bacon

It’s hard to explain how incredibly excited I was to try my hand at making my own bacon. It’s both olde tymey and delicious. Two descriptions I really happen to like. And it’s really easy to make. Like, so easy I’m not entirely sure why it’s not more common to make your own. It’s not any more complicated than something like marinating meat before cooking it, which people do all the time. I guess the worst part about it is slicing it when you want to eat it, but that’s not even hardly a pain.
And the seasoning possibilities are endless! I stuck to this Saveur recipe (which I was referred to by a post on Robb Wolf’s site) since I’d never done it before and figured I’d let the experts tell me what to do. But I can envision now, spicy chipotle bacon, sage and a touch of cinnamon bacon, BBQ spiced bacon, various kinds of wood smoked bacon… woo! Don’t worry, baconophobes, I don’t eat a stupid amount. It’s tempting, knowing that there are big ol’ slabs of it laying around in your fridge and freezer, but I really like to eat bacon like a treat. I think it’s a vestige of old habits. But I rather like keeping it like a treat, even if I’m not afraid of it anymore. Plus, as far as salt is concerned, it never scared me much, especially after reading Salt: A World History. Not terribly scientific of me, but meh.

wilted spinach salad with tuna and bacon

This recipe was born out of a need to use up an impulse purchase of spinach. Quite similar to the last post’s fennel bulb, actually. I didn’t, however, let the spinach get to such a sorry state. That would have been gross. But I wasn’t sure what to use it for – a simple sautéed accompaniment to something? I thought about incorporating it in that blasted tortilla, also mentioned in the last post. I thought about making a kind of proper tuna salad and putting it on top of a bed of the spinach. But I was inspired to make a warm, wilted salad after seeing this version. It’s pretty wintery, but then again, the weather has been downright damp and Boston-y and this salad fit the bill when I made it.
I’m hoping this salad will be a gateway salad. I really fell out of salad mode this past winter. I don’t think I made a single one at home. I eat them a lot at work – we get our clients lunch and the employees get to freeload along. But I never felt in the mood to make one myself. Which is a shame, because a well dressed salad with thoughtfully included and prepared ingredients is a beautiful thing. So this salad was a good reminder. Since it’s just gently wilted spinach, it still retains the qualities of a fresh, raw salad. I’m already looking forward to crisp, cool summer salads of gorgeous tomatoes and fresh herbs. Yum! In the meantime, I’m going to start looking for unique spring greens like pea shoots or fava greens. I haven’t found them yet at my regular grocery store, but I might check at a more special grocery store.