Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com/media/feedlogo.gif Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com en-us Copyright 2009 Blogsmith, LLC. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Seal Meat a Controversial Canadian Dining Choicehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/02/seal-meat-a-controversial-canadian-dining-choice/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/02/seal-meat-a-controversial-canadian-dining-choice/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/02/seal-meat-a-controversial-canadian-dining-choice/#commentsFiled under: ,

seal meat curing
Seal meat. Photo: tootsmabel/flickr
Here's one food that may or may not get your seal of approval.

Seals -- the same lovable, clapping sea creatures that are a favorite zoo attraction and poster child for animal activism -- are being served for dinner by our neighbors to the north.

The New York Times reports a small number of fine dining institutions in Canada are incorporating seal meat into their menus.

Combine the unusual nature of the meat (the taste has been described anywhere from gamey to beefy to fishy) with the fact that the European Union recently banned imports of Canadian seal products, and suddenly the seal-serving restaurants have become both a target for hate mail and unforeseen hungry tourists.

Hear from one seal-serving chef after the jump.

Continue reading Seal Meat a Controversial Canadian Dining Choice

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]]>Canadasealseal meatSealMeatSarah LeTrent2009-07-02T06:00:00+00:00Liquid Smoke - What is It?http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/23/liquid-smoke-what-is-it/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/23/liquid-smoke-what-is-it/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/23/liquid-smoke-what-is-it/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

kent kirshenbaum
NYU chemistry professor Kent Kirshenbaum. Photo: Jeff Potter
Like many inquisitive scientists, Kent Kirshenbaum regularly scans the ingredient list of prepared foods to uncover the chemical composites lurking within. The substance that most recently piqued the New York University chemistry professor's curiosity is liquid smoke. "My immediate thought was that it was a horrible mix of chemicals," he told us.

After distilling the concentrated smoke and liquid mix (often sold at the grocery store by the bottle to enhance barbecue) down to its roots of water and more than 400 chemical compounds, the scientist (who in person comes across as one part Einstein, one part Malcolm Gladwell) learned that liquid smoke is actually "safer [for human ingestion] than untreated wood smoke."

Kirshenbaum discussed his discovery last week during a monthly gathering of the Experimental Cuisine Collective -- food nerds who love to make things like edible foam. We caught up with him to chat smoke, bongs and homemade liquid smoke.

What is liquid smoke?
Liquid smoke is very simply smoke in water. Smoke usually comes as a vapor, but there are ways to condense it and turn it into liquid and that liquid can then be carried in water.

Continue reading Liquid Smoke - What is It?

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]]>chemistryexperimental cuisine collectiveExperimentalCuisineCollectivefood scienceFoodSciencekent kirshenbaumKentKirshenbaumliquid smokeLiquidSmokemolecular gastonomyMolecularGastonomyNYUPervaiz Shallwani2009-06-23T14:00:00+00:00Big Apple BBQ Block Party Recaphttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/15/big-apple-bbq-block-party-recap/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/15/big-apple-bbq-block-party-recap/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/15/big-apple-bbq-block-party-recap/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



As promised, we're beginning our recap of the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party this past weekend, featuring 15 of the best pitmasters from around the USA. After you take a dip in the barbecue sauce fountain, courtesy of Mike Mills and Amy Mills of 17th Street Bar & Grill, click on the post to see our photos. "Peace, Love & Barbecue," everyone!

Continue reading Big Apple BBQ Block Party Recap

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]]>17th street bbq17thStreetBbqbarbecuebbqbbq festivalBbqFestivalbig apple bbq block partybig apple bbq festivalBigAppleBbqBlockPartyBigAppleBbqFestivaldanny meyerDannyMeyered mitchellEdMitchellelizabeth karmelElizabethKarmelfood festivalsFoodFestivalsjohn currenceJohnCurrencemike millsMikeMillsSlashfood Editor2009-06-15T16:00:00+00:00Piers Morgan Strips for Burger King Fragrance Adhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/15/piers-morgan-strips-for-burger-king-fragrance-ad/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/15/piers-morgan-strips-for-burger-king-fragrance-ad/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/15/piers-morgan-strips-for-burger-king-fragrance-ad/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Morgan before his BK ad. Photo: Ferdaus Shamim/WireImage
Way back when Burger King first launched its Flame fragrance in the U.S., Slashfood said the ad featuring a naked King was "sexier than a naked David Hasselhoff with a puppy."

