Bacon for your party times.

I saw this recipe on another site a while ago, but I don't remember the site so if it's yours, you go ahead and let me know and I'll give you credit. But for now, let's just give credit to the seventies. I tried it at a holiday party this year, and it worked super duper well. Everyone loved it. They clapped so loudly I almost couldn't hear their arteries closing.

Here are the ingredients:

Bacon
Parmesan cheese that comes in a green can
Club crackers (the buttery ones)


Sprinkle about 1 t parmesan cheese on to the top of each cracker, wrap with 1/2 slice of bacon. Place on a cookie sheet in a 250 degree oven and leave it there for two hours. For real.

Then eat them. Num num, right?

Right.

Move Over Orange Juice, There's A New Breakfast Beverage In Town

I received this nice e-mail the other day from a fan of the Bacon Challenge:

As an avid follower of the Bacon Challenge I thought I would send you this link...enjoy..

http://tastybooze.com/2008/03/bacon-vodka-nutricious-and-delicious

-DCD (Derik)

At first glance I thought that yet another company is trying to make a quick buck by preying on people's love of bacon with a product that will probably suck. But then I read on and realized that rather than just some pre-packaged bacon flavored vodka, it's actually a recipe for making your own vodka infused with bacon's porkly goodness.

Thanks for that, Derik. A stranger, yet looking out for everyone's best interest. You can't complain about that! I'll be sure to make some of this for my half-year bacon party that I am planning in my head. Maybe some bacon vodka martinis? Or bacon vodka bloody marys? I don't know really. The possibilities seem pretty vast.

I'll be sure to write up an update if I (or anyone else I know) actually makes this happen.

Risotto (sort of)

As we all know, bacon isn't only for breakfast so I thought I would share this recipe with you that I made Monday night. It's easy (once you find the bulgur) and a nice way to stretch your bacon into multiple servings. Plus it could even be viewed as healthy since there is spinach involved. Enjoy!:

Bulgur Risotto with Spinach and Bacon
Recipe courtesy Gourmet Magazine via FoodNetwork.com
Show: Cooking Live
Episode: Foods Of the World: Global Grains
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

2 medium onions, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 cups coarse bulgur
4 cups chicken broth
3-1/2 cups water
1/2 pound sliced bacon, chopped
12 cups baby spinach (8 ounces), trimmed
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Cook onion in oil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until softened. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.

Add bulgur, broth, and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until bulgur is tender and creamy (like risotto), about 20 minutes.

While bulgur is simmering, cook bacon in a skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp, then drain on paper towels.

Stir spinach into bulgur until wilted, then stir in Parmesan, half of bacon, and salt and pepper, to taste. Serve "risotto" sprinkled with remaining bacon.

It's even tasty as leftovers. It travels well, heats up fast and the flavors fuse together quite nicely. Proof -- lunch at work the day after:

Good or Gross?

Fellow Bacon Challenge '08 participant Mike sent me this link the other day: http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/post_135.

Why he didn't post this himself is beyond me. He does have the administrative privileges to do so, but you know how he gets. Maybe it's because he is all about the now and that link is from almost one year ago. Or maybe because some might think that would be a better fit for a hot dog challenge instead of a bacon challenge.

Either way, I think this recipe might be a bit overboard, but still it's worth mentioning. Especially because I hope someone makes this and I get to try it.