TEXT FROM BRAD: This photo was taken at 8:10 p.m. EDT at the Pompano Beach, FL, Costco Wholesale store. …I got to the end of the aisle that had spices and seasonings and noticed this bag on the end cap. It was not refrigerated.

ME: EW! Is it bacon or salad?

TEXT FROM BRAD: And I get what you’re saying now, it DOES look like a bag of salad! I didn’t notice until I looked at the picture again. Gross. That’s my opinion, anyway.

ME: Gross is a gross understatement.

WHY would Costco do this to bacon? What did bacon do to tick Costco off? And WHY ISN’T IT REFRIGERATED? What kind of horrible chemicals and preservatives are keeping that bag’s ecosystem running? Do I need to get a documentary crew out there? I have so many questions…

I think we can all learn a lesson from this: Not all bacon is raised with love. A sad fact, but true. Make sure to hug your bacon today!

–Jennifer Eolin

The fine folks over at Bacon Today just released what could only be classified as an “A+” rave review regarding the new gourmet Bacon Cookbook that it’s competitors, Bacon Freak,  just put out this week.

In the usual “cut throat” and “back-stabbing” world of business, even in the much more tastefully refined world of fine dining and gourmet food, it’s so very rare to see such a glowingly positive review of someone else’s work, particularly a direct competitor, that we thought the world would get some enjoyment from the taste of pure kindness and graciousness exhibited between these two popular and powerful industry leaders.

Here’s the whole story, presented “straight from the pigs mouth”, just as they posted it on their blog.

Enjoy …

“Not too long ago, a reader came to us with the idea that we should write a bacon book. You know, a book about bacon. We tossed around a few ideas that all centered around bacon and books and how to combine them into a book about bacon but we haven’t nailed down a bacon book concept just yet.

Today we received an email from Boss Hog over at BaconFreak.com announcing that he’s released the first edition of his Bacon Cookbook. What better book about bacon could there be than a bacon book that helps you cook the meat candy?

According to the web site (with the oh-so-catchy URL of BaconCookbook.com) they’ve got recipes from some renowned chefs that will help you get your bacon fix for breakfast, lunch, dinner, appetizers, and even bacon desserts.

We got a chance to peek at the bacon cookbook ahead of time and were impressed with the quality of the bacon recipes included in the book. Don’t be surprised if you see a couple examples of bacon dishes we test out here at Bacon Today. We’re planning to cook up a few of the meals to give them the official Bacon Today taste test.

The Bacon Freak Bacon Cookbook is available in both downloadable PDF and paperback formats. Head on over to BaconCookbook.com and get your copy today!”

Not to be outdone by the late blooming “wannabes” who have just recently jumped onto the “Bacon Freak Band Wagon,” The Original “Bacon Freaks” just released the much ballyhooed and long awaited “Bacon Cookbook,” and the response and buzz amongst fellow “Baconistas” has been nothing less than spectacular.

If you’re truly a legitimate “Baco-holic” who has been riding the surging wave of “Baco-Mania” since long before the early “daze” of this magnificently trending movement … or if you know someone who is …then you most definitely need to immediately click over to “The Bacon Cookbook” website right away and check this out for your self or your loved ones, while supplies still last.

According to Rocco “Boss Hog” Loosbrock, “this is a life-long dream finally manifested into reality, not just for our entire loyal monthly bacon club members and bacon store customers, but for “Baco-Maniacs” all across the country and globe, as well as for all of us here at “Bacon Freak.”

“We wanted to make sure that the cookbook was something spectacular and not just a collection of typical bacon oriented recipes.” explains Boss Hog. “So we sought out the creative culinary insights and inspirations of some of the most well respected and professionally renowned chefs in the industry, to create completely, all original, unique recipes specifically for our bacon, and the outcome has proven to be even well beyond our own expectations, hopes and dreams!”

Included in this Epicurean Encyclopedia of enticing entries are custom creation recipes from such chefs as:

Henry Adaniya

Rick Bayless

Scott Burnett

Kathy Casey

Ratha Chau

Gianni Cicilot

Holly Clegg

Laura Jakosky

Erik Kelley

Mary Beth Lawton-Johnson

Maria Liberati

Kate McAloon

Jason McClure

Patricia Mendez

Georges Mokbel

Johnna Rowe

Donna DeCunzo-Taddeo

Gary Unger

Thus, Bacon Freak’s “Bacon Cookbook” turned out to be Hog Heaven for those who truly love the seductively sultry, sweet and salty sensuality of the world’s all time favorite “Meat Candy!”

