Tag: CAMP BACON
Welcome to Camp Bacon!
Chad greets campers at the sign-in table.
Early bird guests dig in to the breakfast spread.
Ari performing quality control.
Chef Alex at the ready.
Ari and Joanie asked guests to stand and introduce themselves and describe their favorite ways of eating bacon. There were some very creative and delicious ideas!
More introductions.
Jay Oglesby of the Southern Foodways Alliance talks about the organization’s mission.
Sam Edwards of Edwards Virginia Ham demonstrates curing methods for ham.
Campers watching the demonstration.
Nothing beats the sound of bacon sizzling on a griddle…except the delicious smell of bacon cooking on a griddle!
Chad distributing samples.
Ari introduces Jeffrey Yoskowitz.
Jeff enthralls campers with tales of the sometimes Byzantine Israeli pork industry.
Audrey Petty reads bacon poetry.
Campers watch a documentary about Big John’s Restaurant in Jackson, MS. The restaurant is a historic part of Jackson, and the upstairs offices and apartments were once occupied by such luminaries as civil rights activist Medgar Evers and blues legend Sonny Boy Williamson.
Ari introduces Herb Eckhouse of La Quercia.
Herb Talks about how he began making prosciutto in Iowa.
See More Main Event Highlights here.
Welcome Campers! Zingerman’s 4th Annual Camp Bacon has begun!
Last night was the kickoff event of the 4th Zingerman’s Annual Camp Bacon: The Bacon Ball!
Ari talked about Camp Bacon and welcomed some returning guests. Next, Chef Alex talked about the menu selections, which included bacon appetizers using La Quercia and Edwards bacons, a Bacon Fry Bread, and a delicious Vichyssoise with Eckhouse Pancetta that inspired by Alex’s mother’s own recipe. The main course was Caw Caw Creek Bacon Steak served with Ari’s Pimento Cheese Mashed Potatoes. Dessert was a Vosges Bacon Chocolate bar accompanied by a sample of delicious Rogue River Blue cheese.
Bar Manager Carly talked about the bacon drink specials, including a Bacon Ball Manhattan; a Bacon “In Fashion;” a bacony take on the traditional Old Fashioned; Cabin Fever Gelato Shake made with Zingerman’s Creamery Vanilla Gelato and Nueske’s bacon; and Rogue “VooDoo” Maple Bacon Ale.
Ari talked about the Southern Food Alliance and the great work they do. Here’s a brief synopsis in their own words:
The SFA is one of the nation’s most creative, educational, and ingenuous not-for-profits. Southerners recognize us as a progressive force that documents, studies, and celebrates the diverse food cultures of our changing region. Our members and donors take great pride in the stories we tell and the lives we celebrate. Throughout the nation, people recognize that the SFA has pioneered a much-emulated and intellectually rigorous program of cultural inquiry that calls a diverse community to a common table where black and white, rich and poor, young and old — all who gather– may consider our history and our future in a spirit of reconciliation.
Chef Alex making the rounds.
Ari pitching in.
Catering and Events Manager Joanie thanked everyone for coming and introduced our Bacon Poetry contest winner, Ms. Denise Podhorsky, who favored us with a spirited recitation of her verse. As the contest winner, Denise and a friend won free tickets to the Bacon Ball!
Denise reads her poem to an appreciate crowd. Congratulations Denise! Thanks for reading your wonderful poem!
My Love
Your hypnotic smell,
so juicy,
so delicious,
I’m under its spell.On your own,
or to spice something up,
I love it,
and will never forget it.You’re on my mind,
you’re in my fridge,
my booty is shakin’,
for my love of bacon.Cooked by oven,
or fire,
I like to share it with my man,
but it’s always best when fried in a pan.
Well put, Denise!
See you at camp!
We recently had a chance to chat with renowned Ann Arbor chef Eve Aronoff. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, Eve was the owner of the fondly remembered Eve restaurant in Kerrytown, and has authored a cookbook called Eve: Contemporary Cuisine Methode Tradionalle. Eve currently owns the popular Cuban-inspired Frita Batidos in Ann Arbor. Eve will be speaking and cooking at Zingerman’s 4th Annual Camp Bacon this weekend.
EJO: Is this your first Camp Bacon?
Eve: Yes, and I’m very excited!
You’re pulling double-duty for Camp this year. You’re speaking as well as cooking. First off, can you tell us what you’ll be taking about?
I’ll be talking a bit about where my inspiration comes from, using tradition as a starting point.
So, you take a traditional recipe-–
It’s not really the recipe. The starting point is actually the traditions of the culture, rather than the actual cuisine. When I lived France, I drew a lot of inspiration from the open-air markets, the coffee, and the pace of life. It was similar in Miami, where I developed this love for the Cuban culture, and that’s what really drives me to create my own dishes that are inspired by Cuban (or Asian, or…) traditions. It’s more about the passion for the food, than following a traditional recipe. I think about various flavor combinations and how they might work together. It’s like I can taste it in my head. And the pig roast we’re doing is a great example of that.
Well, this is a great time to talk about the roast pig. Can you tell us more about that?
Sure. We’ll be cooking a whole pig in a Caja China…
That’s the box, right?
