For me, bacon was starting to feel like the skinny jeans of the culinary world: a trend whose time is coming to an end. I love bacon–and I mean love. From where I sit, eggs would be bereft without bacon, and a world without carbonara is not one I want to be in. I’m continually surprised at the quantity of flavor you can coax from a few slices of bacon in a pasta sauce or stew. Still, I found the hyperbole attached to bacon annoying. At the end of the day, folks, it’s still pork. And, in case you haven’t noticed, swine-related products aren’t in such favor these days.
And then the doughnut contest came along.
Now, besides being typically pegged for the same meal of the day, there isn’t much connection between these two fatty, glorious treats. That is, until I had a wonderful, inspired idea. If I’m going to win the doughnut contest (and I must. not. lose.), I’ll have to bring out something truly inspired: maple-bacon doughnuts. I revealed my devilishly simple plan to Rebecca, who merely said, “I’d be happier for you if I didn’t wish I had thought of it first.”
Anyway, I thought I was being so clever and original, until I googled “bacon doughnuts.” The people at a doughnut shop on the West Coast thought of it first, and someone even blogged about making them at Serious Eats.
Here’s what Anthony Bourdain had to say about the ones on the West Coast: “But this. Only Elvis, like late era Elvis on medication would eat this. (taking a bite) I’m really ashamed of myself for liking this. I took a bite to be polite, I’m eating the rest because I’m liking it.”
I’m feeling encouraged. Mighty encouraged. I mean, this is also the man who ate a beating cobra heart, but it must be pretty good if he liked it.
The contest isn’t until mid-June, but life is going to be so chaotic from now until then that I have to plan ahead. Thus, I’ll be doing my first try this weekend. Here’s to hoping they’re so terrific I don’t have to practice them again. Other quandary: should I wake up early and do them the day of? Or do them the night before, save myself some trouble, but run the risk of them not being fresh? All to be determined later.
I feel my porcine love rekindling. Here’s to hoping it works!
Voodoo doughnuts in Portland, OR has maple-bacon doughnuts. It’s like heaven in your hands.
Yeah! That’s the place I read about, the one that Bourdain went to. I was going to mention the name, but I had forgotten it and was too lazy to look it up.