On one of my recent blog cruises, I noticed that Doyle’s Public House is serving three slices of bacon for $1 Monday nights. While I am not much of a meat eater, I do go weak in the knees for all things cured. It’s a salt thing. Fortunately, my blood pressure remains freakishly low these days, so until my doctor tells me to stop, I will continue to salt, soy and cure my life away.



In my travels lately, I have discovered that bacon is no longer just for breakfast. It is popping up all over the place in many forms. Some uses are fabulous, while others still give me nightmares. Regardless, this pork belly treat adds a certain something to the culinary world nothing else can. Follow me now while I take you on a tasty journey…



I am convinced you can make a martini out of just about anything. And I was right: a bacon martini. For reals, yo’. Here’s the recipe: Lightly mist a martini glass with vermouth, and rim the edge with bacon grease. In a cocktail shaker, mix 3 ounces vodka (Absolute Peppar is my choice), one dash Tabasco, and one dash olive juice. Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Skim excess bacon grease from surface of cocktail (oh, yum) and garnish with one slice of bacon. Which one of you cutting edge bars is going to slap this on the menu?



Speaking of Pacific Grill, what makes your face scrunch up more than the term “meat candy”? Well, I could give you a long list of metaphors for what this could be, but I won’t. Meat candy is actually a very simple concept: roasted dates stuffed with Reggiano cheese, wrapped in apple-smoked bacon and baked. These little nuggets are bite-size pieces of heaven, although I would be curious to try them with a mild blue cheese rather than the Reggiano. Just a thought …



On Frasier the other day one of the characters made bacon pancakes. What? That sounds too good to be true, but it isn’t. TIP: Whenever possible, don’t skimp on bacon. Always use the good stuff. For pancakes, fry the bacon up first (I prefer the cookie sheet in the oven method), blot the fat off while cooling, chop, and add it to your favorite pancake batter. Use REAL maple syrup and REAL butter, then fall into a comfort food-induced coma for a few hours.



Keeping with the comfort food theme, here’s a little question: What would make a chocolate chip cookie better? You guessed it, BACON! I was stumbling around my friend Aura’s blog for her C.C.B.C. recipe when I found, Candied Bacon Ice Cream, AND drum roll please … Bacon Vodka! There’s not enough room in this column for me to get into all of this, so here’s the link: getsome hairapy.wordpress.com/category/recipes/.



When I thought uses for bacon couldn’t confound me anymore, the husband and I ventured to Seattle last weekend to visit friends. They took us to a pretty sweet dive bar called the Twilight Exit. This place was deep fried heaven, and lo and behold on the menu was Chicken Fried Bacon Slices with gravy on the side. I kid you not.



As it was put before me, my heart almost stopped at the sight of it. One small bite was all it took, and I passed it to the left. The “what can’t we make with bacon” line had been crossed. While my love for bacon is not gone, it was seriously damaged this dark night. If you want to check the Twilight Exit out, hurry. It’s being razed soon for new condos.



So I throw out a challenge to you, my friends in the restaurant biz: make something interesting with bacon. No Cobb salads or bacon wrapped scallops, use your culinary training and creepy imaginations. You might be surprised what the people will embrace.



Eat out, Tacoma. We need your love.