Well company officials must have been reading as they tapped Piers Morgan, Hasselhoff's co-judge on "America's Got Talent," to peddle the "fragrance with the hint of flame-grilled beef" to his British brethren.

"I know what you're thinking," Morgan says in a video on Burger King's U.K. Web site. 'Hard to improve on perfection.'"

Continue reading Piers Morgan Strips for Burger King Fragrance Ad

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]]>burger kingBurgerKingflamefragrancepiers morganPiersMorganSara Bonisteel2009-06-15T13:30:00+00:00Pork-à-Porterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/11/pork-a-porter/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/11/pork-a-porter/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/11/pork-a-porter/#commentsFiled under:

meat dress
Meat. It's what's for ... wearing? If you've got a ton of salami and bacon, some clear vinyl and about six hours to kill, then yes. The lovely ladies of Craftzine stumbled across this creation, crafted by one Jia Jem for her "Aqua Teen Hunger Force"-themed birthday party (she dressed up as Meatwad, the show's cartoon meatball). While the dress proved to be a hit with just about everyone but vegetarians, it was a one-wear affair, and no, she didn't eat it after she wore it.

Raw meat apparel isn't exactly new: The Canadian artist Jana Sterbak once made a gown using 50 pounds of raw flank steak, and the folks behind Hats of Meat have been crafting their eponymous chapeaus for a few years now. But this meat dress appears to be the most wearable, if only because it has a zipper and vinyl strips around the hem to catch all of the drippings (oh, the glamour).

Regardless of whether or not you yourself are tempted to don, say, prosciutto pants, this dress is bound to inspire some strong reactions. What do you think: Is the meat dress an inspired creation? A greasy abomination? Or the perfect answer to the perpetual conundrum of what to wear?

[Jia Jem via Craftzine]
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]]>Craftzinediyhats of meatHatsOfMeatJia JemJiaJemmeat dressMeatDressRebecca Flint Marx2009-06-11T17:00:00+00:00Flashback to the Seventies: Korean Barbecuehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/05/flashback-to-the-seventies-korean-barbecue/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/05/flashback-to-the-seventies-korean-barbecue/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/05/flashback-to-the-seventies-korean-barbecue/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

In this weekly series, home cook Bruce Watson works his way through a decades-old family cookbook, adapting the best recipes exclusively for Slashfood.

Over the last few years, Korean barbecue has gained fresh relevance in the United States. Whether served on hot dog buns in Manhattan, tortillas in Los Angeles or rice in Korean restaurants around the country, the sweet, oniony flavors of bulgoki, japchae and galbi are incredibly delicious and increasingly popular.

When I was a kid, bulgoki (also spelled bulgogi, pulgoki, pulgogi and any number of other ways) was a staple in my house. My parents, who lived in Korea before I was born, loved the stuff and would cook it on an electric griddle at our dinner table. As my sisters and I got older, we got involved in the fun; some of my first cooking experiences involved flipping bulgoki with a pair of bamboo tongs.

I've played with amounts and ingredients, but my mother's basic bulgoki recipe is fantastic. In fact, my only major change is in the dipping sauce: while my parents used light soy sauce with a sprinkle of pepper, I prefer a more traditional garlic/vinegar sauce, which I've included below.

Get the recipe for bulgoki after the jump.

Continue reading Flashback to the Seventies: Korean Barbecue

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]]>beyond rice krispiebeyond rice krispie treatsBeyondRiceKrispieBeyondRiceKrispieTreatsbulgogibulgokiKorean foodKoreanFoodpulgogipulgokiBruce Watson2009-06-05T15:00:00+00:00Taste of Tribeca's Lamb Cook-Off - Mutton Wrong with Competitionhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/21/taste-of-tribecas-lamb-cook-off-mutton-wrong-with-competition/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/21/taste-of-tribecas-lamb-cook-off-mutton-wrong-with-competition/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/21/taste-of-tribecas-lamb-cook-off-mutton-wrong-with-competition/#commentsFiled under: ,

kurt gutenbrunner
By Alexis Korman

Is lamb replacing bacon as the go-to fetish object for meat lovers? Recipes for the succulent spring meat have recently popped up on Seriously Good, Bitten and Market Manila, but lamb is also making an appearance on the competitive cook-off circuit.

