bringing home the bacon

A few weeks ago, a good friend of mine asked me about the existence of a supposed "bacon renaissance" based on something he heard on the radio. How could this be since bacon never left he wondered...

I love it, want it. It's my fav.
I want it, love it. Got to crave.
I eat my bacon with my eggs.
I eat my bacon around kegs.
I eat my bacon with my cheese.
"You want more bacon?" oh yes please!
I get my bacon from the King,
Eat it with almost everything!
How is it that bacon is back?
When bacons not something I lack?

Oh J Dantas. While it's true that bacon has always been an American classic, there's definitely been a resurgence. I'm not talking about the latest artery-clogging burger or the greasy over -the-top fare you'd find on thisiswhyyourefat.com. I'm talking about the gourmetfication of bacon. A paradox? I think not.

Bacon has long been celebrated in our country, perhaps overly celebrated... But the nations top chefs and entrepreneurs have really started to take America's greatest pastime to the next level for a whole new type of mass appeal. So why bacon? And has this ingredient really transcended the QSR [quick service restaurant] world?

A staple food for generations of American households, bacon has a lot of nostalgic value. It's breakfast food and it's comfort food. Plus they say that adding bacon to any item it instantly increases its value - at least in the QSR world. Bacon is cravable. It's smoky, savory, crispy, and undeniably delicious.

The only difference is that it's now being used in new inspiring ways and appearing on a slew of different menus - from upscale restaurants like SF's Gary Danko to street carts such as NYC's dessert truck. And while I'm intrigued by the bakon vodka phenomenon, in my opinion the most notable translation has been within the treat/dessert world.

My first encounter happened while I was on a business trip a couple of years ago in Portland. While exploring the city I wandered into Cacao, a local chocolatier and discovered Mo's Bacon Bar. Bacon in a chocolate bar? Absurd. While unimpressed with the quality of the chocolate, I was surprised with how the smoky quality and texture of the bacon complimented the sweetness of the chocolate.

Since then, I've experienced many desserts that have used bacon to achieve that wonderful savory/smoky/sweet sensation. My all time favorite execution has to be NYC's very own Dessert Truck. A pioneer of the mobile street food phenomenon, the Dessert Truck revolves around the premise of bringing fine dining/desserting into the realm of everyday enjoyment. While their menu constantly changes, they have a few staple items that have a strong following, including the warm chocolate bread pudding, which comes with either a vanilla or bacon custard sauce. AMAZING. Warm, indulgent melt-in-your mouth goodness, the dessert truck's chocolate bread pudding doesn't disappoint. The subtle smokiness from the bacon custard adds a sophisticated twist to the traditional bread pudding we all know and love.

Over the last few months, i've had a couple of other less notable encounters. Independent food shops around the city offer bacon inspired treats, but they've missed the mark. The shops seem more interested in leveraging the buzzworthyness of bacon as an interesting ingredient rather than creating an amazing product worth returning for.

Kitchenette, a popular spot for lunch pickups in the Dogpatch district makes a signature maple bacon snickerdoodle. While slightly more interesting than the typical snickerdoodle, it's hard as a rock rather than soft and crumbly. Guess that's how the cookie crumbles...

Dynamo Donuts is a new trendy donut shop that's popped up in the mission district, offering a wide variety of flavors from caramel de sel to lemon szechwan. On a recent trip, I couldn't resist but pick up the maple apple bacon donut. "Bacon sprinkles" helped seal the deal. After trying it, I found it difficult to distinguish between the glaze and congealed bacon fat and was equally disappointed with how dry the donut really was.

For now I'm left eagerly awaiting the next best bacon item, hoping that it's better than what I've seen so far and hoping that I'm not expecting too much. Perhaps the creme brulee cart will come out with a bacon variety...

All work and no play makes the gourmet nomad a dull blogger

After working under the tirade of a demanding boss no short of the reputation "Devil Wears Converse," I fully appreciate that I've departed from advertising hell and have entered the glorious food market. Working in the food industry is amazing. You gain a lot - exposure to new restaurants, new trends and new cuisines. No gut, no glory!

Luckily, it's not all work and no play and foodies throw the best happy hours...

Recently a coworker of mine moved back to Brazil. Before she left, she provided everyone with the best possible parting gift: a wonderful spread of her favorite brazilian treats and beverages! When I think of Brazilian food I think of churrascarias [brazilian steakhouses], so imagine my surprise when she didn't whip out skewers of succulent meat. Rather than clogging our artieries, she delighted us with the street food of the masses - an interesting mix of savory and sweet handheld foods. The interesting combination of unlikely ingredients were surprising, but incredibly satisfying...

Coxinha, which litererally means "little thigh" was my personal favorite. Aptly named for its main ingredient and shape, coxinha is made of seasoned dark chicken meat wrapped in a dough made of mashed potatoes that is then deep fried. Crispy on the outside and soft and succulent on the inside, coxinha's are completely craveable. It's the basic croquette, only better.

Pão de queijo was a close second. Savory cream puffs? Yes please! Pão de queijo are cheese puffs made with yuca flour, tapiocca flour, parmesan cheese and eggs. The beauty of this dish is that you can choose how you eat it. If you feel like indulging in something a bit more decadent, you can spread on dulce de leche - a super rich milk-based caramel sauce. If you prefer more savory foods like me, you can spread on Requeijao, Brazil's version of cream cheese. Very mild with a light creamy consistency.


Que Romantico! While not my favorite, Goiabada com queijo was a good dish with an even better story. A simple dish that consists of cheese and guava jelly, Goiabada com queijo is often referred to as Romeo y Julieta because they go together perfectly. While the story is a bit cheesy, the star is the guava jelly since the cheese that it's paired with is usually mild. It's a wonderfully sweet snack with a hint of savory.


And what happy hour is complete without a beverage or two? Caipirinha is the national cocktail of Brazil. Caipirinha has very similar qualities to the mojito, without the mint. The key is cachaça, a liquor similar to rum. Combined with lime, ice and sugar it's incredibly refreshing and very easy to drink more than one...

In addition to the above dishes, we also sampled a few others:

• Mousse de maracuja - a layered cream dessert made with passion fruit juice, sweet condensed milk and heavy cream covered with a passion fruit glaze
• Paçoquinha - cylinders of peanut powder with sugar - which tasted very similar to the inside of a reeses peanut butter cup
• Brigadeiro - homemade creamy chocolate balls made with condensed milk and powdered chocolate wrapped in chocolate sprinkles
• Guarana Antarctica- a Brazilian soft drink/energy drink that rivals Coke in popularity. Sweet and carbonated, the beverage possesses similar qualities to Gingerale.
  

Love my job. Being constantly consumed with consuming is never a bad thing. I'm just going to have to spend more time capturing personal experiences vs. just experiencing...