Is there anything bacon DOESN'T go with?

[Bat Guano]

I can't think of anything. I guess this makes bacon the perfect food. Any dissenters? Provide examples of what bacon doesn't go with - IF YOU DARE!

[Doctormhl1]

OK. I'll try again. How about Bacon and HORSERADISH?!?

[BobB]

That sounds interesting. I love horseradish on brisket, its sharpness cuts the fattiness well. Could work the same with slab bacon or pork belly. I'll have to try that, thanks!

[Bat Guano]

See, it's not so easy, is it? I've never tried bacon with horseradish, but I bet it wouldn't be too bad. I may give it a shot one of these days.

[cornflower55]

bacon and salmon caviar
bacon and raspberry puree
bacon and lychees

[thew]

bacon works well with sweet flavors, so i could see it working with lychee or raspberry puree in the right context

[Doctormhl1]

Allow me to make one more suggestion:
Bacon and peanut butter- either smooth or crunchy- take your choice.

[thew]

crunchy- clearly.

i had "pecaned bacon" in Nola - not a huge leap to peanut butter

[Bobfrmia]

A classic combo. Try this stuff.
http://www.heluvagood.com/products/pr...

[Doctormhl1]

OK Bat Guano- you asked for it -so here goes:
Bacon with MAPLE SYRUP.... YUUUUUCHHH!!

[Davwud]

Wha??? Bacon is cured in maple syrup. They go hand in hand.

DT

[moh]

are you kidding me? Of course bacon goes with maple syrup! The entire basis of the Quebecois culture relies on this perfect pairing! They even use bacon to process maple syrup...

i would be very sad without this combination...

[Bat Guano]

Actually I sort of agree - not fond of that combo myself - but as we have seen, there are a number of people who disagree.

[Miss Needle]

Wow! From all of the things that bacon's paired with, it's funny to hear you say that's the combo you're not fond of. Have you had bacon with pancakes and maple syrup? Wonderful combination!

So, like I said in another post above, what do you think of bacon and watermelon?

[moh]

Hey Miss Needle! good to "see" you!

re: bacon and watermelon, I eat a lot of brunches where there is fruit served as part of the plate, and I actually find a nice piece of fruit refreshing right after a hunk of bacon. So I guess i kind of like the combo.

I also put some thought to the gazpacho question. When we make gazpacho, we often put serrano (or iberico) ham on top as a garnish with a boiled egg. The saltiness is a nice contrast to the refreshing vegetables. I'm pretty sure it would be not much of stretch to go to bacon.

But I could see how those two sets of combos might not appeal to everyone.

[Miss Needle]

Always a pleasure to "run" into you, Moh! : )

The gazpacho/ham combo sounds interesting. I haven't tried it but it does sound good. I think the ham would go pretty well with the gazpacho as it's not too strong -- kind of reminiscent of proscuitto and melon (not so sure about the bacon though).

Oh, if you haven't tried it yet, you should try bacon with kimchi. Inspired by a brussel sprouts dish I've had at Momofuku in NYC, I roasted some brussel sprouts and dressed it in a kimchi puree sauteed with bacon. Yum!

[moh]

The brussel sprout dish sounds great! At first I was taken aback by the kimchi bacon combo, but now that I thinks about it, i love kimchi with Korean grilled marinated pork belly, so how far is the jump to bacon? Kimchi and pork products are a natural combination.

[FrankDrakman]

Oh, baby! Coming home during frosty February, to find Mom cooking bacon, pork sausages, and pancakes, all served swimming in maple syrup. Beyond good...

[alkapal]

pork and maple have a great affinity!

[Bat Guano]

Well, I probably did like the bacon-maple combo at one time, but it's been done to death, and I just got tired of it, I think. I don't actively dislike it, but I won't go out of my way for it, either.

Never tried bacon and watermelon, either; it actually doesn't sound all that good, but you just never know until you try, do you?

[Miss Needle]

Yes. Sometimes the best combos are things where one would think, "Is the chef on crack?" I believe in Top Chef, Richard Blais won with a dish made with fish, white chocolate and wasabi.

[thew]

i was telling an friend about this thread - he said "sex doesn't go w/ bacon"

I said "you're not doing it right"

[Baconator]

We devised a theory a couple summers ago, while at scout camp: There are two kinds of food in this world - ones that go with bacon, and ones that go with chocolate. Some will go with both. After reading many of the replies on this thread, it seems this theory has yet to be disproved.

[chicgail]

While religion has it's pluses, reading this makes me feel bad for observant Jews. Bacon definitely doesn't go with a Kosher Shabbat dinner.

[thew]

bacon, along with the cheeseburger were amongst my first hints that religion cannot have it right. what deity would want to deny anyone such delights?