The cookbook is conveniently put together in such a way as to allow you to chose the very finest recipes for a number of specific meals, from Breakfast and Lunch, to Dinner and Dessert, even Appetizers are included.

Having no idea just how amazingly popular this first edition of the Bacon Cookbook would be, supplies may prove to be beyond limited and stretched to the breaking point for  those who hesitate and put this acquisition, even temporarily on the back burner.

Clearly the second edition printing will eventually come along, and with its numbers greatly increased, now that the massive popularity of the cookbook has officially  now been have gauged after the Grand Release, but for those who don’t want to have to wait till then, you can buy a copy or three right here, right now … without delay.

Signing Off and Pigging Out,

Rocco “Boss Hog” Loosbrock

Be sure to visit our Bacon Club by clicking HERE!

Baconopolis …  Baconopolis, by any other name would you … could you possibly smell and taste so seductively sweet, salty, sizzlingly savory and sensually sensational! I for one, think NOT!

Baconopolis (Round Two) “This time it’s Porkual!” … took place on Friday night, February 26th from 6:00 -8:00 PM at the ever so awesome Palace Ballroom in the wondrously Washingtonian city of Seattle.

Surprising to none, the event featured bacon, bacon and more bacon.

Specifically … 10 delightfully different, delectable dishes of bacon oriented fine dining fare, from items that seem to naturally go together like a “hand and glove,” to other recipes that go together more like “penguins on unicycles” and “low salt, no fat nuclear submarines.”

The entire event was brought to us by the good folks over at the Palace Ballroom and their illustrious owner, Mr. Tom Douglas, who is also noted in the “foodie” world for being a semifinalist for the prestigious 2010 James Beard Foundation award for Best Restaurateur.

The menu included:

B.L.A.T. (the classic with avocado)

Bacon Cured Whole Pig

Bacon Cornbread Muffin

Pork n’ Beans

Bacon Explosion

Elvis’ Favorite: Hot Peanut Butter, Banana and Bacon

Classic Carbonara

Bacon Fried Rice

Bacon Biscuit Sandwich with Gravy

Bacon Filled Doughnut with Maple Glaze and Bacon Salt

OK … so I was momentarily distraught to discover they were NOT servi9ng my favorite “Pork At The Bottom Yogurt, the entire event was utterly amazing?

Absolutely everybody had a wonderfully awesome time and as predicted, totally PIGGED OUT!

We can’t wait till next year.

Senseless In Seattle!

Signing Off and Pigging Out,

Rocco “Boss Hog” Loosbrock

Be sure to visit our Bacon Club by clicking HERE!

Ok, while in some corners of the world, perhaps Wendy’s exciting, new release of their “Bacon and Blue Burger” might not incite as much enthusiastically electric and eclectic interest and conversation as ….oh I don’t know … say … the Oscars, The NBA Playoffs, or what’s apparently new on supposedly never scripted or prearranged “Reality TV.”

But around here, the BUZZ about Wendy’s newly featured food fair is quickly becoming all the rage, and personally I’m one of the happy cowboys riding that bull all the way back to “Satisfaction Street!”

We’re talking North American Beef, generously covered with “real” blue cheese crumbles, a hearty layer of freshly cooked Apple-wood Smoked Bacon, topped off with some deliciously delightful sautéed onions and a pretty decent creamy steakhouse sauce.

Alright, … I’m not going to pretend that by simply adding Bleu Cheese to a bacon burger will automatically make it “gourmet food,” but remember that it’s Wendy’s that we’re talking about here, so the quality of the ingredients and the care with which the meals are prepared and served are already up in the higher echelon of quality, compared to most “fast food joints!

Here’s what I can tell you. While I normally am not a big fan of fast food, particularly burgers, and most specifically “Bacon Burgers,” this really is a pretty decent rendition of the sort of gourmet burger that you might make at home from your latest anticipated and treasured monthly bacon club membership shipment or something that you might possibly pick up at a fancy, posh eatery for around $10.00 or so.