This weekend, lamb was the star of New York City's Taste of Tribeca food festival, featured in an "Iron Chef"-style showdown between two well-known toques, "Top Chef" Season Five alum Leah Cohen (remembered not just for her cooking skills, but also for her scandalous make-out session with winner Hosea Rosenberg) and Austrian wunderkind Kurt Gutenbrunner of New Yorks Wallsé.

Read more about the heated competition after the jump.

Continue reading Taste of Tribeca's Lamb Cook-Off - Mutton Wrong with Competition

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]]>cook-offdrew nieporentDrewNieporentlambLeah CohenLeahCohentaste of tribecaTasteOfTribecatop chefTopChefAlexis Korman2009-05-21T16:00:00+00:00A Pig's Tale - Feast Your Eyeshttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/04/a-pigs-tale-feast-your-eyes/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/04/a-pigs-tale-feast-your-eyes/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/04/a-pigs-tale-feast-your-eyes/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

pig candy
Pay no heed to those who thoughtlessly proclaim bacon-inflected desserts "so over," or "so December 2008."

Pictured is one of the reasons why. This delicacy, known as Pig Candy, is the genius of one Rhonda Kave of Roni-Sue's Chocolates. What Kave has done is create a union as holy as that of peanut butter and chocolate or vodka and tonic: fried bacon, dipped in chocolate. And that's it.

It's a marriage that is astoundingly pure yet diabolically addictive and, thanks to the beauty of online retail, has inspired slavish devotion far beyond the Roni-Sue headquarters on New York City's Lower East Side. This photo hints at the promise and madness contained in each salty-sweet nugget. While the shutterbug's ability to restrain herself long enough to take the pic is admirable, the subject likely met its demise shortly after being immortalized for the enjoyment of drooling procrastinators everywhere.

[Via Flickr]
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]]>baconchocolatepig candyPigCandyroni-sues chocolatesRoni-suesChocolatesRebecca Flint Marx2009-05-04T10:00:00+00:00Le Tantalizing Croque Monsieurhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/01/le-tantalizing-croque-monsieur/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/01/le-tantalizing-croque-monsieur/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/01/le-tantalizing-croque-monsieur/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

croque monsieur

One of the simplest French dishes is also among the most surefire crowd-pleasers -- the croque monsieur. At a holiday dinner last year a room erupted into moans of pleasure when these were served. All for a ham and cheese sandwich!

The name of this crisp and creamy treat derives from the French verb "croquer," which means "to crunch," and the word "monsieur," for "mister." Together they make "Mr. Crunch," which doesn't sound nearly as appetizing as en Francais, in which seems an elegant name worthy of its flavor and Proustian roots. (The meal first popped up in literature in Marcel Proust's "In Search of Lost Time.")

Learn more about "Mr. Crunch" after the jump.

Continue reading Le Tantalizing Croque Monsieur

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]]>Bistrot ZincBistrotZinccroquecroque monsieurCroqueMonsieurFrench sandwichesFrenchSandwichesTim KirkerTimKirkerMonika Bartyzel2009-05-01T15:00:00+00:00Flashback to the '70s - Sweet and Sour Chickenhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/23/flashback-to-the-seventies-sweet-and-sour-chicken/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/23/flashback-to-the-seventies-sweet-and-sour-chicken/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/23/flashback-to-the-seventies-sweet-and-sour-chicken/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

chicken
In the 1970s the handy little ovens we now use to reheat leftovers and frozen dinners experienced a brief golden age, with folks employing them for cooking everything from turkeys to cheesecake. This recipe dates from the glorious reign of microwaves.

Like many of Aunt Evie's recipes, her microwaved sweet-and-sour chicken is easy, convenient and surprisingly flavorful. However, it relies on hard-to-find, annoyingly coarse-textured pickling spice and employs an unnecessary amount of margarine. For the modern incarnation we selected only certain pickling spices and ground them up, resulting in a far more evenly flavored and pleasantly textured dish.

This was an interesting experiment with the tiny oven: Microwaving, which essentially cooks meat from the inside out, didn't really yield chicken that has fully absorbed its sauce (or its savory flavor). Consequently, this recipe yields meat that is tender but bland. With that in mind, stove-top directions are at the end of the recipe. Regardless of which cooking method you use, this is a fun, easy and surprisingly tasty dish. Go, Aunt Evie!

