March 16, 2009 by Marianne

March 16, 2009 • Filed Under: Bacon Gifts, Bacon Reviews , Bacon, Das Foods, lollipop

We recently received a delightful surprise in the mail from Das Foods: the Man Bait Lollipop! Das Foods specializes in lots of gourmet goodies including a variety of caramels, lollipops and sea salts. For obvious reasons, Founder and CEO Katie Das thought we might like to try her Maple Bacon lolli, and she was right!

Upon our first taste we noticed the same thing: tastes sweet like maple syrup, smells smoky. Like so many smoke-enhanced items, you’re not sure if you’re tasting the smoke or just smelling it…it seems to reach the back of your sinuses through your mouth. And like many such products, we weren’t quite sure how that made us feel. But as the tasting went on, we both had an opinion. I’ve mentioned before that I don’t dip my bacon in my syrup…just not my thing. But I have to say, this sucker grew on me. As I worked my way through the outer layers, the little flecks of bacon became evident and I started to taste their saltiness. It was not overpowering, but the more I could taste the bacon, the better I liked it. I also liked the texture of the bacon. The bits were miniscule, but definitely meaty and wholly enjoyable. Toward the end, just like the Tootsie Pop owl, I went ahead and crunched it, and it was good.

Naseem wasn’t as crazy about it as I was. She liked it for a while, but then it was just too sweet for her. She’s not a big fan of sweets to begin with, and would never, for instance, drown her pancakes in syrup. I asked her if she would like it more if the bacon had a bigger presence. She wasn’t sure…the sweet would still be just as sweet. So if you’re not a fan of lollipops in general, then be warned that this is still a lolli — just with bacon added. But if you are lolli fan, you can enjoy these candies made with all natural ingredients and no corn syrup. Dang! It’s practically health food!

March 6, 2009 by Marianne

March 6, 2009 • Filed Under: Bacon Gifts , Bacon, Bakon Vodka

So we all know bacon has been infused with all kinds of liquors. Hell, I made Bacon Bourbon more than once myself. Until now these have just been recipes concocted at home or in America’s swankiest bars, but no longer! Bacon has entered the world of commercially distilled and distributed vodka. I give you BAKON!

Let’s face it, putting bacon and grease in your vodka, freezing it, straining it multiple times…it’s a big hassle. Thanks to the folks at Bakon, you can now make your Bacon Bloody Mary with only a small effort on your part. And, as they point out, a Bacon Martini would be a perfect complement (or marinade) for a big, juicy steak. You can find several great looking recipes on their site.

The good news: this new wonder drug will be available in April 2009. The bad news: it’s only available in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. Because no state does cosmopolitan cocktail bars like Idaho and Montana. If you just can’t wait to find out when it will be available in your state, go to their site and give them your email and they’ll keep you posted. Bakon Vodka for everyone!!

March 4, 2009 by Marianne

March 4, 2009 • Filed Under: Bacon Recipes , Bacon, bacon cheeseburger explosion, bacon explosion

So I know the Bacon Explosion is probably getting old for some of you, but I never made it because I don’t like sausage. I’m a little slow on the up-take, but eventually an idea came to me: substitute hamburger for the sausage! Add cheese! Bacon Cheeseburger Explosion! So that’s what I did last weekend.

This was my first-ever bacon mat, and creating it was strangely satisfying. I used a whole 12 ounce package of Niman Ranch uncured, applewood smoked bacon.

Next came a pound of 85% lean hamburger. I wish I hadn’t flattened it directly onto the bacon mat, as it stuck to the bacon and made it difficult to roll up. Next time I’ll measure out a piece of foil or waxed paper for the burger layer. I topped the meat with pepper and a little paprika, figuring that the bacon would provide enough salt. After that came 3 slices of deli cut American cheese (because I’m old school like that) and just a little pickled jalapeno for a kick. (It could have used at least twice this much.)

Then I rolled it up with much difficulty, and patched any holes. I should have just put the cheese on one end and not tried to roll it into the whole thing. Would have been much easier.

Finally, I wrapped it in its cozy mat, and popped it in the oven at 350 degrees for one hour. The internal temperature when done was about 165 degrees.  I let it sit for 10 minute before slicing.  

 As you can see, a lot of the cheese melted out and made a cheesy crust on the outside. I’m sure the cheese added some flavor to the meat, but I would really have preferred it if more of it had remained on the inside. Maybe a heartier cheese, like mozzarella, would have worked better. Should have just thrown in a string cheese.

All in all, I’d say it was a success. The end pieces went to the dog because, believe it or not, there was just too much bacon. Also, next time I make it, I’ll use a bit more hamburger so the roll has a larger diameter and the bacon mat just barely fits around. Any overlapping bacon stayed a bit soggy, which is not my thing. But for the most part it had a good burger to bacon ratio, and the jalapenos added a lot to the flavor. Not bad for a first try.

March 2, 2009 by Marianne

March 2, 2009 • Filed Under: Bacon Recipes , Bacon, bacon egg salad, spinach salad

I’ve found a new blog to add to my favorites. It’s called Delish, and of particular interest to me is that the writer, Becks, blogs gluten-free, a lifestyle to which I am trying to adapt. But as an added bonus, her significant other luuurvs bacon, so she’s sure to have lots of recipes that I’ll enjoy.

This Bacon Egg Salad looks pretty amazing to me, kind of like a typical spinach salad, but with boiled eggs. Or maybe like a cobb salad without the cheese, tomatoes and chicken? I don’t know, it’s just decidedly simple, which is always helpful in inspiring me to make a salad at home. You can find the recipe and some nice step-by-step photos at Delish.