Yes. La Caja China. It’s a wooden cooking box used in Cuban-American cuisine, and is said to have come from the Chinese laborers who immigrated to Cuba in the mid-1850’s.
The box sits on wheels and is lined with aluminum. Inside are two suspended metal racks that hold the pork. Coals are put on top of the box and ignited. The heat from the coals is conducted by the metal inside, surrounding the pork with heat and cooking it evenly all the way around.
And you’re roasting a whole pig?
Yep! We butterfly-split a pig, and marinate it for 48 hours ahead of cooking. In this case, we’re using two different marinades-one for each half.
One will be a Cuban-inspired recipe called ‘Mojo’ that has bright, citrus flavors along with spicy chilis. The other marinade is an Asian-inspired recipe that’s a combination of sweet, savory, and spicy flavors.
Just before cooking, we take the pork out of the marinade and rub it with a mixture of salt, black pepper, ancho chilis, and brown sugar. Then we clamp it between the metal racks, put it in the box, close it up and start the coals.
How long does it take to cook?
We’re using a 70-80 lb. pig, so we’ll probably check it after about 4-5 hours. We’ll score it with a knife, add more marinade, and flip it over to finish it off for another 45 minutes or so. When it’s ready, we’ll serve it with more marinade as a sauce, along with coconut-ginger rice.
That sounds delicious!
We’ll have a lot, so bring your appetite!
See you at camp!
Zingerman’s 4th Annual Camp Bacon is just around the corner and to help get everyone prepared, we’re sharing tasty excerpts and recipes from Ari’s book, Zingerman’s Guide to Better Bacon.
The Laurel Blakemore Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich
Aside from being the only palindromic recipe name I know, this also makes a really good sandwich, which has long been very popular at the Zingerman’s Deli. It’s named for Dr. Laurel Blakemore, horse fanatic, show jumper, pediatric orthopaedic surgeon and a big lover of bacon. It calls for a good bit of mayonnaise—I think a good BLT needs that, but you can certainly cut back if you like. Either way, it’s easy to make and great to eat!
The recipe is for a single sandwich but it’s not hard to do the math and make as many as you want.
Ingredients:
- 2 to 4 slices Arkansas Peppered Bacon
- 2 slices crusty country bread (we use Zingerman’s Farm Bread)
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 slices aged Vermont cheddar cheese
- 2 thick slices good tomato
- Handful of good lettuce
Procedure:
- Cook the bacon in a frying pan until done. Remove from pan and drain, but leave the pan on the heat.
- Spread mayonnaise on both slices of bread.
- Put a slice of cheese on each slice, then add the bacon and tomato.
- Assemble the sandwich, give it a gentle press together with your palm and slide it into the hot pan.
- Weight it down with a bowl and fry until golden brown.
- Flip, brown the other side, and remove from pan.
- Add the lettuce, cut the sandwich on whatever angle your heart desires (remember, though, that Laurel is a surgeon and places great value on properly positioned knife cuts!), and eat it while it’s hot!
See you at Camp!
Zingerman’s 4th Annual Camp Bacon is just around the corner and to help get everyone prepared, we’re sharing tasty excerpts and recipes from Ari’s book, Zingerman’s Guide to Better Bacon.
Pork has been the key ration of every American army since the time of the Revolution. In fact, the initial “Uncle Sam” was a 21-year-old from New Hampshire by the name of Samuel Wilson. During the War of 1812 he was a prime pork packer for the Army. The story goes that he became quite popular among the troops for his provisioning work and upbeat personality. Barrels of pork labeled “U.S.” came to stand for “Uncle Sam” Wilson, the man who fed the folks in the Army.
See you at camp!
Zingerman’s 4th Annual Camp Bacon is just around the corner and to help get everyone prepared, we’re sharing tasty excerpts and recipes from Ari’s book, Zingerman’s Guide to Better Bacon.
Wittenberg Splits
This is the way Tanya Nueske and her family grew up eating hot dogs. They’re not hard to make and they really are darned good. To restate the by-now familiar: the better the buns and hot dogs, the better these are going to taste. I use buns from Zingerman’s Bakehouse, on which I put either Vienna all-beef dogs from Chicago (the ones I grew up with) or the Niman Ranch version. Take note that in Wisconsin “cheddar” always means orange cheese, never white. It won’t taste any different, but if you want to accurately replicate Tanya Nueske’s early life experience, white cheese just really won’t do.
Ingredients:
- 12 thick slices Nueske’s applewood-smoked bacon
- 6 jumbo hot dogs, split lengthwise
- 6 ounces sharp cheddar (the older the better), sliced
- 1 large dill pickle, sliced thinly lengthwise
- 6 hot dog buns, toasted
Procedure:
- Preheat oven to broil at 375°F.
- With a sharp paring knife, cut a line lengthwise along each hot dog, leaving a thin strip at the bottom so that the dog stays in one piece. Lay the sliced cheddar inside the split, then place a long slice of pickle atop the cheese. Wrap each hot dog in 2 slices of bacon and secure the ends of each strip with a toothpick.
- Place on a foil-topped baking sheet and broil for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the bacon is nicely browned.
- You can put your buns under the broiler for the last 2 minutes to toast them, too. Take out the toothpicks, put the dogs in the buns and eat ’em while they’re hot.
Serves 6 as a main course.
