Stuff We Love: BACON!!!!!!!

Bacon in the Sunby Maggie Shi

Few things smell—or taste—quite as good as crispy, chewy, savory, sizzling bacon. Check out our favorite ways to bring it on home, from presses that produce perfectly pan-fried pork to unusual gourmet goodies inspired by everyone's favorite breakfast meat. When it comes to bacon, we ain't fakin'.




Bacon in the SunPig Out
As a true bacon connoisseur, you've tried it all—hickory, applewood-smoked, peppered, maple. But until you've tasted vanilla bourbon bacon, well... you might as well have never eaten so much as a bacon bit. Gatton Farms has been curing meats since 1840, so you can bet their Father's Country Meats are mighty tasty. And their gourmet sampler selection includes amazing, delectable bacon flavors you won't find anywhere else, including vanilla bourbon, peach cinnamon, and blueberry cinnamon. Can bacon fruit pies be far behind? $34 for five one-pound packages (one of each flavor) at FathersCountryHams.com.



Bacon in the SunDon't Curl Up and Fry
When you fry bacon, does it always end up a shrunken, shriveled up mess? Just place this adorable yet practical tool (shaped like—what else?—a pig) on top of your bacon strips to keep them flat and help them cook evenly. The press is made of durable cast-iron and is also great for flattening quesadillas, grilled cheese sandwiches, and other tasty quick-grilled treats. $9.99 at online retailers.



Bacon in the SunShake on the Bacon
The official tagline of bacon salt is "Everything should taste like bacon," and if you agree (and really, who doesn't?), this creative condiment is for you. Because it doesn't contain real bacon, bacon salt is perfect for vegetarians who miss their pork. It comes in three flavors—original, peppered and hickory (we liked hickory best)—and can be used on scrambled eggs, meats, French fries... really, anything you want to experiment on. One caveat: This isn't bacon flavoring, it's bacon salt, which means it'll make your food taste salty as well as bacon-y, so add sparingly at first. $4.95 at BaconSalt.com.



Bacon in the SunSweet, Meet Savory
Love someone who loves bacon? Skip the champagne truffles and send these bacon-infused chocolates instead. Inspired by a lifelong devotion to this tasty pork product (he ate raw bacon as a child and made bacon ice cream in culinary school), chef David Briggs crafts his unique candies without artificial flavors or preservatives. The most subtle of his creations has a chocolate shell enclosing a smooth, creamy, bacon-infused ganache and is garnished with a small sliver of candied bacon. It's sweet, savory, smoky and salty all at once... an intriguing mix of flavors that works better than you think. If you're adventurous, try his bacon caramel and pork satay chocolates. $11.85 for a box of four at AtTheMeadow.com.




Bacon in the SunMakin' Bacon, Made Easy
Tired of grease-splattered walls and messy pans to scrub? This ingenious gadget lets you cook bacon in the microwave with far less hassle; simply drape strips across the racks and nuke until it's as crisp as you like it. Because the fat drips into the tray below as it cooks, your bacon won't be sitting in a pool of grease when you're ready to eat—resulting in a healthier and more appetizing breakfast. To make cleanup even simpler, you can stick the whole contraption in the dishwasher when you're done. Bacon that's easy to cook, healthier, and doesn't make a mess? We're in hog heaven. $14.49 at KitchenCollection.com.



Bacon in the SunBacony-Fresh Breath
Okay, "bacon mints" sound strange... and they are strange. Strangely refreshing, that is. As you open the pocket-sized tin, the smell of bacon can be a teensy bit overwhelming. But push past it and place one of the mints in your mouth, and you'll find that these little suckers pack a lot of taste. They definitely have that savory, smoky bacon flavor, but it mingles nicely with a refreshing taste of mint. They may not exactly improve your post-dinner breath, but if you just can't get enough bacon flavor, this mint's for you. $4.95 for two tins at McPhee.com.



Bacon in the Sun
More -
iVillagers' best bacon recipes:
http://recipes.ivillage.com/recipes/index.cfm?fuseaction=SearchSwapRecipes

Delicious dishes by America's top chefs
http://topsecretrecipes.ivillage.com/food/

Cool tools: Ingenious kitchen helpers
http://stuffwelove.ivillage.com/food/cool_tools/post_14.html

Cooking videos: Recipes, tips and how-tos
http://video.ivillage.com/player/?id=29032

Got a great bacon recipe? Share it here!
http://recipes.ivillage.com/recipes/

http://stuffwelove.ivillage.com/food/bacon_in_the_sun/more_16.html