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Bacon is making a comeback in many kitchen
By Bernice Torregrossa
Contributor
Published September 2, 2009
A friend’s 20-something son came home from a recent camping trip with a culinary revelation. “We had the best fried eggs ever,” he raved.
“We fried bacon in a pan and then fried the eggs in the bacon grease. You should try it, Mom!”
She and I tried not to laugh at his “discovery.” Like many people our age, we’d both grown up with a can of bacon grease on the stove ready to add seasoning and pan-coating to everything from eggs to fresh vegetables. Almost anything we would now cook with olive oil was at that time embellished with bacon grease instead.
Things have come full circle, though, and bacon is once again welcome in many kitchens. It’s still not the healthiest choice, but it’s developing a fan base that just can’t get enough bacon at the table and is buying bacon-flavored lip balm, bacon-pattern bandages and bacon-scented air fresheners.
The obsession with bacon reached a high point last December, when a Web site that posted a recipe for the bacon explosion garnered more than half a million visitors in a matter of days.
The bacon explosion consists of strips of bacon — 2 pounds of it — woven into a mat, troweled with a layer of bulk sausage and then rolled up around more bacon.
Even one of the inventors of the bacon explosion, Aaron Chronister, concedes that “it’s over the top,” but the wildfire spread of his brainstorm led to a six-figure cookbook deal for Chronister and co-creator Jason Day.
They also sell the bacon explosion, which they describe as “bacon-stuffed sausage wrapped in a hand-woven blanket of more bacon,” on their Web site, BBQAddicts.com.
Not every bacon recipe has to go to such extremes. Some of the new bacon-enhanced recipes, such as Hawaiian chef Allan Wong’s wasabi potato salad, recently served at a White House gathering, use just enough bacon to impart some smoky, salty flavor.
Macaroni and cheese with bacon uses the bacon even more sparingly and pairs it with fresh spinach for a colorful twist on an old favorite.
Turkey bacon, or even the vegetarian bacon substitutes, could be substituted as well.
For those who like to keep the bacon front and center, though, glazed bacon is a brunch favorite.
Anyone who thinks the four basic food groups are sweet, salty, greasy and crispy will regard it as the perfect food, and variations of it are a staple of bed-and-breakfast menus.
Bacon may have made a full return, after all.
It turns out those little bacon grease cans we remembered gracing the stove throughout our childhoods still are available and sold at places as varied as Amazon, the Food Network store and chefs’ supply stores.
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Alan Wong’s White House Wasabi Potato Salad
8 slices bacon 2 cups mayonnaise 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish 1 to 2 tablespoons wasabi paste 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/4 cup finely chopped celery 1/4 cup finely chopped onion 2 tablespoons snipped chives 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley 8 medium potatoes (about 2 2/3 pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces
In medium saucepan, add potatoes to 2 inches boiling salted water. Return to a boil; reduce heat to medium. Cook, covered, about 12 minutes or until tender; drain and cool.
Meanwhile, in large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat eight to 10 minutes or until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels; reserve pan drippings. Cut bacon into small pieces; set aside.
In large bowl, combine mayonnaise, 1/4 cup reserved bacon drippings, horseradish, wasabi, mustard, salt and pepper until blended. Add potatoes, bacon, celery, onion, chives and parsley, tossing carefully until combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tip: Wasabi paste can be found in the Asian food section of some supermarkets. An additional tablespoon of prepared horseradish may be substituted for the wasabi paste. Serves eight.
— Recipe courtesy of the White House Press Office
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Spinach-bacon Macaroni And Cheese
3 cups medium shell macaroni 1 package fresh baby spinach leaves 4 slices bacon, chopped 2 tablespoons flour 2 cups milk 2 cups finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook macaroni as directed on package, adding spinach for the last minute of cooking time., then drain.
Cook bacon in deep skillet. Remove bacon; save drippings in pan.
Add flour to drippings; cook and stir until brown. Gradually add milk and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Lower heat and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until thickened.
Stir in 1 cup cheddar cheese and the Parmesan cheese; stir until melted. Add bacon and macaroni mixture and stir well.
Spoon into a 2-quart casserole dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake 20 minutes or until bubbly and brown around the edges. Serves six.
— Recipe courtesy of Kraft Foods
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Brown Sugar Glazed Bacon
16 slices bacon (about 1 pound) 1/8-1/4 teapoon cayenne pepper 1 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line two 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper; place a wire rack on top of each sheet. Arrange bacon in a single layer on the two racks. Evenly sprinkle with pepper and sugar.
Bake until bacon is crisp and browned, rotating sheets halfway through, 30 to 35 minutes. Pat dry with paper towels.
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