Bacon lovers unite!   Last summer, while i was still giving birth to wallflour, some friends threw together a bacon brunch based solely on the fact that a few months worth of a gift subscription to the Grateful Palate’s, bacon-of-the-month club had been piling up in their freezer.  For shame!

 

Back by popular demand, i decided to host it at my place this time.  I don’t need a lot of convincing to have or participate in a food-related party, but to make the star of the party bacon? It was a dream come true!  There are entire websites and cookbooks dedicated to bacon.  Some even release a new bacon recipe everyday!

 

I once tried being on the Atkins diet. The best part of this diet was getting to eat eggs and bacon.

 

You either love bacon and think ‘this is the grandest idea ever’ or you think i am nuts and a complete glutton. My boyfriend is not a bacon fanatic. He likes it enough, but i don’t think he would order it by the slab, uncut, like i do. He wouldn’t go out and buy a bacon wallet or anything, or a bacon plush, like some people i know…

 

A local fairly new restaurant, Square One, is a new favorite of mine. They use farm fresh, high quality ingredients making classic dishes that are above average. I was inspired by their delicious slab cut bacon- it’s so thick it should be called steakon. i placed an order from Nueskes. i went for the gusto and ordered the 6lb pack since it is portioned and wrapped in smaller quantities. When i get it, i will cut thick slices and towards the end, as it gets harder to cut even slices, i use that to make lardons, both which store nicely in the freezer for awhile.

 

Lardons are something i discovered when studying abroad in france. Like cheese, the french know how to eat something rich and pungent in small quantities. You will rarely see “bacon-wrapped” or “drowning in melted cheese” on a menu, as rich as their foods can be. But i digress. back to bacon indulgences.

 

These events are always so much fun because everyone brings stuff to share with the group. The most recent bacon brunch consisted of some menu planning since so many people were invited i had to plan some things and of course let others know what to bring. The amount of food on the table was like a holiday feast. needless to say, no one left hungry, not even the pregnant vegetarian.

 

BACON BRUNCH MENU:

 

fresh OJ

sparkling wine

bellinis

mimosa

coffee

 

mushroom spinach bread pudding, with bacon lardons

brioche french toast with fresh whipped cream and maple syrup

bacon wrapped dates

nueskes slab cut bacon, cut homestyle thick aka steakon

apple tarte tatin

 

guest brought goodies:

pumpkin pancakes with ginger butter

no name basil green beans and potato medley

pancetta balsamic vinaigrette served with toasted baguette and buffalo mozzarella

brown sugar cinnamon glazed bacon blossom

mini fritattas

crustless baby quiche with bacon

 

assorted cheese platter

smoked meats

 

fruit salad

 

caramel ice cream with bacon powder

 

It was a successful sunday brunch despite the rainy day that rained out the use of our patio. it was cozy for sure with about 25 people gorging on bacon themed foods and even cozier towards the end as more and more food disappeared off the table.

 

i promised i wouldn’t tabulate how many pounds of bacon we went through that day, so i will refrain. let’s just say the ‘family’ sized order i put in was almost gone in a day. did someone bring a defribulator?

 

PARTY RECAP:

things i would do differently next time.

 

Take a shower first thing in the morning! i always come down to enjoy a cup of coffee but then jump right into cooking and set-up only to find myself pressed for time to get ready. Some guests actually showed up at 1pm on the dot as i was still drying my hair.

 

invite less people-

 

Well this is an article on it’s own and i probably say this every time i have people over and it involves food.  Most people, i assume, will bring someone. When food is involved, it’s absolutely necessary to RSVP- yes or no and how many. A plus one is ok. A plus two is passable, but a plus my whole family and all the tenants in my apartment complex is a big no-no. Thankfully, this did not happen but i invited more people than was comfortable since we lost the entire outdoor patio and table area. it’s just so hard to pick!