Not Yet

I am itching to comment on our current fiscal debacle but I want to see a little more of how it plays out. When I start ripping on some folks I want to make sure I get everybody that is taking the bus over the cliff. Until then I will merely point out that it is still summer, the living is still easy, and local tomatoes are finally here in abundance. Mmmm tomatoes!. A week ago I lived the life of Riley at the Lowell Music Fest, but this weekend was devoted to tomatoes. Alone in my man cave, seduced by the siren call of fresh produce, in an epic bacchanal of consumption, I wallowed in BLTs for the entire weekend. Mmmm BLTs! There is no more perfect threesome in the kitchen.

First you must obtain tomatoes. Go to a farm stand because the tomatoes in the supermarket still come here from Mexico. Really? really America? There is an entire generation coming along that has never experienced the pleasure of a just picked tomato. Huge fruit bursting with juice that will give you a slice that will envelope an entire slice of toast. Buy them just as the redness of their flesh reaches eye popping brilliance and they are just a wee, I said just a wee, bit soft.

Juicy, juicy goodness. A gift from the sun.

Oversized beefsteaks are the only tomatoes to buy, but the other players... when your getting down with bad intentions the more variation, the larger number of partners, allows you to satisfy all your hidden desires. Come on, it's once a year, you've been sooooo... good. It's time to let your freak flag fly. Bacon, Mmmm bacon! isn't as straight forward as you might think.

The old stand by

You want to start slow. Good old American bacon. Salt cured, maybe smoked. For the intimidated you can fry it in a cast iron skillet, or if you want to get freaky you can bake it in a 450 degree oven. The baked stuff won't shrivel nearly as much as the fry pan bacon, Mmmm bacon! You can also add more flavor to the party using the oven method. Brush the bacon with teriyaki sauce, or honey, or maple syrup, or brown sugar. Sweet will add contrast. Once you've had a few sandwiches the old standard way  like the missionaries used to eat them you're  going to want to change things up. Deep inside everyone wants to change things up.

Yeah, it's still bacon.

The Irish, and the Canadians, like their bacon a little more ham like.

Still bacon

Of coarse the Italians have two kinds of bacon, pancetta which is standard pork belly that is salt cured and then rolled, sometimes with spices, sometimes not...

... or you could try guanciale. It's cured jowl meat. It's expensive as far as bacon goes, and it is so worth it. I am not usually a big fan of trendy expensive ingredients. I'll make an exception for guanciale. Mmmm guanciale! Cut it yourself. Thicker than bacon but not too thick. Then broil it. Careful, crispy is good, burnt is not.

Now you need bread. Resist the urge to get freaky with the bread. A loaf of good sturdy farmers white bread is the perfect delivery device for BLT's. It's like your wedding night, no matter how much passion you unleash you want to do it on clean, 400 thread count sheets. The biggest deviation you can do on the bread is go for scali bread. If you do change it up get seeded, sesame seeds have a flavor that complements bacon,Mmmm bacon!

Now as far as the Lettuce goes there are a million possibilities. Standard issue iceberg for the missionary in us all. Maybe romaine for the more adventuresome. Arugula adds a peppery bite. Maybe go right off the ranch altogether with basil, tomatoes, and pancetta on scali.

Finally you need a binder. Mayo to start, but as day turns into night and your urges and appetites grow shake things up. Remember the bacon we baked in the oven? The teriyaki kind? Use Blue cheese dressing instead of mayo. How about the ones with honey? Break out the ranch! There are no rules only experiences. They finally found me Sunday night, I was a mess, bursting at the seams, mouth burned from the acid of the tomatoes (I'd eat one like an apple every time I had to cook more bacon, Mmmm bacon!) the kitchen filled with countless dirty dishes. I felt... wrong... like a terrible sinner. It was awesome!

 Now, I need to get to thinking about the debt ceiling.