Bacon Day gave us a great excuse to try and share some of the recipes we’ve talked about on this site. The first, which I believe may be entirely original to Royal Bacon Society, was the Bacondoodle. It began with this basic Snickerdoodle recipe, but in place of the butter I used bacon grease. I also took about 5 slices of cooked bacon and ground them up in my mini-processor and added that to the batter. I also cooked a batch of regular Snickerdoodles for comparison.

I was really excited about this new recipe, and was a little let down by the results. First of all, the Bacondoodle took a little longer to cook than the Snickerdoodles and didn’t flatten out as much. That was no big deal, but then I tasted one while it was still warm and was disappointed by the lack of bacon flavor. I mean, it was there, but very subtle. If you didn’t know you were eating a Bacondoodle, you wouldn’t notice it. On the bright side, our friends said it was more moist than the Snickerdoodle, and a couple people thought it perfectly complemented the Bacon Bourbon. So all in all, a success.

My favorite recipe of the day was the Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Popper. So delicious and relatively easy to make, despite the hours of burning under my fingernails. (I recommend gloves when seeding the jalapenos.) I loved these babies so much that after several glasses of wine I promised to make them every single time any of the guests came to my house for dinner for the rest of their lives. I’m sure that won’t come back to bite me in the butt.

Finally, we had some simple bacon-wrapped asparagus. I blanched the asparagus for one-minute in boiling water, then wrapped each 5 spears in a half slice of bacon and baked at 350 for about 30 minutes. I really should have pre-cooked the bacon about half way so that the asparagus could have spent less time in the oven. Their little heads got a bit over-cooked, but it wasn’t the end of the world.

Even Kindergartners agree: Bacon is worth celebrating!

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Okay, so it was our first Bacon Day ever. That doesn’t make it any less spectacular. The Royal Bacon Society hosted a backyard party that will take me a good week to fully cover. It was a ton of fun and ridiculously delicious. We prepared seven pounds of bacon in various forms and recipes, and I’m here to tell you…there was no bacon left at the end of the day.

The centerpiece of the event was a bacon and wine tasting. We offered three wines and four bacons, asking our guests to try each bacon with each wine and rate the pairings from 1 to 5. Wines included a local Zinfandel blend, a Petite Sirah, and a Pinot Grigio. To begin with, the two reds were a toss up in terms of guest ratings. They both went well with bacon, but I imagine a nice bold Syrah would probably have beaten them both. The Pinot Grigio was the least pairable, but that was no surprise. Even a buttery Chardonnay probably couldn’t have held up to the strength and smokiness of any decent bacon. It was overwhelmingly confirmed: bacon is a red wine meat.

We had a delicious array of bacons. First was Daily’s Hardwood Smoked Peppered Bacon. This was a thick-sliced bacon with plenty of course-ground pepper and about a 50% ratio of fat to lean. The texture was somewhat typical, and I didn’t notice anything overwhelming about the smoke. But it was a great bacon and consistently got the highest ratings in terms of pairing, particularly with the Zin blend.

Next was Trader Joe’s Uncured Apple Smoked Bacon (couldn’t find a link.) Again, a thick cut bacon with a pretty even blend of meat and fat. The bacon was absolutely delicious, and the fat had a much softer consistency than traditional cured bacons, which I found delightful. This may become my new every day breakfast meat. In terms of pairing, it ranked second of the four.

Third we had Farmer John’s Old-Fashioned Maple Bacon, which was a pleasant surprise. You could truly taste the maple syrup with each bite. I’m not sure I would want a BLT with this one, but it was great to eat on its own. This product was standard cut with average fat content. Although it tied for third in pairings with our last bacon, it was the only one that could even approach a decent flavor with the Pinot Grigio.

Finally, we had a late entry with Rocco’s Sun-Dried Tomato Bacon. This is one of BaconFreak.com’s Bacon of the Month Clubofferings, generously contributed for the event. (Thanks, Rocco!) This bacon is standard cut with a high fat content, which made it a bit softer than the other bacons (similar to Trader Joe’s). It tied for third in terms of pairing, but I think this was the big favorite of the day for texture and sheer deliciousness of bacon. Every time I turned around someone was asking me what it was and where I got it. I’m anxious to try Rocco’s other flavors over the coming month.

More than 20 ounces of grease was produced on Bacon Day 2008

I have to say this party was just a blast. I’ll fill you in throughout the week about other recipes we tried, more product ratings, and the most recent verdict on the Bacon Bourbon. I have to give MAJOR THANKS to Naseem and Cameron for handling all of the set-up and cooking all the bacon for the tasting! This party would not have been possible without you two rock stars. And thanks to everyone who came out and partied with us and ate no less than 5 slices of bacon each. I hope your arteries will forgive us and that we’ll see you next year…the countdown to Bacon Day 2009 has already begun!

