food stuff

bacon in everything

Ok, I am a huge fan of bacon (and all cured pork products), I really am. But sometimes, I feel like the appreciation for bacon is getting a little out of hand. Yes, I realize that I’ve OMGed over the bacon scarf and the bacon suit. And just two posts ago, I put bacon in my beet and potato meals. Still, I can’t help but feel a little overwhelmed by the extent of bacon’s inclusion in every food and beverage imaginable. There are also a bunch of outrageous (and amusing) extreme-bacon creations all over the internet, including the bacon cheese baconburger and deep fried bacon on a stick. Smells like a fad?

To be fair, I’ve had my share of adventures in bacon. The chocolate bread pudding from Dessert Truck with bacon crème anglaise. The glistening, heart-stopping chunks of barbequed bacon at RUB BBQ. Bacon-wrapped mochi at a cozy robatayaki in Kyoto.

While these were all delicious, I’m starting to wonder if the food scene’s infatuation with bacon has reached its saturation point. PDT no longer offers a bacon-infused bourbon cocktail; is anyone who’s already tried it really that disappointed by this? (They still have the bacon-wrapped Chang dog, whew.) Will there be a backlash to bacon? What if we start infusing everything with, say, kale? Fried kale kebabs on a cupcake, anyone?

For more wacky things to do with bacon, check out this week’s “The 10” list at Chow.

rice cookers and awesome japanese slang

I love this tidbit of trivia, from today’s New York Times article about rice cookers:

Japanese cooks, however, consider toasted rice overcooked and highly undesirable. The unwanted crust left stuck to the bottom of the rice cooker is called okoge — the same word used as slang for a single woman who spends a lot of time with gay men.

seasonal eating: beets and potatoes

When I have both beets and potatoes in my possession, I can think of only one thing: red flannel hash. My first experience with this hangover-absorbing perfect-in-autumn dish was at Rick & Ann’s in Berkeley. It has since become a unanimous brunch (and breakfast-for-dinner) favorite in my household, especially since our CSA seems to fortuitously provide all of the ingredients at the same time.

1 lb small red potatoes, quartered and boiled or steamed until tender
2 small beets, roasted or boiled, then cut up into small pieces
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped parsley
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup half and half
salt and pepper
a few tablespoons reserved bacon fat

Combine all ingredients except bacon fat in a bowl. Heat bacon fat over medium heat in a large skillet. Add hash mixture to pan, and press down a bit. Fry until edges of potatoes are crispy. Serve with fried or poached eggs on top.

But wait! There’s more!

I’ve done red flannel hash over and over, so I recently implemented a hasty redesign and produced a beet and potato salad that was kind of like a cousin of red flannel hash: same ingredients, but with a flair all its own. Picnic friendly, too. Enjoy it while the bacon is still crisp.

4 slices of bacon
1 Tbsp reserved bacon fat
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup plain yogurt
a few squeezes of lemon juice
1 lb new potatoes, quartered and steamed or boiled
2-3 small beets, roasted, peeled, and cut into chunks
1/2 small onion, very thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped herbs (I used parsley and basil)

Fry bacon in a pan. Add 1 tablespoon of the rendered fat to a small bowl. Combine with olive oil, yogurt, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to make a dressing. Combine dressing with remaining ingredients, coating evenly.