Everything tastes better with bacon. One of those flavor-packed, umami-rich, secret-weapon ingredients, it has the power to elevate just about any dish, from soups to soufflés, braises to bread pudding. My first guest is Peter Kaminsky!
Peter Kaminsky and Marie Rama know just how to employ it. Peter is the author of both Pig Perfect—a paean to the noble swine—and, most recently, Culinary Intelligence, which argues that the healthiest way to eat is to eat less but really well. He and Marie know that adding irresistible bacon transforms an ordinary dish into an extraordinary one.
Bacon Nation is a bacon-lover’s dream, a collection of 125 smoky, savory, crispy, meaty, salty, and sweetly sensuous recipes that go right through the menu. Starters like Spiced Nuts with Bacon; Bacon and Butternut Squash Galette; Bacon, Pear, and Humboldt Fog Salad. Main courses featuring meats—Brawny Bacon Beef Bourguignon, Saltimbacon; poultry—Paella with Chicken and Bacon; fish—Flaky Cod Fillets with Bacon and Wine-Braised Fennel; and pasta, including an update of the classic Roman dish Bucatini all’Amatriciana. Even dessert: Rum Ice Cream with Candied Bacon Chips and Chocolate-Peanut-Bacon Toffee.
Or, as Homer Simpson would say, Mmmm, bacon.
In the second half I’ll be talking to Lance Chastain of Chautauqua Hills Farm in Southeast Kansas. Lance and wife Elisabeth started a blueberry farm as a hobby…now it’s a full blown business with demand for their nickle size blueberries, fresh asparagus, blackberries and garlic increasing at an astronomical rate.
We purchased the ground on which Chautauqua Hills Farm now sits a few years ago with recreational enjoyment in mind for our family and friends. As we worked on developing the farm into a place we could enjoy, we discovered some interesting and unique characteristics about our climate, water, soil structure and interestingly, an over-abundance of native pollinators (native bees, bumblebees, carpenter bees, etc…), which led us to explore what could be grown there – with a couple of caveats – we had to really enjoy eating what we grew and it must be really healthy!
After many months of research, time and work, we settled on growing blueberries, blackberries and asparagus. Since then we’ve been nurturing and growing healthy, maturing plants and refining the conditions in which our plants grow and produce. We use natural, sustainable and organic products and methods in our growing operation. Learn more about the farm and available picking times!
Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2009 Mercer Canyons Red Blend
84% Merlot, 8% Syrah, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Petit Verdot. This wine is deeply complex with notes of ripe black cherry, cocoa powder, warm spices and char. On the palate the wine is full and rich with supple tannins and lush fruit. The balanced acidity and tannins lead to a lingering finish of dark fruits, earth and spice. Wine Spectator 89
A BIG red wine that mirrors the aromas and flavors of blueberries!
Get some at Jacob Liquor Exchange on North Rock Road
Hurry it’s going fast!