Wow...just wow....

Bacon Beer?? Yes, please!

Wow, life has sure gotten in the way for the past little while...so now it's time to get back to my bacon quest!

One of my favorite restaurants here in Clarkston, MI is the Union Woodshop. Detroit has had some amazing BBQ places pop up in recent years and this is truly one of the best! Everything on the menu has been carefully planned and expertly prepared, so you know that every bite from the starters to the fries is going to be delicious...and Kid Rock frequents the place, so you can even get your celebrity sightings out of the way!

So, obviously, pig meat is king here...pulled pork, applewood bacon...but what I was most drawn to on the menu was a drink rather than an entree. "Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier" Ok, so I can't pronounce it, but the menu described it as bacon in a bottle, so despite the $10 price tag I had to give it a try!

Schlenkerla, or smokebeer, is rarely made outside of Bamburg Germany. Historically it was common in beer making to dry the malt in a kiln, which would imbue the malt with a smoky flavor. Over the years new methods arose for drying malt, so the smoking kilns disappeared... but not in Bamburg.

I am a big fan of bold, dark beers...stouts, porters...and this beer is one of my personal favorites. No lie, it really is like drinking bacon, rich and smokey. And I personally can think of no finer food & drink pairing than Schlenkerla with a steaming pile of pulled pork!

Smokebeer.com offers an extensive list of retailers around the world who carry Schlenkerla, and led me to one of my new favorite places, Cloverleaf Fine Wine & Spirits in Royal Oak, MI. The staff is super knowledgeable and they make wonderful suggestions based on your wants and needs. Their online newsletter also clued me in that O'Fallon Brewery in Missouri makes a smoked porter using smoked malt from Bamburg, but I haven't been able to track down a bottle yet for comparison.

Vacation for Bacon - Part 4

With the holidays upon us a lot of us will be gathering with friend and family. Since it tis the season for parties and presents I thought I would focus my next couple of posts on bacon in the world of potables. Yes, bacon + alcohol!

My first experience with this combination came at the Double Down Saloon in Las Vegas. I had heard that this place made a bacon martini, and I was determined to try it. This drink was featured on Samantha Brown's "Passport to Great Weekends" on the Travel Channel...but even though I watched the show I wasn't quite prepared for how seedy the place actually is! Now, this place is the textbook definition of "dive bar" and is situated a bit off of "the strip" so is not subject to the usual Vegas razzle dazzle. Sitting at the bar on a weekday afternoon we were treated to some very colorful local characters...an off duty casino waitress, a guy who may or may not have been conscious, and a guy who was recently released from prison, just to name a few...

As for the drink itself, it was comprised of a bacon infused vodka...and by that I mean a bottle of vodka that was filled with several pieces of raw bacon (the alcohol supposedly "cooks" the meat...) Jealous yet? The drink also had a nice oily film over the top of it, and a distinct raw bacon smell... As long as I avoided smelling it, it really wasn't half bad. Strong, distinct smoky flavor... The verdict, an interesting experience, one I'm glad I had, but definitely not something I would drink again.

I was told that the vodka actually makes a decent Bloody Mary...maybe something you will see in upcoming posts...just saying...

If you feel brave enough to try it for yourself get yourself to 4640 Paradise Rd., Las Vegas, NV., and belly up to the bar!

Bakin' with Bacon at Zingerman's

Recently I took a trip to Ann Arbor to do something I've been dying to do for ages...take a class at Zingerman's Bakehouse!! With all of the fabulous classes to choose from you'd think my choice would be a tough one...but when I heard about Bakin' With Bacon my choice was made!

Here I am donning my apron and ready to bake!!

This was truly a day of awesomeness! Not only was the class super fun and hands-on (so I got to get covered with doughy baconness!) but we also got to taste everything we made and take home tons of goodies! We even got to learn about all of the wonderful ingredients that Zingerman's used to make everything extra special.

Here are a couple of my classmates prepping their bread for the oven...

So, I bet you're wondering what we made...well...this is what I took home:

Left to right...Pepper Bacon Bread, Bacon Cheddar Scones and Bacon Pecan Sandies. Sounds wonderful, huh?? I assure you they were delicious!

As a bonus, our instructor, Shelby, also demonstrated how to make Bacon and Apple Yeasted Donuts with a maple glaze. Yum! I'm a little apprehensive to try those at home, but I was uber-happy to get a taste.

If you're looking for a place to hone your baking skills, or just something fun and different to do, you should give one of these classes a try. Now I just need to decide which class to take next!

Vacation for Bacon - Part 3

Wow, what a busy few weeks it's been! As promised, I have been working on some fun things to share. During my absence I have done a little house-sitting for my mom while she was visiting Portland, OR (sooooo jealous!) and she brought me back a very special treat in return....something that came in this bag...

A maple bacon bar from Voodoo Doughnut!!

Just look at it...the soft pillowy doughnut...the thick glaze of maple frosting...the crispy strips of salty bacon on top. Pure doughy perfection! Yum!

This is not my first experience with this wondrous creation. A few years back I went to Voodoo myself and stood in this line...

And they were all sold out! It's ok, because I went back the next day and got this... So worth it!

The maple bacon bar is just one of the inventive (and sometimes scandalous) flavors Voodoo Doughnut has to offer. If you are ever in Portland check out one (or both) of their locations at 22 SW 3rd Ave and 1501 NW Davis St. Both are open 24 hours and accept cash only.

Bacon Apple Crisp

Wow, it's been a while! I finally finished my move, so I can get back to blogging. I did take some time out while I was lugging boxes from place to place to try out a fantastic recipe from Zingerman's Guide to Better Bacon. What could be better on a cool fall evening than a nice warm apple crisp? A nice warm apple crisp with bacon in it!

I have to admit I was intrigued with this recipe because, not only did the combination sound delicious, but the pepper that was called for was Arkansas Pepper Bacon. I couldn't resist the idea of a sweet treat laced with the bite of peppercorns (another of my fave things!) so on my most recent trip to Zingerman's I picked up some. Just look at it!

I can't print the recipe here because of copyrights, but let me tell you, after I learned how to candy bacon without burning it to a crisp, this crisp was delicious! Everyone who tried it agreed, this is definitely a recipe that will be used over and over again. In fact, there will probably be one of these showing up to Thanksgiving dinner this year... Mmmmm!

In the meantime...

I have some good posts in the works, but for now I'll leave you with some funny stuff from comedian, Jim Gaffigan....