[applehome]

For me, bacon should have nothing to do with chowder - NE style clam or fish chowder, to be specific. Chowder is made with salt pork or even fatback. Tasting the smoky flavor of bacon in a NE chowder is an immediate turn off for me.

[Bat Guano]

Yeah, I grew up eating it made with salt pork, too; but since moving to an area where it's hard to find good ol' salt pork, I made clam chowder with bacon a couple of times, and it was pretty darn good. Not traditional, but for me the bacon goes well with the onions. And I don't get really good clams here anyway, so it doesn't matter as much that the bacon steps on the clam flavor.

[EWSflash]

Jello

[goodhealthgourmet]

might not be *too* wretched depending on the Jell-O flavor. strawberry or cherry might work, but i'm guessing lime would be pretty awful.

[salsailsa]

ew. bacon and lime jello...

[hangrygirl]

Haha, even in aspic I think bacon would be pretty awful. But the again, aspic is usually pretty awful.

[hangrygirl]

I don't think sushi would work very well with bacon. I think rice in general would be bad with bacon.

[salsailsa]

I beg to differ- I have seen bacon fried rice on lots of chinese menus.

I stand firm on bacon and black licorice.

[Richard 16]

In a bacon dish, sure. The strong taste and odor of bacon would overwhelm most (although, I suppose, not all) fish and seafood and almost any other ingredient in sushi. Unless, of course, you want bacon sushi...

I'm not sure what all the brou-ha-ha is over bacon. Without any data to support or refute IMO it's as much a defensive reaction to non-bacon eaters as it is to the flavor of bacon - a stance many of you will deny but still makes sense to me.

[danhole]

My mom used to make a "mexican" rice with bacon. It wasn't authentic, but she was from Ohio, so go figure! All she knew about mexican food when we got to Texas was what she learned from frozen dinners!

[KevinB]

OK, I was watching Jon Stewart on the "Daily Show" last night, and he pulled out a jar of .... baconnaise! Then, to prove he was health conscious, he pulled out a jar of baconnaise lite!

Mmmm.. spreadable bacon... (trails off into Homer-esque gurgling..)

[Scargod]

Yea, he dipped a JImmy Dean corny dog into it, ate a bite, and spit it all out. He asked the maker to not send him any more! I thought he was going to throw up...

[KevinB]

And the Jimmy Dean corn dog was the mistake; if he'd used an authentic Canadian Pogo, he would have been fine!

[Scargod]

I thought he meant the baconed mayonnaise but he could have meant both manufacturers.
This may seem like nothing to people who like/want bacon with everything, but Jimmy Dean's products, like the sausage and egg sandwich, are some of the most artery clogging products out there. I wonder if they come with bacon and sausage?

[alkapal]

jimmy dean roll sausage is some of the leanest sausage around. http://www.jimmydean.com/products/default.aspx?postid=35

i love it to make my sausage gravy and biscuits.

this TEXAN guy didn't like the *12-ounce* roll! <warning re language> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4RNb3...
(wait, scargod, that isn't YOU is it? LOL!).

[kattyeyes]

600 pounds of men! HA HA HA HA! At least he didn't call 911! :)

[Davwud]

I use JD for just patties. If I'm making dressing or gravy I use Tennessee Pride since it's got a little bit more fat in it.

DT

[EWSflash]

Not only that, the heart valves from the hogs are used in human heart valve transplantation, and have been for years. The hogs at JD are raised in extraordinarily clean surroundings.

[danhole]

Okay, first of all I have not tasted the baconnaise, but I bought some for a friend who said it is a bit too smoky. But it is not a dipping sauce! What the hell was Jon thinking dipping a corn dog into it? You dip corn dogs into mustard, fool! You should use baconnaise on a turkey sandwich with a good bread.

[alkapal]

jon is an entertainer, although i don't like him. it wouldn't have fit his schtick to like it, or eat it like a *normal* person.

[thew]

not to hijack this thread or anything, but why don;t you like him alkapal?

[alkapal]

thew, it is not relevant to this thread, with all due respect.

[danhole]

I agree with everything you said Pal! I think the operative word here is "schtick."

[Scargod]

Two female Chowhounders who don't like Jon Stewart (with bacon?).
I wonder if we have something here? A trend?
SO likes him as a comedian, but she's not formally a Chowhound; she's my editor and consultant to some of what I write (She's the one with the English degree).

[goodhealthgourmet]

alka & danhole, i love you guys, but you're breakin' my heart! i'm a huge Jon Stewart fan...been following him since his original late-night show 15 years ago.

but staying on topic here, i can sort of understand why he tried it with the corn dog - the smokiness of baconnaise could taste pretty darn good with that corn batter. after all, bacon grease + cornbread is a beautiful thing! but yeah, mayo with a hot dog is pretty nasty.

