my bracket

as is pretty much everyone right now, i'm embroiled in this ncaa business. however, my heart is not really in it. i'm confused about the teams, not sure about the standings, and honestly, the only reason i picked gongaza is the funny name. this bracket though, i can get behind:

i will take issue with standing rib roast winning though. i've met many standing rib roasts over the years, but none have ever come close to the deliciousness of a regular 'ol slice of salty, crispy, porky bacon. and it's really no contest with those artisanal bacon slices that are like inches thick. but other than that, i'm all about this bracket.

bacon on cake-time

please, please, please click here. this is the greatest thing to ever happen to this blog!

bacon explosion

obviously i feel obligated by my love of all things pork to re-post this wonder of the modern mind. by now you've already seen it; somehow it's holding the top spot on the nyt most emailed list (really, people? instead of lily ledbetter?), and its renown on the web is the subject of the article.

my only comment is total awe, and reverence for these brilliant men. to be honest, most bacon novelty foodstuffs are not that super delicious (i'm looking at you vosges), but this actually looks like it would taste good, primarily because they knew better than to involve bacon that is not totally crispy. and the addition of crispy bacon bits to the sausage is incredibly inspired. i've seen some versions of this with cheese, and i'm marginally disgusted by this variety. the meat-on-meat has a purity, and heartiness, that the cheese version doesn't have. it is more traditional feeling, like it would be right at home on a thanksgiving table.

oh and thank you to all the people who alerted me of this. i know it is you who have my best (worst?) interest at heart.

new year + pig candy

it's my birthday tomorrow and it feels perfectly right that i'm turning 26. a lot has happened in the past year, and hopefully this new year will bring exciting and heretofore unknown delights and challenges. last year, i was given THE BEST PRESENT EVER and i'd like to formally recognize it here and bestow upon its creators an additional ever more grateful thanks.

so, in case you don't know, i have a potato. he was an abandoned stuffed toy from my days working with children who have terminal illnesses at the ronald mcdonald house in high school. i, being a sucker for anything abandoned, took him in and christened him edgar allen poe-tato- a rare stroke of genius, right? edgar and i have been friends for many years now, and he is probably my single most important possession. last year, when i was out of town, a photo-shoot was arranged for edgar in the traditional poses. the photo above turned out to be the starting point for a hilarious and touching tribute portrait, in pastels, titled "edgar allen poe-tato in repose, with carnations." hope and jen, you are both genius darlings and my forever friends.


also, grace made me some eyeball cupcakes. which, in addition to being slightly menacing, were really delicious.


even though it is my birthday, boy, do i have some present for you. unless you are a vegetarian. if not, these next two words are going to blow your mind: candied bacon.

yes, candied bacon, aka pig candy, is a totally legitimate foodstuffs. so legitimate, in fact, that it has been received at two recent brunches with perfect decorum. at least at first. at some point there will be swooning, and a total lack of restraint. and, i'll warn you, it can get ugly with the last piece. don't worry, it's easy to make.

1 package bacon, preferable thick-cut and applewood or hickory smoked
1/2 cup light brown sugar
cayenne pepper optional

line a large baking sheet with foil. place a cooling rack on top. line bacon tightly nested together on top of the cooling rack. pack brown sugar on top of bacon. sprinkle cayenne pepper on top. cook in a 400F oven for 35-40 mins.

sadly, this new discovery conflicts with the traditional goals of "many more birthdays to come!" oh! but i also have wii fit! those balance each other out right?

meat pigs

last year, while at the la farmer's market, grace took this amazing picture. (by the way, all the good pictures on this site are attributed to her. all the blurry, odd-angled bad ones are by me.) who knew you could use ground pork as a sculpting material? some artist out there needs to capitalize on this, quick.

on a related note, i was recently reading this metafilter thread about the differences between bacon now and bacon back in the 'olden days' as well as the different names for bacon in various parts of the world.
some good takeaways: bacon back before refrigeration was (almost!) an entirely different animal- it was more of a salt-cured pork belly, very thick and needing a lot of preparation in order to make it edible. i always wondered why there was so much boiling of bacon in the laura ingalls books; apparently it was needed to remove a lot of salt from the meat. also, there are many different versions of bacon. it doesn't signify a standard meat, like "porkchop" does. while i've tried (and not loved) canadian bacon, i'm on the lookout for other varieties to try.

bacon flow chart

the genius of this flow chart is in the details, which resonate strongly with me, and i'm sure with every other bacon lover out there.

exhibit a: "a good home is not complete without bacon." very true. at any given time you will find two different kinds of bacon (usually peppered applewood smoked from nueskes and dry-cured from niman ranch via the co-op) in my freezer- perfect for making some bodega beans . (i'll post that recipe soon!)

exhibit b: "the price of great bacon is eternal vigilance." i wish i wasn't so well acquainted with this one, seeing how many potentially delicious slices i've ruined. i too like my bacon crispy, and have been known to do the annoying "can you please take this back and cook it until it's crispy?" ask at restaurants. as much as i love bacon, i hate hate hate limp, fatty, undercooked grocery store bacon. i guess i'm not an unconditional bacon lover after all. but unconditional love is a little boring, no? true love, like good bacon, also requires eternal vigilance- and it doesn't hurt to be able to make a mean blt.

exhibit c: "withholding bacon from a dog is inhumane." while i can't speak to specifics of having a dog, my own anecdotal evidence tells me that the same is true for cats. the other day i was sitting at my kitchen table, innocently chewing some beef jerky (i got three packs for christmas!) and contemplating which of the many mangled pieces i would eat next. i laid out all the contenders on the table and the next thing i know francie has jumped up on the table and is eating my beef jerky! it was alternately frustrating (those were the best pieces!) and deeply endearing. that is truly my cat.

someone needs to make kitchen towels, t-shirts, tote-bags, etc with this flow-chart. I’m sure there would be a huge demand.

Bacon Flow Chart over at Incredimazing