There is not now and never will be a meaningful salami, lettuce and tomato sandwich.
It must be bacon, lettuce and tomato.
Sure, it’s possible to tart up vegetables with smoked turkey wings or ham hocks, but green beans, peas and squash are stellar when simmered with the real deal: bacon.
And while BOMC might mean Book of the Month Club to many, to pork devotees, it means Bacon of the Month Club, and such clubs truly exist.
Zingerman’s, the famed Michigan deli in Ann Arbor, seasonally offers a monthly air-freight delivery of six bacons in a program subtitled When Pigs Fly, available from zingermans.com. In addition to a year’s worth of bacon, members of the Grateful Palate’s BOMC (gratefulpalate.com) receive a bacon-themed comic strip, a pig nose, ballpoint pen, rubber toy and T-shirt.
Bacon-and-egg bandages are available to protect boo-boos, not to mention bacon air fresheners and bacon wrapping paper, all from mcphee.com.
Bacon variations abound as well: baked, broiled, microwaved or pan-fried; pepper-cured or hickory smoked; slab or sliced.
Once the bacon’s in the house, you might wonder where the phrase “bring home the bacon” originated. According to foodreference.com, there are at least three possibilities. One says it might have come from the 12th-century English custom of giving a young couple bacon if they were still happily wed after a year of marriage. Another suggests it originated with greased pig competitions at fairs, the winner “bringing home the bacon” by capturing the pig.
The third possibility dates to the 16th century. European peasants could afford pork only occasionally, so it made them feel quite special. They would hang the bacon to show off. In a gesture of hospitality, the host would cut off a bit to share with guests, then sit around and “chew the fat.”
Now comes a cookbook for bacon lovers: “Seduced by Bacon: Recipes and Lore about America’s Favorite Indulgence” by Joanna Pruess (The Lyons Press, $24.95).
Well-greased with recipes from the sublime – mussels steamed with bacon and beer – to the ridiculous – bacon ice cream – this labor of love offers 178 recipes for bonding with the pig.
The seduction is interpersed with odes and essays from names as well-known and diverse as Mark Twain, Roy Blount and Fran Leibowitz.
What better way to launch Christmas morning, then, than with breakfast tapas? Bite- sized, quiche-like bocaditos españoles are phyllo cups filled with cheese, bacon, tart cherries and almonds.
Depending on how early (or late) breakfast is, and the size of your crowd, an old-fashioned shepherd’s pie laced with real bacon bits works just fine.
For those addicted to eggs and bacon, serve a bacon-laced zucchini gratin topped with a light tomato coulis, which works as either a brunch munch or a side to a leg of lamb or roasted chicken. The gratin can be made in advance, baked and served warm or at room temperature.
“Seduced by Bacon” establishes without quarrel that there are at least 178 ways to make bacon work in almost anything – even ice cream.
Staff writer Ellen Sweets can be reached at 303-954-1284 or esweets@denverpost.com.
Zucchini Gratin
Adapted from the original recipe in “Seduced by Bacon,” by Joanna Pruess, this recipe works well as a winter brunch dish. Top it with your favorite thick salsa or pico de gallo. It works well as an accompaniment to a breakfast strata, leg of lamb or roast chicken. Serves 8.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
8 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
3 medium zucchini, washed and cut crosswise into 1/4 slices
2 large shallots, finely chopped
2 eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup freshly grated
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/3 cup cooked white rice
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish. Set aside.
Cook the bacon in a large, heavy skillet until crisp; remove and blot on paper towels. Crumble and scatter bacon in the baking dish.
Discard all but 2 tablespoons fat from pan. Heat over medium-high heat. Stir in zucchini and sauté until it is wilted and lightly colored, about 5-7 minutes, shaking the pan often. Reduce heat to medium, stir in the shallots, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes longer, or until shallots are wilted.
In a large bowl, beat eggs and milk. Add zucchini mixture, half the cheese, rice, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish, smooth the top, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until a knife inserted in the center of the gratin comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
When cool, cut into squares and top each serving with salsa or pico de gallo.
