Paper Palate

Who doesn’t love the smell of fresh bacon cooking? Bacon is truly the only substance I know of that can wake an individual up from a deep sleep and have them craving the very thought of finding the aroma, and being happy that they woke up!  As for me?  I LOVE BACON!!  I think that this alone was the main reason I asked to evaluate the new book written by James Villas entitled “The Bacon Cookbook” (published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.)

“The Bacon Cookbook” contains more then 150 recipes from around the world focusing on bacon and the many ways in which we all can enjoy it to the fullest.  The cookbook is truly unique, dedicating itself to the different styles, tastes and recipes with bacon being the main ingredient. James Villas starts by telling us what exactly bacon is, how it is made and cured and how using different types of techniques, such as using apple, hickory, oak, beach or maple wood for smoking the bacon, can give it added depth and flavor.

I found the section covering the different international styles of bacon very interesting. Countries covered include America, Great Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Hungary, Denmark, and China. Who would have guessed that a simple food such as bacon could be found in so many different variations than what we are accustomed to here in the United States?

When viewing the table of contents, you will see that Mr. Villas covers everything from appetizers to deserts. This intrigued me very much and made me evaluate my own life experiences and the different situations in which I found myself eating bacon. Growing up as a child, it was not uncommon to come home from school to find that a BLT sandwich was our family dinner, and that was not met with any objection from us!  Then there were times that waffles and bacon with warm maple syrup and whipped cream was our family dinner, but for us kids, it seemed more like dessert for dinner, the answer to any kids prayers!

So with my own reflections and experiences from childhood, I chose a recipe from “The Bacon Cookbook” that I knew I would enjoy, but also that my family would enjoy as well. The recipe we chose was “New England Apple and Bacon Griddlecakes.” For this recipe, I used Granny Smith apples and apple wood smoked bacon. This recipe is found on page 63 of “The Bacon Cookbook” and serves four individuals. It’s very good, and with that said, I would HIGHLY recommend doubling the recipe!

New England Apple and Bacon Griddlecakes

1/2 pound apple wood bacon 
1½ cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
½ cup whole milk
2 Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and coarsely grated
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted plus extra for serving.
Pure maple syrup (preferably Grade B)

In a large skillet, fry the bacon till crisp, drain on paper towels, and crumble.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and stir till well blended. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk, add to the flour mixture, and stir till the batter is just well blended. Stir in the grated apples and crumbled bacon.

Heat a griddle or large, heavy skillet over moderately high heat till hot and brush it with butter. Drop the batter by ¼ cup measures onto the griddle and cook till bubbles appear on the surface and the edges begin to brown, about 2 minutes. Turn with a spatula and cook till golden, about 1 minute longer. Transfer the griddlecakes to a platter, and keep warm in a low temperature oven, continue to make more griddlecakes in the same manner. Serve hot with butter and maple syrup.

This was a HUGE hit with my family! The flavor of the apple wood smoked bacon with the warm maple syrup and butter added to the texture of the shredded apple and griddlecake mix. My son made a comment that I hadn’t thought of before; he said “Dad, this makes sense, how many times do we have pancakes and bacon, and we just haven’t put it all together like this.” Smart kid! But it goes to show how something so simple can be made truly better with a little creativity.

Other recipes that our family will be creating with the help of “The Bacon Cookbook” include Bacon-Banana treats (pg 29), Danish Potato, Tomato and Bacon Omelet (pg 56), Mexican Squash, Yam, and Bacon Soup (pg 95), Canadian Meat Pie (pg 152) and Canadian Bacon Maple Custard (pg 262).

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who truly enjoys bacon. I found the recipes easy to follow and truly insightful. Many “uh-huh” moments were experienced when reading the different recipes, which was a refreshing change from cookbooks that are normally purchased that have a couple of recipes worth trying where I quickly find myself losing interest or enthusiasm for the book.

The only thing I would change personally would have been to include more pictures.  A majority of the population, including myself, tend to eat with our eyes first. If it looks good, chances are we’re going to eat it and want to make it in the future.  Adding more food photos would only enhance this book even more.  With that said, the book itself and the pictures that are included are exceptional. I would rate this book a solid 5 stars and intend on purchasing a few as Christmas presents for the bacon aficionados in my life!