Bacon Wednesday: The birth of a tradition

Yes, you read that correctly.  

Bacon Wednesday

A Brief-ish Story:

So, as you may not realize, up until a few months ago, I avoided most pork products. 

Por qua?! 

Well, I've always loved Biology and even had that as one of my majors as an undergrad (WTF? Yeah, that's a different story).  There have been a handful of times that I've actually gotten grossed out.  The most infamous for me was in 5th grade when I learned about trichinosis and the trichinosis worm (yeah, you can look that up on your own... I started to and got grossed out again).

As a result, I lost my taste for pork products... even bacon... and I LOVED bacon.

Cut to a few months ago.  I accepted that many of the cooking shows I was filling my time with used bacon, namely apple-wood-smoked bacon and maple bacon.  It was actually starting to sound appetizing again.  I had previously done research and been assured that it's only really in wild pigs that trichinosis might be a problem, so I was taking baby steps

So, one night, I'm watching Kelsey's Essentials, and she's making this epic looking mac & cheese with bacon, and topped with bacon soaked panko bread crumbs.  I texted the picky eater, who was working super late, I WANT APPLE-WOOD-SMOKED BACON.

I woke the next day and found that I had bacon waiting for me.  Huzzah!

Yeah, the picky-eater knew that this opportunity was likely fleeting and had to be jumped-on.  Well done!

I had my first bacon in years, and it was glorious.

After eating it throughout the week, I realized that this should not be an every-day event, so I had an idea.

We don't go out a whole lot since all of our friends are busy, working people.  So, we didn't always have event to look forward to.

Bacon Wednesday was born! 

We make the effort to either have breakfast or brinner* together without the TV or other electronics on.

*(breakfast for dinner; yes, I poached it from Scrubs; I liked it, move on)

Wednesday is perfect because it's the middle of the week, and that's the perfect pick-me-up to look forward to.

My Favorite Bacon Wednesday Dish: "Not Eggs-Benny"

-Bake bacon on a rack

Keep a close eye on it and cook to your preference

I like mine a little crispier

(save drippings if you're into that) 

Before = eww

After = delicious

-Start the hollandaise (that's right)

The makings: melted butter on stove, 1 egg yolk, salt
1tsp cold water and 1tsp lemon juice, 1 Tbsp-ish cold butter
 (you'll also need 1 more Tbsp cold butter)

I am pretty stubborn and wanted to make it by hand using Mastering the Art of French Cooking
The first time I made it, I ended up making a pretty large batch.  The picky-eater ended up not liking it, so there was a LOT left over.

This was my first attempt at using only 1 egg yolk

• Melt 1/2 stick of butter and set it to the side

• Pour water and lemon juice into bowl with yolk
• beat until sticky

• Set over simmering water
• stir in bit of cold butte
• it'll be creamy
• beat until you can see the bottom of the bowl
• (yes, I realize that a glass bowl would be better, but I don't have one)
• (be prepared!)
• remove from heat and beat in cold Tbsp butter

• While beating, slowly pour in melted butter
• start with drops
• should be a very heavy cream
• don't add the milky stuff at bottom of melted butter

• Season with salt, pepper (if you like), and lemon juice
• some other folks add a dash of hot sauce, but I haven't tried that just yet
• keep warm...but not too warm, or it'll separate a bit
• it cooled a little too much, and it was reheated a little too quickly 
• the bowl needs to be well insulated
• (a glass bowl and/or heavy bottom non non-stick sauce pan is/are on the list of things to get)

• What about the rest of the lemon?
• If I have no pressing uses, I freeze it

-Fry an egg over-easy
  (it's actually super easy)

Sorry about the mess...

I learned a tip from Claire Robinson on 5-Ingredient-Fix.  I credit her with largely renewing my love of bacon.

Don't try flipping the egg
When the egg starts to turn white around the edges, pour a little bit of water into the pan and cover the pan with a lid (she used a metal lid). 

[This is also when I add the seasoning, it sticks]

... it was also cleaning day

She waits about a minute-and-a-half, but I don't like having to think about timing things.  Instead, I just use a glass lid so I can see when a proper film has been created over the yolk.





