Thursday, February 08, 2007

It's all Anthony's fault.

The maconBar.

PickleBoy and I got hooked on Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations show on the Travel Channel several years ago. We have tivo'd from the very start. So much excitement around here when the third season began several weeks ago. Even more excitement when we learned that Adam had not yet watched the show. We decided that the perfect episode to indoctrinate him would be 'Pacific Northwest' as he travels to Seattle on business now and then.

Results:
Adam indoctrinated on Anthony?
Not so much.
All of us indoctrinated on some of the places Anthony visited?
SO much.

The above-pictured item is our version of the maple bars with bacon on top from Voodoo Donuts in Portland that Mr. Bourdain was good enough to share with us. We named our version the maconBar (maple+bacon+bar - yikes). PB uses this photo as his gmail icon and Adam used this photo as his desktop shot at work. It has taken on a life of it's own. Emailed to people I have not met in ever-widening circles to who knows how many more people. And did it taste good? Ask the boys...they loved it! I took one bite for posterity and am still suffering from some measure of decadence guilt.

In the same episode Anthony visits a fantastic place called Piroshky Piroshky at the Public Market in Seattle. Instead of trying to recreate these beauties, Adam flew back from there yesterday with three fresh piroshkies nestled in his bag as a surprise and, oh dear, they were heaven...
Piroshky Piroshky piroshkies

So now that we are working our way through the episode I have decided that I want this next. See ya' in Portland!

7 Comments:

Blogger angela said...

it looks so yummy!
so very sweet that a treat came back for you from the travels :)

6:16 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

love your macon bar, although am not a great fan of anything maple-tasting. which piroshky did you have? i walked by that shop and knew i needed a piroshky. i got the potato onion and mushroom? or something with the main ingredient being potato.

7:14 AM  
Blogger LeS said...

Ang- yep. sweet indeed :)!

Bek - I should've said in the post! There was a spinach version, an onion and cheese version and a ground beef and ? version that we liked the very best. I want to try more :)

7:35 AM  
Blogger Vanessa/NessieNoodle said...

well of COURSE that must taste good- Bacon is like duct-tape, it fixes everything... and I am know to dip my bacon in the syrup of my pancakes... HOLLY CRAP who ever thought of this is a G-nius.
and how cool that he brought you back a little morsal, love it.
I am so all about Portland. Let's go! I am so there with ya.

11:39 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ok, although I can appreciate the beauty of the maconbar, I can't partake because I'm a vegetarian, but I will add that Jon and I would watch Anthony B. on Tivo when Jon lived here and we had his massive tv.

Anyways... more then that, I think that I have missed an episode or two of your life, because, who is Adam? ;) Would this be a sweetheart? Inquiring romantic minds want to know!

9:07 AM  
Blogger LeS said...

Ah, lunargirl, being an ex-macrobiotic makes me understand. Although I have gone to the dark side and now agree with Ness that bacon, is indeed, the duct tape of the food universe.

And, Adam is definitely one with a sweet heart and he is a lovely friend that we like having around here but that's all you're gettin outta me :)

1:01 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

CANDIED BACON

Be sure to use Demerara sugar for this addictive little garnish; we tried turbinado but didn't get the same results.

This recipe originally accompanied Charlie Palmer's Tarte Tatin.

1/2 lb bacon slices (10 slices)
1/2 cup Demerara sugar

Special equipment: brown paper such as a grocery bag or butcher paper

Cook bacon in 2 batches in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, turning over once, until bacon is lightly browned on edges but still flexible, 5 to 6 minutes total per batch. Transfer bacon as cooked to paper towels to drain.

Pour off fat from skillet and arrange bacon in skillet in 1 layer. Sprinkle Demerara sugar over bacon and cook over low heat, turning occasionally with tongs, until sugar is dissolved, caramelized (sugar melts very slowly and burns easily; reduce heat if necessary after sugar begins to caramelize), and coats bacon, 8 to 10 minutes. (Bacon will be dark and look lacquered.) Transfer bacon with tongs to brown paper to cool.

Cooks' notes:
• Don't be tempted to transfer bacon to paper towels to drain — the sugar will make the bacon stick to them.
• Bacon can be made 1 day ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature, but it will become less crisp.
• Before cleaning skillet, add a few inches of water to it, then add tongs and boil to dissolve hardened sugar from pan and tongs.

Makes 10 slices.

PS - Mmmm and hmmm, do ya think the linked clam pizza will fit in my China Airlines flight attendant overnight bag? ;-)

12:27 PM  

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