Continue reading Flashback to the '70s - Sweet and Sour Chicken

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]]>beyond rice krispie treatsBeyondRiceKrispieTreatsmicrowaved chickenMicrowavedChickenpickling spicesPicklingSpicessweet and soursweet and sour chickenSweetAndSourSweetAndSourChickenBruce Watson2009-04-23T11:00:00+00:00Smitten by Pasta - Feast Your Eyeshttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/22/smitten-by-sausage-and-pasta-feast-your-eyes/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/22/smitten-by-sausage-and-pasta-feast-your-eyes/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/22/smitten-by-sausage-and-pasta-feast-your-eyes/#commentsFiled under: , ,

pasta
Fresh pasta: Every time we see it, it stops us short. Maybe it's the familiar sight of noodles after a long haul of a day. Maybe it's the swirl of tomatoes and poppy fresh fava beans, or the thought of irresistibly salty chopped sausage. Regardless, something about this Smitten Kitchen photo made us pause, mid-Web-surf, and for good reason: A quick investigation reveals that the smitten couple is actually moving and this is the last meal in their beloved old 80-square-foot kitchen. So click on over, bid them adieu as they settle into their new digs, or just sort of hang out and ponder the beauty of fresh pasta and tomatoes for a while. We won't judge.

[Via Smitten Kitchen]
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]]>feast your eyesFeastYourEyespastasausagesmitten kitchenSmittenKitchenAlex Van Buren2009-04-22T10:00:00+00:00A Pork-Bun Journey Through Chinatownhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/01/a-pork-bun-journey-through-chinatown/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/01/a-pork-bun-journey-through-chinatown/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/01/a-pork-bun-journey-through-chinatown/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Steamed BBQ Pork Bun

Eating pork buns (cha siu baau) is an excellent way to get a taste of New York's Chinatown. These warm buns -- either steamed or baked -- are full of savory barbecue meats, sometimes with scallions.

Last weekend, a friend and I decided we would eat our way through Chinatown by trying pork buns at various bakeries. And, what started out as a "pork bun journey" turned into an exploration of both savory and sweet buns, ranging from pork to red bean.

Fay Da Bakery, at 83 Mott St., has a variety of buns that you can select yourself with tongs when you enter the shop. While being underwhelmed by their pork buns, we were blown away with their sweet topping red-bean bun. The outside of the red-bean bun is coated in a flaky layer of sugar that balances marvelously with the doughy bun and the creamy red-bean paste.

Head directly to the Golden Fung Wong Bakery, at 41 Mott St., to try some of the best pork buns in Manhattan's Chinatown. Chunks of pork are flavored with a delicious mix of soy and oyster sauce. This bakery also sells an assortment of rice cakes and melon cakes that are worth trying.

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]]>bakeriesbakerychinatownporkpork bunPorkBunMax Shrem2009-04-01T14:00:00+00:00Gravy Bath Saltshttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/31/gravy-bath-salts/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/31/gravy-bath-salts/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/31/gravy-bath-salts/#commentsFiled under: ,

For those who love feeling April fresh and ever so slightly like hassenpfeffer, Archie McPhee debuts their savory new suite of Gravy Bath Salts.

"The only lump in this gravy is you! Rip open the package of Gravy Bath Salts and stir in the seasoning and it will turn your bath into a warm, thick, savory smelling pool of gravy and soap. You've never been this clean or felt this much like mashed potatoes."
After your soak, towel (or ladle) off, and grab a loved one for a rousing round of Hot Dog Hideaway. Oh, we're such fools for your meat-based antics, Archie. And yours, too, purveyors of Bacon Lube.

[via: Archie McPhee]

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]]>aprilfoolsarchie mcpheeArchieMcpheebath productsBathProductsgravyKat Kinsman2009-03-31T17:30:00+00:00Meat Madness: Vote for Your Favorite Meat!http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/23/meat-madness-vote-for-your-favorite-meat/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/23/meat-madness-vote-for-your-favorite-meat/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/23/meat-madness-vote-for-your-favorite-meat/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

WC Fields once said "I love children ... if they're cooked properly." As a dedicated meat eater, I tend to have similar feelings about vegans.

While some of my best friends deny themselves the joy of animal products, I simply can't imagine completely divorcing myself from cheese, honey, milk and all the wonderful foods that come from animals. On some level, the idea of approaching life from a tofu haze seems almost suicidally self-abnegating.

In fact, while I have occasionally practiced vegetarianism, I am, at heart, a true carnivore. For health reasons, I try to limit my consumption, but I believe, both philosophically and sensually, that meat is an important part of my diet, if not everyone else's.

