy with a chance of...bacon?

2009-09-17T21:34:00.003-07:00

So there is a wacky new movie coming out tomorrow called Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. The premise of the movie is that the characters live in town where food falls from the sky like rain. Sounds pretty good, right? Especially if it's meatballs. Mmm...meatballs.To celebrate the event, Dylan's Candy Bar released a series of new candy flavors including a Bacon-Flavored Milk Chocolate

Bacon Slab Cake

2009-09-09T17:57:00.003-07:00

Everything in this photo is edible...but it's not bacon. It's a groom's cake made to look like a slab of bacon. (photo by debbiedoescakes via Slashfood and Chili Underground)

Bacon Hypnosis

2009-09-09T15:52:00.005-07:00

A friend of mine just sent me this photo from the Union Square Farmers' Market in NYC.

Boy loses his S*&@ over lost bacon

2009-08-31T13:21:00.000-07:00

The reaction is understandable.

More Pork on a Fork, please

2009-08-30T12:33:00.012-07:00

I've tried A LOT of different kinds of bacon over the past few years. Most of it has ranged from good to great - because let's face it, it's hard to find "bad bacon" - and the better products tend to come from small producers who are focused on quality over quantity. But even though there is a lot of great bacon to be found around the country, it does take something special for my tastebuds to

Bacon Chocolate Conan

2009-08-28T16:05:00.005-07:00

In case you missed it the other night, here's the video clip from the episode of The Tonight Show that featured a bacon chocolate bust of Conan O'Brien built by these people (who you can also find on Twitter). The bacon hair really is awesome. Enjoy.

Only because it's been awhile...

2009-08-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

Sing along!Pork! It's the meat of kings!It's made from pig, try it with onion rings.Pork sure goes with everything, cause it's made from swine, and swine sure tastes fine.Just bring some to the picnic baby,You know you wanna stuff it in my hamper.But please put it in some tupperware'Cause I don't wanna be a porky chancer.Let's talk about pork.Converse about meat.Veggies get wedgies cause meat

"Build your own" Heirloom BLTs in Napa

2009-08-23T05:22:00.000-07:00

There certainly is no shortage of bacon-themed festivals this time of year...the latest one to cross my inbox is the Heirloom BLT's and Wine Event in Napa next weekend.For three days - August 28 thru 30 - the Hill Family Estate will celebrate wine tomatoes and bacon. Coinciding with the peak of heirloom tomato season and the release of their 2008 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, the event will

Hey Baltimore! There's a beer and bacon festival coming to town on September 19!

2009-08-20T07:52:00.004-07:00

If you 1) love bacon and 2) live in Baltimore - or within a reasonable driving distance, then here's an event you should check out.On Saturday, September 19th from Noon to 4 pm, you can sample over a dozen types of bacon, drink a dozen kinds of beer, and enjoy some live music at the Heavy Seas Bacon and Beer Festival - Pyrates, Pigs and Pints.Tickets are $40 and include all-you-can-taste beer and

Irish Bacon

2009-08-19T07:52:00.001-07:00

I previously wrote about a trip I took to a new pork butcher in Phoenix called The Meat Shop. One of the unique things about this butcher is that they carry Irish bacon.This form of bacon is not like traditional American bacon made from pork belly - instead it comes from the loin area of the pig. In Ireland and England, this bacon is most commonly fried for breakfast. But when a "rasher" of

What Would Brian Boitano Make? Bacon, of course.

2009-08-17T15:58:00.002-07:00

Brian Boitano has a new show on the Food Network starting this weekend.My excitement is barely containable. I want to run around the house while hollering at the top of my lungs and using a lot of four letter words to describe how incredibly AWESOME this is. Instead I'm channeling my energy in a more productive way to spread this news in blog form in case you are one of the unfortunate people

Listen to my interview on Blog Talk Radio tonight

2009-08-16T13:10:00.003-07:00

Catch me on The New Art of Living Magazine show with Olivia Wilder on Blog Talk Radio tonight at 6:30 pm PDT. Click on this link to listen online. My interview will follow Olivia's interview with Jamie Lauren, contest on last season's Top Chef.

Bakon Vodka Cocktails

2009-08-14T04:21:00.001-07:00

One of the sponsors at the Blue Ribbon Bacon Tour event earlier this month in Nampa, Idaho was Bakon Vodka.In coordination with the bar staff at Brick 29, a few signature cocktails were created for the event. All of them were really great - some of them in a very unexpected way - so thought I'd share with you all!Bakon Apple Martini (Apple Pucker, Bakon Vodka and Rum)Luau (Bakon Vodka,

Calling all California bacon lovers!

2009-08-13T12:34:00.004-07:00

If you live in the vicinity of Santa Barbara, there is an upcoming bacon event you need to attend!The Royal Bacon Society will be hosting their 2nd Annual Bacon Day on Saturday, September 5 from 11 am to 2 pm. From their website:"In addition to the usual brunchy fare, you’ll have the chance to sample lots of fun bacon products, including bacon popcorn, bacon mints, bacon vodka and chocolate

Bacon for dessert

2009-08-12T07:26:00.003-07:00

The Ft. Worth Star-Telegram recently published an article about the use of bacon in desserts featuring some great recipes for things like Maple French Toast and Bacon Cupcakes, Bacon Pecan Caramel Ice Cream Balls, Maple Bacon Shake, Bacon Baklava, and Bacon and Tomato Jam. These are some of the more unique yet appetizing bacon recipes I've seen in a long time. Click here to read the article.

Today's bacon slinging

2009-08-11T10:42:00.006-07:00

An article ran today in the Akron Beacon Journal in which I was featured alongside Michael Ruhlman (a culinary hero of mine...I'm definitely not worthy). The article starts out talking about my book and bacon madness and then leads into a lesson from Professor Ruhlman on making your own bacon at home. The best line: "If Lauer is the queen of bacon, then Ruhlman is surely its clergyman." Click