[danhole]

I get the bacon with a corn dog - maybe baconmustard! but mayo? You are right GHG, mayo is not the thing to try here! Hey Jon's okay, in small doses, like once a month or so, if I'm bored.

[Bat Guano]

Bacon mustard! Does such a thing exist? If not, this is a stroke of genius! Somebody needs to get on this right away!

[danhole]

I'm going to experiment with my bacon salt and a variety of mustards and see what I come up with, but I'll bet the guys at the Bacon Salt place beat me to it!

[KevinB]

I've eaten hot dogs with just about everything on them at one time or another: sauerkraut, onions, hot peppers, pickle spear (in Chicago, don't really get it), ketchup (not in Chicago, don't get that either), hot, brown, and regular mustard, relish, cheese, baked beans, and chili. And, to stay on topic, a grilled dog with limp bacon wrapped around it and tossed on the grill again is fantastic. But mayo? On a hot dog? Not in this -or any other - lifetime!

[alkapal]

well, in the south where mayo is king, we'd eat mayo and ketchup on a dog, and some would add yellow mustard, and relish.

this was the '70s. today, more northern ways have infiltrated.

no one is "right" -- it is a matter of taste and regional preferences. unless you're kosher, then mayo cannot be "right."

[thew]

mayo isn't dairy... no reason eating it w/ meat wouldn't be kosher

[alkapal]

oops, you're right. thinking of dairy (melted butter) in hollandaise. eggs and oil (and acid) in mayo!

but just curious, is mayo big with those who keep kosher?

[Scargod]

So right. Mustard is the standard, to me, but they make Dijonaise (or mustard/mayo combo), now, don't they? I've often seen mustard AND mayo on a dog or burger in North Texas. Usually onions and sometimes relish or pickled jalapenos, too

[danhole]

Mustard and mayo is fine on a hot dog (with relish!), but not a corn dog. And if I wanted bacon with my corn dog, I would try to figure out how to get it inside the breading. Now that would be a tasty treat.

[Demented]

A meal without bacon... is like sex without the spanking! Whats the point?

[AndyGanil]

imagine bacon wrapped corn ..............

[kattyeyes]

Bat Guano, and other bacon lovers, you may want to try these bar cookies inspired by a thread here on CH:
http://www.chow.com/recipes/18664

[Vexorg]

About the one thing I've tried where bacon didn't really work (granted, I haven't tried a lot) was as an addition to my chili recipe. The flavor got drowned out and it doesn't hold up too well in the texture department. Maybe it would have worked better if I made it crispier and made it a last minute addition (or a topping) but I'll probably not try it again anytime soon.

[Davwud]

Try using some bacon drippings to brown you meat in. Not exactly bacon but almost.

DT

[Bat Guano]

Yeah, you beat me to it, Davwud; for my 'competition' chili, I also brown the onions (and some other stuff....) separately in bacon grease. You still get most of the benefits of bacon.

I never actually put pieces of bacon in my chili, but on the analogy of beans, where you put the bacon in them in big hunks, it could work; sure, they don't stay crisp, but they still taste pretty darn good, when you run across them.

[Scargod]

I can't disagree more! Yes, you did it wrong. Cook the bacon rather crisp but not rock hard. Chop it up into 1/8 to 3/16" chunks. No bigger! Mix with chili at some point later on so they can soften a bit. It is like little flavor bursts when you hit one!

[sfumato]

Alcohol! I can't think of any bacon cocktail that I would want to drink.

Otherwise, I do love me some bacon.

[danhole]

Well, you didn't read my description of the Sqealin' Mary upthread! Darn good bloody mary made with bacon infused vodka.

[thew]

bacon and bourbon - the smokiness factor

[sfumato]

Oh no, I DID read it, don't worry. :) That's too much savoury on the vodka part for me- the only non-fruit vodka infusion that I like is black pepper vodka (though I do love Bloody Marys). I think it comes from my Slavic grandmother, who was the same way with all her homemade vodka infusions (you know how sometimes we can't eat tings certain ways because that's the way we did it growing up)?.

Glad you found such a fun cocktail, though!

[kattyeyes]

How cool was your grandmother to have made homemade vodka infusions--WOW! :)

[sfumato]

Awww thanks! She was one hell of a cook. Amazing in the kitchen.

She would take nips straight out of the bottles, too. When she got older, we used to find a little lipstick around the edges of the bottle necks. ;)

I reread my post and realized one thing didn't make sense- I meant to say, "you know how sometimes we can't eat things certain ways because that's NOT the way we did it growing up?" She never liked savoury vodkas, so I grew up thinking that fruit-based was the only way to do it. :)

[danhole]

It was pretty subtle. You could taste it, but it was a slight flavor. Of course, I myself, am partial to orange flavored vodka ;-)

[Scargod]

Bacon and Imagine Whirled Peace Ice Cream (Ben and Jerry's). Who needs bacon when you can have that or Cherry Garcia?

