jakorte's blog

You know those cute bottles of flavored syrups you see on coffee shop counters? The type you can purchase at specialty markets to add uniqueness to your home brew? Well, the other day I discovered another exciting indication that once again (yes, this is bragging) I am ahead of the “norm” curve.

You already knew this though. My love for bacon dust, bacon salt and bacon popcorn, and well.. just plain old thick cut or thin cut, maple or smoke flavored, well-done, super crispy bacon isn’t a secret. The fact that I heard a rumor about, and searched tirelessly for six months for, a bacon chocolate bar, proved fruitful. And yes, kids, if you can find it in a store it means that there is a market for it. I may not know my fellow unusual gourmets, but they’re obviously out there.

And just in case you’re thinking I’m kind of out there, too, I not so humbly present this irrefutable evidence:

World Market made another one of my gourmet dreams come true last week. Right there, in the most obvious path a customer could walk, was a small stack of boxes crowned with a neat little row of brown glass bottles. It took a double take to totally believe what was on the label. Sunglasses came off – bifocals no where to be found. Even though, there was no mistaking the bold lettering. There in the center isle, a gourmet siren song reeled me in. Torani Bacon Syrup…

My fellow seeker of gourmet wrinkled her brows and startled out, “OMG! What would you use THAT for?
My already salivating mouth shot back with uninhibited enthusiasm, “OMG! What would you NOT use it for?”

To pay homage to this truly no-marketing-necessary treasure, I will give you a glimpse into my Willy Wonka world of possibilities. The bottle suggests adding it to coffee –I find this use completely unacceptable. Yuck - not my idea of a good thing.

The tamest, most obvious and probably most easily acceptable idea, would be a sweet dollop or two on pancakes. Or crispy malt waffles. Somehow syrup always touches your bacon, anyway. Just admit it - it tastes good!

How about drizzled over fresh cornbread or biscuits? I’m planning to use my Pampered Chef spritzer to rocket mist the delectable stuff over popcorn and to spray dust a sticky soon to be caramelized surface over quartered Yukon Gold potatoes. I might even try my hand @ making candy bacon caramels coated in concoction of confectioner’s sugar and bacon dust, and wrapped in plain white waxed paper. Those might go over well at Cracker Barrel.

Add a little tomato paste for a sweet salty smoky sauce with a fresh ground black pepper or cayenne kick. How about bananas foster ala Elvis – bananas, bacon syrup & peanut butter? It could also easily be that extra secret ingredient in a crock pot of family reunion cocktail weenies or Superbowl worthy meatballs. Cream some into butter for an orgasmic yeast roll or bagel spread. No doubt good to glaze grilled salmon or shrimp or corn on the cob with. Whip into cream cheese with a little lump crab for a stupendous stuffed jalapeno!

Oatmeal would go down smoothly with a handful of chocolate chips and a tablespoon of bacon syrup. Oh, oh, oh! Grits. Mm, hmmm. Grits, I say! Shortbread! Oh, yes, buttery, sweet, bacon-y crumbly heaven with a thumbprint of raspberry jam on top! Sweet tea? Uh, nope, maybe not…kind of the same unhappiness as coffee.

Yep, yep, yep! Bacon flavor without the fat, what’s not to love?
Feel free to chime in, send recipes….