Bacon!!!

Now don't everyone fight over me at once here! It's clear that you all want me to be the judge of this competition. My name must have been thrown around at least a dozen times. I'll see if I can't make some room in my busy bacon-cooking schedule to delight in your culinary masterpieces.

Hooray! Judge #2! And Ethan, baby - you might have to suffer through a slice of cheese or two if I'm involved - but, on the other hand, I'd gladly make you one without, while making sure the other judges tasted the full effect.

I love the idea of this "challenge", because it's culinary skill distilled to the nth degree: SELECT the perfect ingredients, COMBINE them, and COOK the bacon of choice PROPERLY. Nothing fancy, just being a good cook. And anybody could do it, anybody could win - not just people who cook for a living.

Also: I think we should add a grilled cheese division to the cook-off. Just to make things a little more lively.

I'll second the grill cheese entry. If you make a "special" sandwich for Ethan you must use Bunny or Wonder bread with Miracle Whip and hot house tomatoes.

Okay, here's my brainstorm idea: a three-way sandwich contest:

1 - Grilled Cheese. Any bread, any cheese, no vegetables of any kind. This is about bread crisping and cheese-melting skill.

2 - BLT. Any bread, any bacon, any cheese, any tomato. This is about bread crisping and bacon-choosing and -cooking skill.

3 - Tuna Melt. Tuna salad of your own concoction, any bread, anything else you want to add. This is about bread crisping and a complex salad.


Let's do it in July.

Please, please put my name on the list of challengers!!!! As a long time firehouse chef I know a couple of things about what makes a mean grilled cheese and BLT sandwich.

Please, please put my name on the list of challengers!!!! As a long time firehouse chef I know a couple of things about what makes a mean grilled cheese and BLT sandwich.

and then there were four

Lord help me - if you need another judge, a cook in a previous life and current broken-down paramedic and food-lover, I'm availiable!! this sounds like foodie heaven!!

Wow, this could shape up to be quite the event. I'm definitely down with waiting until August when we will be flush with the best tomatoes...

Plus, it will give everyone LOT'S of time to prepare, secure the judges(and a fair format for comparison) and make sure this a fun time to be had by all!!!

Now don't everyone fight over me at once here! It's clear that you all want me to be the judge of this competition. My name must have been thrown around at least a dozen times. I'll see if I can't make some room in my busy bacon-cooking schedule to delight in your culinary masterpieces.

Hooray! Judge #2! And Ethan, baby - you might have to suffer through a slice of cheese or two if I'm involved - but, on the other hand, I'd gladly make you one without, while making sure the other judges tasted the full effect.

I love the idea of this "challenge", because it's culinary skill distilled to the nth degree: SELECT the perfect ingredients, COMBINE them, and COOK the bacon of choice PROPERLY. Nothing fancy, just being a good cook. And anybody could do it, anybody could win - not just people who cook for a living.

Also: I think we should add a grilled cheese division to the cook-off. Just to make things a little more lively.

to quote Thomas Keller:

"Let's face it: if you and I have the same capabilities, the same energy, the same staff, if the only thing that's different between you and me is the products we can get, and I can get a better product than you, I'm going to be a better chef."


It's really what good cooking is all about.


I'm glad to see people all in agreement to wait until summer so we can get some amazing tomatoes on deck.

I'm in for judging the BLT category (honestly, probably my favorite sandwich... add an over easy egg on top, and i'm in heaven.)
but i'm out for the Grilled Cheese and Tuna Melt categories.

I think it would be fine to have different sets of judges for the different sandwiches - that way more people could participate.

I'm not married to tuna melt, either. Could be chicken salad, egg salad, pb&j, whatev.

I think it would be fine to have different sets of judges for the different sandwiches - that way more people could participate.

I'm not married to tuna melt, either. Could be chicken salad, egg salad, pb&j, whatev.

I can see it now; sashimi-grade Maguro or Toro tuna melt. The $20 sandwich!

I read an article about Eban Freeman of NYC's Tailor infusing bourbon with bacon. He lets it sit for 2 days until a fat line forms on the top and then uses it. I recently tried the same with devilled ham and vodka and it works quite well. I fined mine through a coffee filter, though. The flavor is very subtle, but is definately there. Not so old fashioned anyone?

Anyone a fan of jowl (joel) bacon? Cut into batons and tossed with honey and cracked pepper, it's truly candy-crack

I read an article about Eban Freeman of NYC's Tailor infusing bourbon with bacon. He lets it sit for 2 days until a fat line forms on the top and then uses it. I recently tried the same with devilled ham and vodka and it works quite well. I fined mine through a coffee filter, though. The flavor is very subtle, but is definately there. Not so old fashioned anyone?

Anyone a fan of jowl (joel) bacon? Cut into batons and tossed with honey and cracked pepper, it's truly candy-crack

From all i've read, Eben Freeman is bar-none a cocktail genius.

On another note, i've made bacon caramel by substituting a portion of the cream ratio with rendered bacon fat.
I froze this into a tube and then grated it over a cornbread French toast dessert.

Tasty!

Nice flavor combination and technique!

You just gave me an idea...

Tomorrow I'm gonna make a nougat of Bacon/ Dourian. Served as a quenelle, I'll prolly make the chantilly with turbinado sugar. A syrup of Maker's Mark, American Honey, Drambuie or Pango Rhum...

I'll let you know how it goes...

Nice flavor combination and technique!

You just gave me an idea...

Tomorrow I'm gonna make a nougat of Bacon/ Dourian. Served as a quenelle, I'll prolly make the chantilly with turbinado sugar. A syrup of Maker's Mark, American Honey, Drambuie or Pango Rhum...

I'll let you know how it goes...

is this for your own personal consumption, or for some sort of professional usage?

...just curious.

A little of both.

I enjoy taking gifts to my coworkers and patrons at Varanese. One day it might be some dim sum or fried pig intestine from Red Pepper (that place is the bomb.) The next it might be a mock- mole I made from night of the iguana chocolate chai tea. I believe it helps extend palates and enthusiasm, while furthering my own personal development. If I identify you as a foodie or regular, you can bet I'll be stopping by at some point during your meal with a lagnappe. I can't pull this off on a Wed, Fri or Sat, but I try my best.

I also include every palate possible when I develop my drinks. Not only do I get some great feedback and ideas, but the guest's experience is enhanced. When was the last time a restaurant included you, the guest, in on the creative process?

What can I say? It's my thing, and I have a terrific chef that agrees with the vision (for example, he visits every table personally. Who does that anymore?)