Cured Meat 101.

Ok, after that last post, I owe you something a little more delish. For that we turn to the folks at 'Bacon Today' for the "Top 10 Cured Meats That Aren't Bacon". So if you don't know your prosciutto from your pancetta, then this is for you. After all that offal, this is definitely not awful.

Mucho pork-o.  

Offal (or is it 'Awful') Happy Hour?

A local DC haunt, 'Bar Pilar', is now offering what they call the 'Offal Happy Hour'. All offal (pate, head cheese, ears, livers, brains) are only $4 during happy hour. Did a little checking, and the 'ears' part just happen to be pigs ears. From 'Urban Daddy':  "mid-western pig’s ears, which are brined, simmered in broth and fried in peanut oil". The end result is pictured left. As someone who gives pig's ears to his dog for a treat, I think I'll pass on this one. But to be fair, the rest of the menu at 'Bar Pilar' (especially their draft beer list) looks pretty good.

The offal truth.

The Perfect Topper For Your Bloody Mary.

Since we are on the vodka topic, and there has yet to be a bacon post today, here is the perfect way to put the figurative cherry on top of that Bloody Mary (with Bakon vodka, of course). Salt the top of your big-ass drinking glass with this bacon-flavored salt for just the right spice. I am seriously craving one right now!

The pieces are falling into place.

Flavored Vodkas To Avoid?

Leave it to the Russians to come up with possibly the nastiest flavored vodka yet: garlic. I couldn't get a ton of info (since I don't speak Russian), but suffice it to say, this is probably something our refined US taste buds would rebel against.

Vodka to keep away vampires.

Speaking of nasty, as soon as I wrote this I found that a Horseradish Vodka also exists, but haven't been able to find the proof. I'll work on that.  

Only a little better is the Smoked Salmon flavored vodka made up in Wasilla, Alaska (home of Sarah Palin). Proponents swear it is great in Bloody Mary's. I'll take their word for it.

Something fishy here.

 

Giant Swiss Army Knife.

Yes, it's real. This could be the biggest Swiss Army Knife in existence, and you can buy it from Wenger, the makers of the original Swiss Army knives. Of course, it will set you back a pretty penny ($1,400), and weighing in at 2 lbs, it may not fit in your pocket. All that aside, the 87 implements will definitely have you ready for your 'MacGuyver' moment.

"Now that's a knife."

Bacon Birthday Cake Shaped Like...Bacon!

My birthday isn't for a while, but please remember this cake for future reference. 'Bacon Today' found a guy who is almost as wacky for the pork belly as I am. A chocolate-covered bacon chocolate cake, shaped like bacon! Though this cake maker obviously flunked out of art school/pastry chef school, it is still an 'A+' for effort. Enjoy!

It's a bacon-y birthday for someone.

I'm Feeling Hungry Today (Part 2). This Should Take Care Of That.

Back to Vegas (and Urban Daddy) for this killer (quite possibly literally) burger and the accompanying challenge. The 'LSS Burger Joint' in the Red Rock Casino has a deal for you; just finish their 'Extreme Burger' in under an hour and your meal is free. Problem? It weighs 3 lbs, is 16" high, and consists of six patties, bacon, mushrooms, cheese, and a killer hot sauce made with peppers grown in a Guatemalan insane asylum...well, not really the last one, but had to throw in the Simpson's reference. Good luck. See for yourself (pic left, story below).



Sick, sick burger. Yum!!
LSS Burger Site/Menu.

I'm Feeling Hungry Today (Part 1). And Thirsty. In An Elvis Kinda Way.

'Johnny Smalls', one of the Hard Rock Hotel's music-themed restaurants, is offering some great sounding, Elvis-inspired fare. First up, there is a Peanut Butter and Banana Beignet, which is served with a shot glass of candied bacon(!!). And don't forget the grilled PB&J. To wash it down, there is the 'Elvis-tini', consisting of hazelnut, banana, and raspberry liqueurs with a touch of Bailey's and vodka. 'Johnny Smalls' eclectic menu also has such items as Alligator Bites, Chicken & Waffles, and an entire section of 'Stuff on Sticks'. Yum! Thanks to 'Urban Daddy' for tracking this down (some e-mail lists are worth subscribing to).

Urban Daddy Las Vegas.
Johnny Smalls Menu.

The Fuxedo. Yes, It Rhymes With Tuxedo.

A tuxedo is chick catnip. But what happens when you've worked your magic and gotten her back to your place? Well, the Fuxedo allows you to get down to the nitty-gritty faster. Created by the comedy duo Stuckey & Murray (pic left) the Fuxedo is an actual product; basically a one-piece tux that you can rip off in a hurry. Check out the video at Huffington Post. I'm so getting one of these.

Get your schwing on - and off - faster.

Bacon Shot! How To Drink Your Daily Bacon.

This site is interesting in that, a) I have no clue what language it is in, and, b) you can pretty much follow along with the pics to make the shot. Apparently, this concoction consists of vodka, bacon, and bacon grease(!). And that foreign bacon looks pretty darn good. Imagine how good this drink would be with Bakon Vodka!

Drink your daily bacon.

Dollar Re-Design Project.

Even though I'm smelling some sort of left-leaning, wealth re-distribution plot with these guys (they claim to want to; "re-brand the US Dollar, rebuild financial confidence and revive our failing economy"), I'm kinda digging what they are doing with this. Face it; our money is boring, and the current re-design is not inspiring. Scroll through these suggestions by some pretty talented artists. I could get behind some of these.

Dollars are cool again.

Bacon Explosion!

I've posted this recipe on my FB page before, but this version is just crazy. The Bacon Explosion - for the uninitiated - is a concoction of sausage and bacon that is basically a sausage/bacon meatloaf. Oh, but it is way more than that. This blow-by-blow, pic-by-yummy-pic recipe will have all you pork lovers salivating...and possibly going into cardiac arrest if you were to consume too much of this. Enjoy your Monday bacon!

The Bacon Explosion!

And because it just wouldn't be right to have a main dish without a side dish, here are some yummy bacon-wrapped green beans! Based on a Paula Deen recipe. Go figure. Bonus bacon!

Green beans done right.