I wrote the following short memoir about a year ago when an ad came up to enter a submission about bacon. The people who were chosen would have the opportunity to travel and write about bacon. Unfortunately, I didn’t get picked, but I have this fun little embellished memory to share, especially since it was Bacon Friday today.
When I met my wonderful Jeff, I had no idea of the world of the lusciously delicious and crispy pork sensation we deem bacon I would enter. Jeff and I had been dating for just about a month when he suggested to me, “Let’s go meet some of my friends at Bacon Friday.” Many thoughts oozed through my quizzical mind to the point of faux thought bubbles circling my head with utter glee, such as “Yay!” “Oh my!” “A weekly night to celebrate bacon!” I calmly asked him, “What is Bacon Friday?” He jubilantly replied, “A group of my friends meet at the beer taproom every Friday where beer and bacon are consumed. The barbecue restaurant next door cooks the bacon for us and we also bring other bacon inspired food items as well.” I could not contain my excitement thinking of consuming a plethora of bacon and more. My first Bacon Friday came, not soon enough.
While I eagerly awaited this new, innovative experience, and to keep calm and to keep focused, I engaged myself in a bacon recipe search extravaganza each night until the evening before the big day when I cooked several strips of bourbon cured bacon and placed them in a salted caramel bacon monkey bread recipe with Jeff’s assistance. As it baked, the aura of scrumptious pork from the monkey bread scented the kitchen like the scintillating wafts of sugary goodness my mother used to make in my younger days; however, only now innovatively adding the tantalizing twist of a meat candy to a traditional pastry.
The next day after work, Jeff and I prepared to attend Bacon Friday with our salted caramel bacon monkey bread in hand all while he was sporting his “Bacon, I am your Father” t-shirt, paying homage to Star Wars and bacon alike. We arrived to greet jovial friends who were already sampling the myriad of bacon selections: Applewood bacon with just the right crispness, hickory smoked bacon cooked around medium well, bacon jerky, bacon dip with chips, and home-cured bacon prepared by one of the founders of Bacon Friday. My senses went into overload as I tried each one with awesome wonder finding a guilty pleasure with each anticipated bite. To add to this culinary wonder, finding the right refreshing beverage; hence, craft beer, to compliment either the sweet or tangy bacon flavor created a challenge to smoothly balance the mix for my palette. I found beer with the hint of fruit was refreshing with the smoky styles of bacon and the smoky beer paired well with the sweeter Applewood bacon. I could not help myself; I had to try it all. After feeling filled with bacon delight, another one of the founders presented me with a Bacon Friday t-shirt for me to wear from this day forward to all Bacon Fridays. I could not believe it; I had finally arrived in food heaven. By the end of my first Bacon Friday, I was totally mesmerized with content, guilt, and pure love for all that is bacon.
The whispering wind calms the unsettled soul
The Quotable Raven 