Wine ideas: If you have this on its own, with just some salsa on the side, look for a chardonnay from California; Paraiso and Hanna make good examples for about $20.
-Tara Q. Thomas
Old-Fashioned Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd’s pie is as homey as meatloaf but more glamorous. Ground lamb (or beef), with a hint of smoky bacon, marries well with layers of peas and mashed potatoes. You can make it ahead and reheat it, if you prefer. This dish was so named because it was commonplace food for sheepherders who ate in the morning or at noon before tending their flocks. From “Seduced by Bacon,” by Joanna Pruess. Serves 4 generously.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
4 ounces double-smoked slab bacon with the rind removed, cut into 1-inch-by- 1/2-inch-by 1/2-inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper with seeds and membranes removed, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound lean ground lamb or beef, or a combination of both
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup beef stock
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 (10-ounce) package frozen petite peas, defrosted and blotted dry
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4-6 tablespoons milk
Directions
In a saucepan, cover potatoes with water, add a little salt, and bring to a boil; cook until potatoes are tender (when a sharp knife slides into the center), then drain.
Meanwhile, put the bacon in a heavy pot and sauté it over medium heat until lightly browned on all sides but still moist in the center and fat covers the bottom of the pan. Remove bacon, blot on paper towels, and set aside. Discard all but 3 tablespoons of the fat.
Stir in onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until onion is wilted and starts to color, 3 minutes. Add lamb or beef, tomatoes, reserved bacon, stock, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt and pepper. Add a little water if the liquid does not cover the meat. Lower heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Taste to adjust the seasonings.
Stir 1/4 cup of cooking liquid and cornstarch together in a small dish until smooth, stir the mixture into meat, blending well. Bring to a boil to thicken, then turn off heat. Scrape meat mixture into a medium-sized gratin dish, or a large, deep pie plate. Spoon peas over the mixture and leave undisturbed for a few minuted so the top sets slightly,
Preheat oven to 400.
Pass potatoes through a food mill or potato ricer. Stir in butter and enough milk to make potatoes creamy and fluffy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Carefully spoon potatoes evenly over the casserole without disturbing the surface of the meat filling. Using a metal spatula, spread potatoes over filing in a smooth layer, then decorate with the tines of a fork. Or, using a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip, pipe mashed potatoes over meat filling.
Bake until mixture begins to bubble and potatoes are golden brown, about 20 minutes. If the top is not browned, run the pie under the broiler for a few minutes to color. Remove and let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.
Wine ideas: A filling, hearty dish, this needs a sizable wine. Try a red from New Zealand, a place where sheep outnumber people. There, pinot noir tends to grow richer than it does in its French homeland, yet it retains its signature acidity and earthy complexity – especially fitting if you’ve used lamb in the casserole. Brancott Vineyards and Villa Maria make examples for less than $15-excellent values.
-Tara Q. Thomas
Bocaditos Españoles
“Seduced by Bacon” author Joanna Pruess was capitvated by the vibrant flavors of Spanish tapas, or little bites. “Once home,” she writes, “I combined some of their culinary staples in this fanciful hors d’oeuvre.” Makes 24.
Ingredients
6 slices thick-sliced bacon, cooked until crisp, blotted on paper towels and crumbled
2 cups lightly packed grated Manchego cheese
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup dried tart cherries, chopped
1/3 cup salted and toasted almonds, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon Pimentón de la Vera or other smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
24 purchased phyllo cups, warmed
Directions
Combine bacon, Manchego, cream cheese, cherries, almonds, paprika and salt (if desired) in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is blended but not completely smooth. You should still see little bits of the ingredients. Refrigerate until cold.
Preheat oven to 350.
Roll mixture into 1-inch balls, put one into each phyllo cup and bake for 10 minutes. Remove, let stand for 5 minutes, and serve warm.
Wine ideas: These sweet salty, crisp creamy little bites are terrific any time of the day, especially with a glass of bubbly on the side. Honor the Spanish inspiration with a flute of Cava, Spain’s own sparkling wine. Segura Viudas Brut Aria and Marques de Gelida make great examples at less than $15.
-Tara Q. Thomas