But which meat is the best? For health reasons, I'd probably go with chicken or turkey, but if it came to richness, my answer might be duck or veal. In terms of flavor, the answer could be lamb or beef, but for extravagance, it's hard to top a nice big buffalo filet mignon. Then again, in the summer, nothing beats a good grilled swordfish steak ... except for maybe a piece of lightly seared tuna.

Vote for your favorite meat after the jump.

Continue reading Meat Madness: Vote for Your Favorite Meat!

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]]>Meat MadnessMeatMadnessSo GoodSoGoodBruce Watson2009-03-23T15:00:00+00:00Curing Your Own Corned Beef - Foodie Flickshttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/20/curing-your-own-corned-beef-foodie-flicks/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/20/curing-your-own-corned-beef-foodie-flicks/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/20/curing-your-own-corned-beef-foodie-flicks/#commentsFiled under: ,



The day of all things green was upon us this week, so in celebration of St. Patrick's Day, I wanted to give you some Corned Beef Brisket foodie flick goodness, courtesy of Pioneer Living.

Corned beef is a brisket or similar cut of beef cured or pickled in brine before it is cooked. The "corn" title comes from the corn-sized salt that is used to cure it.

Unfortunately, there is no instant satisfaction for this recipe. The long, 3-week curing process means you might want to tackle it next year. But there is just enough time to whip this up for Easter, or any time you're jonesing for beef prepared in a different way. The recipe requires minimum effort on your part, and even better, as Sarah points out, two briskets mean you can cure one for corn beef and one for pastrami (if you have the means to smoke it) at the same time.
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]]>corned beefCornedBeefpastramiMonika Bartyzel2009-03-20T11:00:00+00:00Food Challenges - Where's the Beef?http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/06/food-challenges-wheres-the-beef/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/06/food-challenges-wheres-the-beef/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/06/food-challenges-wheres-the-beef/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

I love a good steak, and have had more than my share, but there's a point at which a finely-grilled, perfectly-seasoned slab of beef crosses the line separating cuisine and mortal combat. Such is the case with the increasingly popular trend toward steak challenges. Basically, it works like this: if a customer can eat the required amount of meat -- generally between 48 and 72 ounces -- in a pre-ordained period of time, he or she will get some sort of reward. Sometimes, this is merely bragging rights; more often, it involves prizes like a t-shirt or a free meal.

Consuming over three pounds of beef and sides in an hour or less takes a special kind of person. While I have to admire the determination, I'm not sure that I'm up for joining the club. While I think about my clear lack of manly meat-eating skills, however, I will reassure myself by Digital City's gallery of America's biggest steak challenges. One featured restaurant, Tampa's Frontier Steakhouse Cattle Company challenges its customers to consume a full six pounds of beef, a potato, and a salad in under 75 minutes. Needless to say, I'm not worthy!
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]]>eating contestsEatingContestsSteak challengesSteakChallengesBruce Watson2009-03-06T10:00:00+00:00There's a Lobster in My Pants, and He Does a Little Dance...http://www.slashfood.com/2009/02/26/theres-a-lobster-in-my-pants-and-he-does-a-little-dance/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/02/26/theres-a-lobster-in-my-pants-and-he-does-a-little-dance/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/02/26/theres-a-lobster-in-my-pants-and-he-does-a-little-dance/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Late Thursday night, a security guard at Bally's Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey noticed an unknown man emerging from a restricted kitchen area. The man wasn't a hotel employee, and there was something strange about his appearance, so the guard decided to investigate. As he got closer, he realized that the man had stuffed his clothes with what later turned out to be 91 frozen lobsters. The perpetrator, 38-year-old Anthony Jones was subsequently arrested.

When I first read this story, I imagined that it had to be something of a fluke. First off, there was the impressive number of lobsters; how does one hide 91 spiny crustaceans in one's clothes? Second, there was the simple improbability of the crime. It's hard to imagine that a lot of criminals have attempted to steal lobsters through concealment in clothing.

When one googles "stealing lobster," the vast majority of hits focus on lobster poaching. Even a brief perusal will convince one that this crime is very serious, at least for the denizens of Maine, and the punishment is pretty severe. If the police catch you, you're looking at serious jail time. If fishermen catch you...well, let's just say that you'd probably prefer that the police catch you.

Continue reading There's a Lobster in My Pants, and He Does a Little Dance...