[Bat Guano]

OK, you got me on that one. I just tried the Imagine Whirled Peace, and you're right, it's pretty much perfect the way it is.

[mexivilla]

And another one from an article in the Globe and Mail (a Canadian newspaper) on the new popularity of cocktails:

But no one is taking it to the extreme like Canadian-born "molecular mixologist" Jamie Boudreau, who now shakes in Seattle: He offers up bacon-infused bourbon and chocolate cocktails.

[grabtrees]

bacon doesnt go well with chocolate pie

[chicgail]

Really. Since Vosages came out with their bacon-laced chocolate bar, I would rethink that.

[stay_classy]

And actually, I don't know if Gramercy Tavern still has it, but they had a phenomenal chocolate/bacon tart. Ok, so it's not chocolate pie, but after that experience I'd bet that a chocolate pie and bacon combo would be just fine by me.

[Emmmily]

The Dessert Truck here in NYC has a chocolate bread pudding, and on top you can get either vanilla or bacon creme anglais. I bet you can guess which one I chose... a brilliant concoction.

[Avalondaughter]

I tried a bacon chocolate bar (different brand) recently. I was quite excited about it because it seemed like the perfect combination of the world's most perfect foods. It was rather disappointing. The two things really didn't go together well.

[infernooo]

Yogurt.

[Leper]

Bat Guano, I suggest you order the book "Sex and Bacon" by Sarah Kathrine Lewis.
You will be truly inspired...

[Bat Guano]

Thanks for the rec. I'll look into it; never heard of the book, but the title sounds great.

[KevinB]

Totally contrary to the theory of this thread, but, the blog "A Hamburger Today" had a post recently of a burger where the patties are placed between - wait for it - two grilled bacon/cheese sandwiches. Yes, that's a grilled cheese sandwich with bacon on the bottom, burger patty, toppings as desired (can't say as needed; at this point, "need" is an irrelevant concept), and a second grilled bacon/cheese sandwich on top. Comes complete with cardiologist recommendations.

[Davwud]

It does sound good though.

DT

[chef chicklet]

And so it must be a very personal taste.
I would not be able to eat much of the pairings and combinations some suggest with bacon. Maybe I just don't like bacon all that much, and prefer it as is. Im sure I'll get booed but it's a free country right?

I don't care for it anywhere near tomato sauce - with fresh tomatoes abosolutely-perfection! So with that I might as well add, pizza, I can't tolerate bacon anywhere near my pizza.

[aynrandgirl]

None of the following are, at first thought, compatible with bacon:
fruit
hard candy
most kinds of cake
Danish pastry
Oreo cookies
Key Lime pie

[goodhealthgourmet]

re: hard candy, someone has actually produced bacon-flavored lollipops...

http://www.dasfoods.com/products_deta...

[Ted in Central NJ]

Most important of all, bacon does not go with a healthy circulatory system or a healthy heart. An occasional nibble is not going to hurt anyone, but frequent consumption of this cholesterol-laden, sodium-laden meat product is going to take a heavy toll on your health and well-being.

[stricken]

Mwah, mwah, mwah...thanks Debbie Downer.

[Richard 16]

I don't know about you, but a stroke would likely decrease my ability to enjoy food...

Moderation might not be a bad thing...overall...

[chicgail]

I don't think anyone suggested that moderation about bacon or anything else was a bad idea. This is just a fun thread that speculates about how bacon makes pretty nearly everything taste better. In fact, some people mentioned foods they thought it was terrible with. It doesn't mean that we're all eating bacon with everything that goes into our mouths.

Life is always a balancing act, don't you think?

[Richard 16]

Hence the line about moderation...

[Scargod]

And I've been called sanctimonious...
Ted and Richard: Who says we are NOT moderate eaters? I rarely eat bacon, but I enjoy good bacon. Perhaps you eat more ice cream or salt-laden chips than some of us? Perhaps you are preaching to the choir? Perhaps we are expressing our evil thoughts of gobbling all the bacon we can find but I do try and control my urges (liberally paraphrased as Jimmy Carter once said).

[Richard 16]

<<Ted and Richard: Who says we are NOT moderate eaters?>>

Certainly not me. I don't know any of you. If you read the applicable posts you might see that my comments were about moderation. I can't speak for Ted.

As I have said, for my tastes bacon is way overused. Nothing is intrinsically "wrong" with the taste. But it has a very strong taste (and smell) that when used as a flavoring tends to - with most chefs - overpower more subtle base ingredients. And most base ingredients are more subtle.

I love nattto, but to have it with maguro is a waste of good bluefin.
I love scallops, but for me bacon just takes it in the wrong direction. Perhaps if I wanted a bacon dish with some scallop accent, maybe. But unless a *very* judicious hand is used for me that would be a waste of good scallops.