It’s actually pretty darned good. I do however; strongly recommend forgoing the speed, convenience and privacy of ordering this particular burger from the take out window, and instead go enjoy eating it inside the establishment, so that you don’t loose too much of the “rollie-pollie” chucks of bleu cheese that will otherwise end up in the crack of your cars seat and possibly some other embarrassing locations I won’t even bother to suggest.

If you get the burger made to order, as it should be, the heat rising off of the burger and bacon will sufficiently melt the cheese to a nice consistency. If not, you may have to ask them to re-heat it for you on the grill, in order to get that slightly “lava-like”  consistency that allows the cheese to effectively  exude it’s grandiose, gooey goodness.

Enjoy!

Signing Off and Pigging Out,

Rocco “Boss Hog” Loosbrock

Be sure to visit our Bacon Club by clicking HERE!

The people at G-Monkey took it upon themselves to create an “app” for the iPhone and iPod Touch for all of us bacon fanatics out there.  At first upon hearing this news, I was terribly giddy.  Then I watched their YouTube video about the app and thought, “Well now that I’ve seen it, WHY do I need it?”

Biggest bummer about the app:  NO REAL BACON.  After suffering through the delicious soundscape of pops, sizzles and crackles as the porky goodness bubbles on a stove-top grill, there are no rewards.  Not even a grease burn on our hand to show our spoils of war!  People, this app is a classic example of what I like to call a “bacon tease.”  HMPH!

So unless someone can figure out how to get real bacon to pop out of the USB port (squeeee!) I’d like to suggest some “additional apps” that can be downloaded to make this whole fake experience complete:

• The “Exercising” app
• The “Vomiting after Exercising” app
• Followed by the “Complaining to anyone who will listen about how awful exercising was” app
• And finish it off with the soon to be popular, “Procrastinating exercising ever again and turning into an unattractive couch potato” app

So even though this is a cool app, it’s cool for about 2 minutes and 16 seconds.  So I’ll stick with my low rent phone and save myself the expense.  And the “calories.”

– Jennifer Eolin

Signing Off and Pigging Out,

Rocco “Boss Hog” Loosbrock

Be sure to visit our Bacon Club by clicking HERE!

SQUEEEEEEEEE! (Or “squeeeeeeal!”)  It’s that time of year again when the good folks at Denny’s feed the masses free bacon.  You read that right.  FREE.  BACON.  Two of my favorite words.  Side by side like husband and wife (before the divorce).  Squee!

Specifically… Tuesday, February 9^th, Denny’s agreed to feed anybody (unless you’re not wearing shoes or a shirt) who came through their doors between 6am and 2pm a FREE Grand Slam Breakfast.

That’s right.  They saved a whole $6 or so by standing in line for over 2 hours.  But it’s for bacon.  Crisp but not burnt bacon.  And best of all, according to all of my Denny’s eating experience; they let you substitute the two flimsy pieces of sausage for more heavenly pork which means 4 strips of bacon!  Oh sure, you have to get “other food” with it like a pesky pancake or an odious omelet.  But again, FREE BACON.

So standing in line all morning was worth it!  Right?

— Jennifer Eolin

Bacon isn't just about good taste, It's about smart choices as well!

Pregnant?  Screw the pickle cravings and reach for the pork! (That’s what she said!)

According to some very smart scientists at the University of North Carolina, eating a breakfast made up of bacon and eggs will NOT get you a firm scolding from your doctor, but rather a standing ovation. (This will only if he’s a fun doctor, otherwise, you may just get a non-plussed nod.).

The results of the UNC study maintain that a chemical in pork products can actually be pro-active in the development of an unborn baby’s brain.

The hero of the hour is a micronutrient called “choline” which can also be found in foods such as beef liver (gross), cauliflower (totally disgusting) and tofu (blasphemy!).

Apparently this little guy is already known for protecting against heart problems and preventing memory loss while aging.  Who deserves a gold star for all their hard work?  Choline does!

So the next time you’re pregnant, put bacon on your baby registry, call MENSA and reserve a spot for your child, and make sure you find an assisted living complex that serves bacon daily.

-Jennifer Eolin

Signing Off and Pigging Out,

Rocco “Boss Hog” Loosbrock

Visit our Bacon Club by <a href=”http://www.baconfreak.com/bacon-of-the-month-clubs.html”>clicking here</a>