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]]>featuredLobsters in PantsLobstersInPantsPoached LobsterPoachedLobsterstealing lobsterStealingLobsterBruce Watson2009-02-26T10:00:00+00:00Fried Bologna - The West Virginia State Sandwichhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/02/25/fried-bologna-the-west-virginia-state-sandwich/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/02/25/fried-bologna-the-west-virginia-state-sandwich/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/02/25/fried-bologna-the-west-virginia-state-sandwich/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

In a recent marketing campaign, Oscar Meyer proclaimed that its "Deli Creations" flatbread sandwiches were "blogworthy."

I beg to differ.

Nobody likes to be manipulated, and I would argue that bloggers like it less than most. There's something about spending a few lonesome hours a day cranking out content that really ups the curmudgeon quotient and makes us a mite persnickety about our production process. While other blogs, including Gawker, might not be too picky about where they get their tips, I tend to get mighty cranky when multimillion dollar corporations tell me what is and is not blogworthy.

With that in mind, here's something that really is blogworthy: fried bologna sandwiches. For anybody who hasn't tried this backwoods delicacy, the concept may sound a little questionable. However, the combination of bologna and heat produces a dish that is incredibly delicious and startlingly different from a basic bologna sandwich.

Continue reading Fried Bologna - The West Virginia State Sandwich

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]]>featuredFried Bologna sandwichFriedBolognaSandwichOscar Meyer deli creationsOscarMeyerDeliCreationsWest VirginiaWestVirginiaBruce Watson2009-02-25T11:00:00+00:00Bacon, Bacon Everywhere...And, Oh My Pants Did Shrink!http://www.slashfood.com/2009/02/21/bacon-bacon-everywhere-and-oh-my-pants-did-shrink/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/02/21/bacon-bacon-everywhere-and-oh-my-pants-did-shrink/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/02/21/bacon-bacon-everywhere-and-oh-my-pants-did-shrink/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

What is the deal with bacon lately?

Admittedly, it's not as if the delicious fruit of a smoked pig's belly was ever all that obscure; stlll, over the past few weeks, it has been gaining a fresh, and sometimes repulsive cultural relevance. A little over a month ago, Marisa McClellan covered The Bacon Explosion, a spicy, smoked, barbecue-basted brick of pure pork. Truth be told, the explosion is kind of like a bug zapper: terrifying and vaguely dangerous, yet attractive and deeply compelling. Worse yet, for those of us who don't have a meat smoker, the explosion's creators have put together an oven recipe.

As if this wasn't enough, over on RiffTrax Blog, Michael Nelson has announced his intention to eat nothing but bacon for an entire month. As he has struggled through February, a reader has produced a bacon effigy, dubbed FrankenBacon, to demonstrate the aftereffects of too much pork. For those of us who are sometimes haunted by the ghosts of our meat, FrankenBacon is actually a little scary.

Meanwhile, in my constant quest for the best boutique bonbons in New York City, I recently came across an article about Roni-Sue's Chocolates, a company in New York's Essex Street Market. Although Roni-Sue's carries a wide array of truffles and candies, I was immediately drawn to their pig candy. Basically crispy-fried bacon dipped in chocolate, this hearkens back to the sugar-crusted pig candy that my wife and I used to make.

Meanwhile, I'm getting that old carnival feeling--the same one I have when the halcyon call of the deep fryer draws me in with its promise of batter-fried Oreos and funnel cakes. Must...resist...the call...

Who am I kidding? I'll probably hit Roni-Sue's this weekend. On the bright side, maybe it will make it easier for me to resist the siren song of the Bacon Explosion!
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]]>bacon chocolateBacon explosionBaconChocolateBaconExplosionFrankenBaconPig candyPigCandyRoni-Sues chocolatesRoni-suesChocolatesBruce Watson2009-02-21T16:00:00+00:00Plan a Taco Party!http://www.slashfood.com/2009/02/16/plan-a-taco-party/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/02/16/plan-a-taco-party/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/02/16/plan-a-taco-party/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

pretty tacosI've always been a fan of the theme party, where the menu, music, cocktails, and decor all play into the same motif. The last big-themed party I had was my "Leon Trotsky in Mexico" party, so called because it fell on a date right between May Day and Cinco de Mayo. While I did play some tango records and mix up a fair amount of Bloody Marys and anything else made with Russian vodka, the party's big attraction was the make-your-own-taco bar. It really is one of the easiest and most crowd-pleasing menus I've ever served. Suggestions for your spread include...

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]]>Lissa Townsend Rodgers2009-02-16T16:05:00+00:00