Physiologically speaking bacon, in moderation, is fine but it is very fatty and salty. The usual additives are not good for us, but if the rest of the diet is good we can, IMO, handle some of the bad-for-us stuff.

[Candy]

you might want to check out the following:

http://www.bluepigcompany.com/2008/01...

[stricken]

Not much that bacon doesn't go with... I wish someone would make a glazed bacon wrapped doughnut...I'm tired of doing them myself.

[Scargod]

Licorice, key lime pie and Manhattans.

[Bat Guano]

Don't know about that last one; I'd take a Manhattan with bacon on the side after work. Or before work. Or during work. Hell, right now it sounds pretty good.... new definition of breakfast of champions?

[Scargod]

With a Bloody Mary, yes. When I was about 22, I occasionally put a raw egg and a little whiskey into a Carnation Instant breakfast. That was fourty years ago....

[FattyDumplin]

i don't know what it doesn't go with it, but i just had a chocolate chip cookie, toppied with maple syrup and bacon. it was surprisingly good.

[salsailsa]

I'm going to second the bacon and black licorice combo. I gag thinking about it.

[porker]

Not really absorbed into the debate, nor providing an example of what doesn't go with bacon, just thought I'd mention bacon dental floss, bacon toothpicks, and bacon jelly beans....
http://www.mcphee.com/items/11847.html

[Sal Vanilla]

I just bought the bacon dental floss. I CANNOT make my husband floss. This is my last best hope.

[chef4hire]

funny- I was at a party recently and somebody was smoking a funny cigarette rolled in bacon flavored papers...

[pinkprimp]

LOL perhaps it helps satisfy the munchies to come?

[cimui]

cream of wheat, sweetened
nilla wafers
tapioca pudding

it took me hours to come up with that, though. great question!!

[goodhealthgourmet]

actually, i wouldn't mind bacon with the nilla wafers or the tapioca pudding! you're onto something with the sweetened cream of wheat, though.

[cimui]

hah, i confess: i've never tried with nilla wafers or tapioca. i guess i'll have to before i neg it. maybe both at once. :)

[pinkprimp]

I don't know...my favourite comfort food right now is cream of oat or oatmeal with bacon bits, honey, cinnamon, raisins and...processed cheese slices. I know, I know, disgusting but bacon works really well in this "stew" of mine LOL.

[cimui]

that's hilarious, pinkprimp! is this after your appetizer of bacon-flavored funny cigarettes? ;)

[FriedClamFanatic]

Bacon is, of course, a spice as well as a food. Therefore, Bacon goes with anything!

A day without Bacon is a day without sunshine!. William Shakespeare, Much Ado about Nothing.

No.....he didn't say that! But I'll bet he wished he did!

[Glencora]

"An Englishman thinks he is moral when he is only uncomfortable. If only he'd relax and eat more bacon." George Bernard Shaw. People usually forget the tag line, though.

[BobB]

'Cause the tag line was never spoken by GBS. But you knew that... ;-)

[Sal Vanilla]

Bacon and popsicles. Bacon and lemon meringue pie. Bacon and banana does not (at first mouth to mind imagery) seem palatable. Bacon and strawberry pie... maybe. Gosh I love bacon.

[emerilcantcook]

I second bacon and banana. It is like Homer Simpson and Posh Spice (or whatever she is called these days): they should not even be in the same room. On the other hand, bacon and strawberry seems more doable. I kind of like bacon and strawberry jam sandwiches, a lot.

[bermudagourmetgoddess]

There is a local favorite sandwich in Bermuda....Bacon and peanut butter, some people do put bananas on it, but i have never tired with the bananas, but bacon and peanut butter is great....yummmmmm

[Sal Vanilla]

I will have to try that. Goopy smacky deliciousness!

[Kajikit]

I'd say fish...

[Will Owen]

I love bacon in fish stews and chowders, and I think wrapping a small ahi steak with bacon and grilling it in the manner of filet mignon might be very nice.

[Lucia]

I disagree w/this one too. Besides the fish stews, I love a good bacon-wrapped monkfish... or bacon wrapped scallop...

[goodhealthgourmet]

yeah, i'm also gonna have to disagree with Kajikit. bacon works beautifully in many fish dishes.

[FoodChic]

I make a scallop dish that has bacon in it and it's heavenly.

[lynnlato]

Do you have a recipe? I have been craving scallops and, of course, I am always open to adding bacon.

[BobB]

Rumaki is a classic scallop/bacon combination. We'd never have gotten through the '70s without it!

Just wrap each scallop in bacon (along with slice of water chestnut if you like), stick a toothpick through to hold it in place, and broil 'til the bacon is done. If the scallops are small, parcook the bacon first so they scallops don't have to cook too long.