-Fry a piece of bread
(That's my preference, do whatever)

I like honey wheat.
Keep the heat on the pan going from the egg (wipe out any left-over egg if there is some... and you feel like it)
-->about medium to medium high, depending on your patience

Spray some olive oil directly onto the bread
(I have a refillable spray bottle that I keep it in)

Put the oiled side down onto the hot pan

Take this time to spray to other side of the bread

Flip when browned to your liking

Slide onto plate, top with bacon, then egg, then hollandaise

 Eat with fork and knife, so you can get all that awesome in every bite

You're welcome.

Thanksgiving Left-Overs: ...if you actually have any

Currently our little family is only two people... and two dogs.  SO, we can only handle so many left-overs.  Consequently, we don't make quite as much as some other folks when we have holiday meals.

Still, what we make is not subtle and quite hearty, so we STILL have left-overs around the holidays, namely that turkey.

What to do?  Well we take some steps to make life later more awesome.

1.  Save all drippings from cooking turkey
     -stick in fridge to separate the fat
     -freeze, if you're not going to use in a few days

2.  Save all bones and meat scraps (neck, and the stuff in that bag)
     -freeze and save for turkey stock later

     (there may have been veggie scraps, but I wasn't conscious for them)

3.  Save extra rolls... even if they didn't rise and got kind of messed up
     (oops, we forgot them on top of the fridge)
     -pulverize for bread crumbs
     -freeze and save for later


-Our second eating of the turkey was basically the same as our second eating of chicken.  Braise

Okay, so we don't do the exact same thing.  Rather than having the whole carcass sit partly submerged, we pick the meat of the bones and braise it in the drippings, some chicken stock (if you have other plans for the drippings), or a combination of the two. 

This was delicious on its own, but was awesome for sandwiches.  I put a little creole mustard on mine.


-For the drippings, we like to use it in potato soup.  If the fat freaks you out, stick it in the fridge and the fat will solidify on top, just take it off and/or strain it through a tea strainer/cheese cloth.

A little goes a long way, but add to your own taste.  Oh, and this will also make it take longer to finish the soup since the drippings add heft.


-After your done with the turkey carcass, freeze it until you're ready to make a stock.  You can simply prepare it as you would for a regular chicken stock.

Use it as you would chicken stock, and it will also carry over some of the Creole garlic Cajun injector (or whatever flavorings you use).


-As for the rolls, yeah, this hasn't happened before, so we're entering new territory.  I'll let you know what actually happens, but they'll either end up adding some body to meatballs/burger patties or breading some chunks of chicken that will either be fried or baked (but can be frozen for future use). 

Yay!  We still have turkey stock in the freezer, along with drippings, and the roll-bread-crumbs.

I'm not gonna lie; I love having one meal stretch and contribute to other meals, and whole chicken or, in this case, turkey does this beautifully.

Family Emergency = not fun

Not that I'm expecting may folks to actually read this blog (I started it more as an amusing cooking journal), but I don't like long missing sections and felt it warranted an explanation.

So, on Thanksgiving, I was sent a picture of my sibling and immediately cried.  I'd realized that there had been weight loss (from some jaw problems that made it very difficult to open the mouth), but I was not made aware of how severe it had been.

Cut to the Monday after, sibling went to the ER with severe pain and swelling of knees, feet, and ankles.  After noting that insurance had been used up and determining that there was nothing that was going to immediately result in death, my sibling was sent home.

I drove to NOLA to visit and help where I could.  I went with my sibling to the follow-up visit and found out that there is something wrong with the heart, not that the ER doctors even SUGGESTED that there be an out-patient cardiac consult.  The appointment was at 2:45pm, and it took from 10am till 2:20 to have 1/3rd of a smoothie drank, the bathroom used, physical therapy done, and clothes put on.  We still don't know exactly what's going on.  More tests are scheduled, and my sibling is supported by some loving family.

Seeing my sibling so tiny (picture Christian Bale in The Machinist skinny, only less definition) made me appreciate my health, my appetite, and ability to maintain weight (yeah, I never thought I'd say that last bit).

My sibling seems to be in better spirits and even requested pizza.  I've never been so thankful for something to be so high in calories in my life.

It's hard to be away from home.