ThinkGeek.com

Bacon makes the perfect gift for kids of all ages.

​Christmas is right around the corner and you're on a mission to find a gift for the bacon lover in your life.

Sure you could go to the grocer and buy a package of meat, but why not be creative and get him or her something that requires some serious thought (plus the great taste of bacon).

We've compiled a list of ten pork-related gifts, all under $20.
More >>

Lesley Elliott

An old-fashioned made with baconized bourbon.

​We are lucky to be experiencing a libation renaissance -- when everything from vanilla beans to mint to rosemary can make old drink favorites shiny and new again. The modern bartender seems to be a liquid magician, infusing alcohol with a bit of this, a bit of that. Why else would you belly up to the bar and throw down your hard-earned cash on a pricey cocktail?

So what makes bourbon better? Uh, bacon, of course. A small dose of smoky bacon flavor adds the unexpected to an old-fashioned, but drinking it straight from the bottle isn't entirely out of the question (yes, we did that). We'll give you a bacon-injected bourbon old-fashioned recipe, using with maple syrup, but first you need to learn a process called "fat washing."

Fat washing is basically like laundering your alcohol with a meaty, fatty substance to give it that bacon-fresh feeling. Then you freeze it and strain out the smoky, saturated good stuff. It's easy to do and might permanently alter your cocktail repertoire. Ready?
More >>

Photo by Riki Altman

Who needs bread, anyhow?

​Last week we told you what a great time we had on our date cooking with Chef Danny Wells at Amuse and Monday he was eager to share his recipe for Inside-Out BLT. Simply stated, it's a sandwich sans bread, comprising lots of greens and bacon mayo stacked between layers of breaded and crispy fried tomato slices. Low-fat it's not, yummilicious it is. (Yoda speaking, we are. Click here to learn proper Yoda speak, too.)

Anyhow, here's the recipe. Call us when it's ready, you Wookie cook, and we'll hop into the podracer to try it out.
More >>

Vintage bacon bikini babe - Gaga wasn't the first to wear meat.

​When Lady Gaga wore her meat dress to the VMAs, it was considered a bold move. But really, people have been wearing food for a long time.

Consider live sushi models, who make a living having people eat off of their curvy bodies. And we're thinking the first fur coat was discovered by some cavewoman who decided that an animal was as good to wear as it was to eat.

Because everyone loves bacon, we decided to "cure-ate" (get it? bacon is cured) a collection of our favorite bacon attire. Bring your appetite for fashion and take a gander at these delicious creations.
More >>

Lesley Elliott

Bacon, date, and blue cheese scones

​Michelle Bernstein was kind enough to post her recipe for Crumb on Parchment's cherry-vanilla scones on Tasting Table. If you haven't had the pleasure, the scones are oversize and somehow both dense and fluffy. It's quite an achievement. The scone flavors rotate daily, so although the variety brings an adventure in baked goods, it also discourages developing a favorite.

I haven't seen my sweetheart -- the bacon, date, and blue cheese scones -- in a while. Thus, here's a recipe adaptation of a savory scone to inspire kitchen action at home. Enjoy!
More >>

Photo by Riki Altman

Now we know why he got so darn big...

​It's not Elvis Presley's birthday, nor is it even the anniversary of his death, but we decided there's no need for any Elvis-related reason to enjoy this amazing creation. Chef Gonzalo Rivera boasted about it on his Facebook page, claiming it's a favorite around his kitchen table at home, so we investigated. And -- OMG -- this is seriously one of the best, sweetest, saltiest creations we've ever eaten.
More >>

Pork-free paper, bacon-loaded contents

​Still on the hunt for a gift to appease your favorite foodie? We've got you covered. I Love Bacon! ($19.99) by Jayne Rockmill is not only a fun tribute to our favorite, flavorful fatty food, but it's also a compilation of 50 amazing pork-enhanced recipes and a means for giving to charity--yeah, a portion of the proceeds go to Food Bank for New York City and Share Our Strength.

Rockmill called on Water Club's Andrea Curto-Randazzo, Meat Market's Sean Brasel, caterer and former Top Chef contestant Micah Edelstein, caterer Sandra Stefani, Allen Susser, and Michelle Bernstein, all of whom donated recipes. (We'll share instructions for Curto-Randazzo's roasted tomato and smoked bacon bisque tomorrow, just in case you haven't quite completed your holiday menu planning.)
More >>

​

While everyone is rhapsodizing about the wonders of bacon and adding the porcine strips to everything imaginable (from ice cream to cocktails), there are some people left out of the bacon frenzy. For our non-pork-eating friends, there is still a way to have bacon in the morning -- with turkey instead of pork. While some purists might cry "fowl" at the idea of turkey bacon, this substitute breakfast meat is widely popular. In fact, at least four companies sell a version of turkey bacon at your local Publix.

We compared all four brands of turkey bacon in a very unscientific taste test. Here are the results:

More >>

Lee Klein

​Nobody bothered to tell me that April was National Poetry Month -- no doubt a conspiracy started by someone who has read my poems.  Here goes:

3 Cuts of Pork
I.
I don't think I'll ever see
A poem as lovely as pork bun with kimchi

II.
Lobster with peanut butter and jelly
A big fat square of pork belly:
Surf 'n turf for the insane.

III.
Had Jesus offered bacon
To the forsaken,
Lordy we'd all be Christians now.

Jacob Katel

​Alright, so earlier this week we showed you the Pork Parfait, but that's really just meat and potatoes in a cup. When it comes to culinary advancement in the genre of "fair food" the over the top double Krispy Kreme bacon cheeseburger is a great innovation.

You can find the donut burger at the Carousel Foods booth at the Dade County Fair. Look for the Burger Beast Approved sticker on the cart and you'll know you're at the right place.

If you're wondering, the donut burger has an estimated 800 calories, whereas the giant turkey leg carries 1,200. That's acording to Carousel Foods management, who say the giant turkey leg is by far their best selling item.

In any case, the donut burger is delicious. Some people call it "The Vandross" because as legend has it Luther Vandross invented it after running out of bread. Here are some more pictures of it being made.
More >>