Simple, and still delicious after all these years.

[GodfatherofLunch]

Now this is a real oldie and goodie. Thanks for the reminder.

[lynnlato]

I completely forgot about rumaki until your post. Yum! God, I haven't had that in years.

[GodfatherofLunch]

wow, you scared me!
You are one "O" away from Rachel Rae speak. Perish the thought.

[applehome]

Old post, but as a matter of record, scallops wrapped with Bacon is not Rumaki. It is scallops wrapped in bacon. Rumaki is chicken livers and water chestnuts wrapped in bacon and marinated in shoyu and ginger. Invented by Trader Vic's post wwII as part of their pseudo-polynesian cuisine, along with pu-pu platters. Scallops wrapped in bacon is a more recent invention and is never presented as Rumaki in places I've had it.

[alkapal]

isn't that scallop preparation "angels on horseback"? oops, no, that is oysters. scallops is "devils on horseback"....
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/em...

[Lampredotto]

Totally agree. Fish and Bacon is simply wrong. Possibly a French concoction devised to offend us Italians. Like their vomitous fish and cheese combination. Wrong, wrong, oh so deeply wrong

[Davwud]

"There are few things in life that aren't improved by the addition of either bacon or chocolate. But seldom both."

I believe that is an Oscar Wilde.

And now we learn that bacon is health food. http://www.healthbolt.net/2007/11/15/...

DT

[Richard 16]

No, we have not. As usual someone takes a complex subject and practices "buffet" science; they take what they like and ignore the rest.

Bacon is far more complex than just nitrates and nitrites. For one thing, it's smoked, and that was likely the first thing in foods associated with cancer.

People that grab onto high protein/fat and low carbohydrate diets rarely follow the actual diets, which includes little or no carbohydrates. If you think this news is what you're looking for, there goes toast, sugars, sodas, cut way back on fruits, etc., etc., etc.

Given genetics, genetic expression, and background history these diets vary widely in how individuals react to them. To "assume" you'll be one of the lucky ones, well, you might be right, then again, maybe not.

The experiment was done with rats. This is common in scientific methodology, but it's only conjecture to assume it translates to human. I haven't read the actual study, but to rely on an article that is woefully lacking details is hardly "scientific".

The list of shortcomings in the article, and possibly the study, goes on and on.

So we can eat all we want, but this article does nothing to lend credence to the idea of bacon as "health food".

[mateo21]

Richard, first I completely agree with what you have to say about "buffet" science -- it's very dangerous and happens far too often I'm afraid. Also, your statement about genetics and gene expression have a great stake in how foods are processed within our body (consider Inuit tribes who live, or used to, on an absurdly high fat diet and live "well"; mostly due to genetic influences); another wonderful example of this is Alzheimer’s -- a disease where Aluminum has been implicated via science and buffet science, but has been off the board, so to speak, for years as a major concern -- again, genetics plays a massive role here.

I disagree, however, on your criticism of the use of rats as an adequate proxy for human reactions to certain compounds -- Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) -- to be more specific. PAHs are the compounds blamed for the carcinogenic (although interesting research has been done showing that in many people most of the PAH intake is actually from raw food, grains and vegetables) in preseved, smoked and grilled meat products. This clear link was most likely demonstrated (and good research is still carried out via this method) using mice or other rodents as experimental tools. It's been deemed by the scientific community that they are as adequate a substitution to humans as ethically permissible.

Now, to discount this particular article (of which the paraphrased version -- aka the buffet science -- is horribly expressed) on the basis of the authors using rats is, not well thought through, in my opinion. One could almost say that the research of the carcinogenic properties of PAHs is sound and that this study is not, while both use similar methods (that of testing rodents for carcinogenic properties), would indeed be practicing buffet science.

Now, if you have compelling scientific evidence that mice and rodents are not adequate in their use, please let me, and the scientific community know as a whole! But I would avoid judging the veracity of a study based upon their methods simply because you don’t seem to enjoy the resulting implications.

[BobB]

An interesting quote, and one that pops up in many places on the Web (usually without the "but seldom both" tagline), but it is most definitely not from Oscar Wilde.

[Johnresa]

I am laughing hysterically because I challlenged my roommate to name one and I explained to her there is no way. Bacon is the GOD of food

[Bat Guano]

Finally - someone who gets it!

[Harters]

Custard

[CDouglas]

Bacon and tuna sashimi.

Bacon and wedding cake.

[bermudagourmetgoddess]

Wached Bizzare Foods last night and a pastry chef in Pairs made eggs and bacon ice cream...I'd try it!

[thinks too much]

Meringues? Just thinking out loud

[Phoo_d]

Eggnog. Bacon and Eggnog sounds cute but so very wrong to me.

[Bat Guano]

Yeah, you're right; maybe just a LITTLE bit of bacon in that one... then again I don't really like eggnog anyway, so maybe that's the problem.