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Dates & Bacon…double rich yumminess. Happy Bacon Day!

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Holy smokes, is that a mouthful, or what? A mouthful I’d be more than happy to try. This beauty of a treat came from more than once source. The unique French toast cupcake recipe is from Bake and Destroy, a name and site I just adore, even as a non-baker. You can find the recipe here. The maple glaze and burst of bacon inspiration came from this Live Journal entry from a pink-haired genius who goes by sweetkisses0530. All in all, I’d say a breakfast, dessert, or anytime snack that would make a great addition to your Bacon Day celebration.

And with that I sign off for the week to start preparing for the Royal Bacon Society’s International Bacon Day party. We’ll begin with a few bacon & wine pairings for our guests to rate, and follow it up with some of our favorite bacon recipes including, of course, the famous Bacon Bourbon. We’ll be sure to take lots of pictures and give you a full report on how the first annual event goes.

In the meantime, go ahead and start celebrating with your favorite bacon indulgence. And always remember: Everything tastes better with bacon!!

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Is there a world-record for the longest strip of bacon? I certainly couldn’t find one on the Guinness Book website, but I think we may have found the solution to that. This Flickr entry, from a mysterious man called Masta, records his progress as he takes a full slab of bacon and carves it into one incredibly long strip. I highly recommend you look at this as a slideshow. It must have taken incredible patience and some serious knife skills to pull this off. You have to see this image on a much large scale to truly appreciate the beauty of that almost never-ending slice. Simply breathtaking.

And so, in celebration of the looming International Bacon Day, I think we can congratulate Masta on making bacon history. Thank you, sir. You are our new hero.

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Labor Day weekend is fast approaching…kids are getting ready for another school year, parents are thanking heaven that summer is finally over, and we’re all planning our BBQ menus. For an added bonus, Saturday, August 30 is International Bacon Day! (Visit this link for good ideas on how to celebrate.) So clearly, all grill-related cooking should celebrate the wrappable pork product that makes our lives so meaningful.

My brother-in-law Sean first introduced me to this recipe, but I was able to find it on the web at My Wooden Spoon, complete with step-by-step photo instructions. It is my belief that every recipe worth trying should have step-by-step photos. It is Sean’s belief that every BBQ should begin with this tasty treat.

Basically, you cut your jalapenos in half and scoop out all the seeds and membrane. Fill with cream cheese, wrap with bacon, hold together with toothpick and grill (or bake in oven as the recipe suggests). Amazingly easy, incredibly delicious. These would make a great party appetizer or could be served right alongside the main dishes.

If anyone has any other great recipes to share for International Bacon Day, please send them our way! The more we share, the better a holiday it will be!

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I know what you’re thinking. I have a closet full of clothes and nothing truly bacony to go with them! Well, have you tried a search for bacon on Etsy.com? If not, drop what you’re doing and GO. THERE. NOW!

In a miniature celebration of breakfast, CuteAbility puts the whole production around your neck. The Eat Your Breakfast Necklace doesn’t muss about with the distraction of fruit or potatoes. Eggs. Bacon. Sausage. Toast. Oh yeah, and some coffee on the side. My favorite part might be the yellow-rimmed plate with white polka dots. It’s the little things that make me smile.

I know I’ve talked about Etsy before, but it bears repeating, particularly for new readers. If you’re looking for original, hand-made arts & crafts, Etsy is your pimp. From paintings to knitting to tiny, ceramic breakfast tableaux, you can find just about anything you can imagine.

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This image could totally go under bacon porn for me. This rich, delicious chocolate dessert is the Bacon Chocolate Crunch Bar from Animal Restaurant in Los Angeles. Located on Fairfax just a couple blocks from hipster joints like Largo’s little theatre and Canter’s, this restaurant is sure to be a smash!

The two dudes behind this chocolately bacon creation are, well, Two Dudes Catering, renegade Hollywood caterers and now owners and chefs of Animal. And soon they’ll be world-famous when Food Network releases their docu-series based on the boys on October 16. Before that, you can buy their new cookbook, Two Dudes, One Pan, due in stores next week! Exciting times for a couple of dudes for Florida.

According to a review of the new Animal Restaurant, L.A. Times food critic S. Irene Virbila found the meat-centric restaurant a bit too much. Too rich. Too heavy. Too salty and sweet and lacking in vegetables. Maybe it’s not the place you want to go for a cool summer meal, but come this fall it will be the perfect place for a carnivore’s comfort food. And the best part is, she gave “best dish” props to the Bacon Chocolate Crunch Bar.

I do believe I’ll give this restaurant a go next time I’m in the L.A. area. Of course by then they’ll be so famous I’ll need to call weeks in advance to get a table. I think I’m up to the challenge.

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