FIRST, BACON IN THE NEWS.
This one falls into the category of "why didn't I think of that?" Someone has come up with an app, including hardware,: that makes your smartphone send out a puff of bacon scent as a notification (such as when your loved one texts you). This is amazing, and incredibly silly. Apparently, there are actual business uses for this accessory - samples of scents for perfume, or cooking samples. Go here to read the engadget article plus a video! Remember "smell-o-vision"?? This was a technology that released smells during a movie! It was a cool idea, obviously well before its time. Smell-O-Vision had its one and only public use for a movie appropriately called "The Scent of Mystery," in 1960. Read the article and also learn that a competitive technology, called "AromaRama" appeared around the same time, and the newspapers called it the "Battle of the Smellies!" The things you learn while blogging...GREAT DINNER WITH FRIENDS AT ABAGAIL'S in Highland Park, Illinois on Friday night. The menu at Abagail's is phenomenal, and the service - well, really thoughtful and entertaining. As usual, I gave the help a hard time. Jeremy started reading the menu to us, explaining what "little things," "neither small nor large," and "bigger than the rest" things meant. Of course, I took the opportunity to tell him how annoying I find it when people read their PowerPoint slides. Jeremy quickly recovered and had a great attitude, and guided us through the menu. Service was excellent; food flavorful and a great value; drinks excellent. Thanks for the recommendation, Wendy and Lowell!!
Check out their site, and if you're in the area for lunch or dinner, do drop by. Not on the menu, I ordered the bone-in ribeye (a monster), and my friends had corvina (fish) and a whole branzino (aka European Sea Bass). Beautiful presentation and flavor. Of course, I had to ask if there was anything in the house that used bacon as an ingredient.Jeremy's eyes lit up as he began to explain that the resident mixologist created a version of the Lumberjack that included bacon (fat skimmed off), Old Fitz bourbon, and maple syrup. It wasn't quite ready for serving yet, but if I really wanted it, I could be their 'beta test'. You know my answer. The drink tasted a bit like scotch, but was a little sweet; for their 'production version,' they will lighten the maple syrup.
ON TO THIS WEEK'S BACON: Hormel Natural Choice. No preservatives, not cured.
Out of the 12 oz package it yielded 12 ounces on my scale - fair trade. It had absolutely no nose whatsoever. Looked good, though.
During the cooking process on my cast iron, it looked like a fatty blobby mess.
Very unusual, it stuck to the pan excessively.
After cooking, my assessment was that it's a pretty average uncured bacon. It had a pedestrian flavor (2.5), crisped up only minimally (2), and very little succulence (2). We agreed that this bacon really had no character whatsoever. It seemed like simple fatty, sliced ham.
Oh, it rendered 50 ml of bacon fat, which was a very small mount for 12 ounces.
Overall, I can't recommend this bacon; it commands a premium, which isn't warranted whatsoever.
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