[frittering_away]

I've only had that pairing once, in a quiche. I couldn't get far enough past the eggnog flavor in my quiche to analyze the interplay of the eggnog with the bacon.

[moh]

I had some bacon ice cream at Moto in Chicago once. Great meal overall, but I was not a fan of the bacon ice cream. The flavour was ok, but the cold bacon was a bit fatty, and the frozen bacon fat was a bit much by way of texture. I prefer warm bacon fat I think. There is something about biting into cold fat. It's the same reason I don't eat hunks of butter. (although goodness knows I eat the equivalent of hunks of butter all the time!)

[danhole]

That was my first thought too, moh - Ice cream. Bacon and ice cream just doesn't sound good to me at all. I don't think I would like bacon on saltines either, but I really liked those bacon flavored crackers they used to make. Wish they would bring those back.

[queencru]

Didn't someone try to make that on Top Chef? Marcel perhaps? I remember it did not go over well at all.

I am not a beer fan, but I always found that bacon-flavored beer (the name escapes me at the moment) a bit odd as well.

[danhole]

Bacon beer doesn't sound very good, but I had a Bloody Mary at a brunch that was made with bacon infused vodka, bacon salt on the rim, and a stick of bacon in it. That was good! It was called a Squealin' Mary.

[EWSflash]

Dunno if I'd care for the cocktail, but I LOVE the name!

[frittering_away]

Do you mean rauchbier?(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoked_beer

)

I've only had one once. It tasted like bacon. But as it was Bell's 5000 batch I assumed it was just the brewer being a mad genius again.

[missfunkysoul]

I can't stand rauchbier because all i can think is hot dogs when I drink it!

[condiment]

In Los Angeles, the mad-genius owner of the ice cream parlor Scoops often makes bacon ice cream on weekends, and it sells out within minutes. I'm not sure what he does to temper the chilled-lard aspect - the almond-cookie ice cream at the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory in New York is so filled with lumps that I've taken to calling it Lard Chip - but it is very, very good. Because what is ice cream but frozen sauce?

[Sal Vanilla]

Ya know what icecream would be good with bacon? Pecan Praline! Am I wrong?

peppermints and bacon icecream - I might balk at. Might. OK I wouldn't. Even in anonymous webworld I cannot lie about bacon.

[goodhealthgourmet]

i was thinking about the bacon/ice cream flavor issue last night. there are a zillion specialty flavors & combos out there, and i won't even go near the crazy Ben & Jerry's flavors & the like, but i did consider some of the more common seasonal & regional possibilities...

works:
vanilla, chocolate, vanilla fudge, dulce de leche, rocky road, chocolate marshmallow, cookie dough, butter pecan/butter crunch, rum raisin, cherry vanilla, pralines & cream/pecan praline, peanut butter, peanut butter fudge, pistachio, chocolate almond, maple walnut [my theoretical favorite], heath bar crunch, cherries jubilee, coconut, banana nut, white chocolate

doesn't work:
cookies & cream, coffee, mocha chip, mint chip, strawberry, raspberry cheesecake, egg nog, any fruit sorbet, sherbet

might work:
apple pie, pumpkin, plain cheesecake, peaches & cream

ok, so i think i'm obsessed.

[Hunicsz]

Re: bacon flavored crackers. . .I find these often at the local discount grocery/99 cent type stores. My husband looooves them, so I pick them up fairly frequently.

[danhole]

I wish I could find those bacon crackers! Those were so good!

[Miss Needle]

I can definitely see how the cold will make bacon fat not appetizing -- not a fan of munching on cold chewy bits of fat. I did have a great dessert in Arizona a few years ago (before the whole bacon brittle thing became so popular) where it was bacon brittle served with vanilla ice cream. I didn't like the bacon brittle on its own but was wonderful when combined with the ice cream.

And to answer the OP's question, I think there are a few things that bacon doesn't go well with. I definitely agree with the citrus. Basically I think bacon doesn't go well in anything that's supposed to be "refreshing" like fruit sorbet, gazpacho and watermelon.

[goodhealthgourmet]

that bacon brittle with ice cream sounds way too good! in fact, when i saw this thread, the first sweet/dessert application that came to mind was crumbled lacquered bacon as an ice cream topping...but i don't think it would work with all flavors. most, but not all.

[Candy]

Broadbents produces an apple wood smoked bacon dusted with cinnamon. i may have to give bacon brittle a whirl with that.

[cimui]

i made a recipe for bacon ice cream a while back that didn't involve bacon fat, but did include chunks of bacon that had been really well fried (so no weird cold fat texture). it was pretty good, actually.

[moh]

I could see that bacon meat would be good in ice cream. It really was the bacon fat that threw me off...

I actually think I could eat the flavour of bacon with anything. I really love bacon...

[cimui]

yeah, i could definitely see how cold bacon fat would not be that much fun to eat. as you say with butter, though, melted, it's a WHOLE 'nother story. :)

this thread is reminding me of how badly i need to reseason my cast iron pan...

[kobetobiko]

I don't like bacon with citrus (perhaps a personal thing). I found it ok with other sour tasting components (like vinegar, or pickles), but I don't like it with orange, lemon or most citrus.

Pork belly or other pork, however, goes very well with citrus. Perhaps it is the combination of smoky and citrus taste that I don't like.

[Bat Guano]

gotta admit I don't recall ever trying bacon with citrus.

[Sal Vanilla]

I bet you have had spinach salad with mandarin oranges and bacon with hot bacon dressing.

[cimui]

a *beautiful* combination!!

[Candy]

no bacon for breakfast with your oj?

[Bat Guano]

Well, I usually finish my OJ before I get to the bacon, so they're not really consumed together. But now that you mention it, I probably must have had them sort of together at least once; maybe not so bad. Score another one for bacon!

[alkapal]

you finish the oj before the bacon? heresy! bacon. gets. crunched. first. thing.
;-).

[Bat Guano]

Well, I start with the OJ while the bacon's cooking... just works out that way. Sorry.

[alkapal]

ok, just checking! ;-).

da na na na na na na naaah...BACON COP!

[Richard 16]

I like the taste of bacon, but IMHO it's the strong umami factor that makes it so popular; pork in general has a lot. We are also attracted to smoky foods, in spite of the carcinogenic properties.

Lots of other foods have good umami content, and for me are almost always more appropriate. Mushrooms, tomatoes, etc., etc. Again, for me, many dishes are better without bacon or any pork product; i.e., for clam or fish chowder bacon or salt pork make an already dense dish cloying and heavy(er).

[mmalmad]

If there is I have not found it

[Bat Guano]

Yeah, mushrooms and tomatoes are great, too, but they don't have the universal appeal of bacon - the combination of umami and fat, porkiness, and smokiness is just hard to beat. For pure umami I've lately been using fish sauce in all kinds of things; but it's still no replacement for bacon. I don't agree that bacon makes fish and clam chowder too heavy - sometimes I like them without, but more often with. Mmmm, onions frying in bacon grease - is there any better smell in the world?

[Richard 16]

There is no *universal* appeal for bacon. Certainly popular, but hardly universal.

As for "replacing" bacon, who said anything about that? If I want bacon, I eat it. It is, as always, a question of personal taste. I love natto; it disgusts others. And, of course, feel free to not agree with me about bacon in the chowders. I find it cloying and distracting, but I guess I'm just a simple guy.

For me, onions fried in bacon can smell great but most of the time I prefer them in butter, sometimes in EVOO, and sometimes a combo. For pure onion flavor nothing for me beats a dry salt saute.

[alkapal]

i don't think of tomatoes as "umami"....

[Richard 16]

Hi alkapal!

A bit on tomatoes and umami:

http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/New...

Perhaps you've been coring supermarket tomatoes ;-)...

[alkapal]

richard, thanks for that -- it is a very interesting article.

i grew up in sw florida with real tomatoes. we never cut out the seeds. i know now in some trendy places, the seeds alone are served and thus highlighted. i think they're cute, and like the little burst of tart-sweet flavor in each one. ;-).

and come to think of it, tomato paste adds umami to all sorts of dishes -- even with just a tablespoon.

supermarket tomatoes ALWAYS make me sad -- even the touted camparis (which i will buy if i get a craving, or want to make my little garlicky tomatoes, which are loaded with umami: http://www.chow.com/recipes/13591 ).

nothing in the supermarket even comes close to what i know and love. i guess i just gotta wait till summer, like they did in the old days!

[Glencora]

Earlier this year someone on Chowhound mentioned bacon-wrapped cherries so I made a couple. Ghastly.

[Bat Guano]

Hmm. I'll have to give it a shot.... what kind of cherries?

[Glencora]

Bing. It tasted a bit like cough syrup. Don't waste good bacon on it!

[Potrezebie]

Anything Kosher

[Bat Guano]

As a matter of taste alone, that's certainly not true. And, as I neglected to mention, taste is the only criterion I'm interested in.

[latindancer]

Well that is very true!
I ate a chocolate bar a friend gave me recently.
Dark, rich and filled with bacon.
It was, truly, magnificent.

[chicgail]

Vosage makes one like that. Omgod. To die for.

[goodhealthgourmet]

that would be the Vosges Mo's Bacon Bar

[KristieB]

I wish I had purchased that bar I saw at Jungle Jim's in Cinncinati a few weekends ago.

[KevinB]

Just wondering, Potrezebie - are you related to Melvin Kowfnoski by any chance?