I don't get the Bacon thing!


I'm just going to put it out there, I don't like bacon! I don't understand the mania over bacon, putting bacon in all kinds of dishes that just don't need bacon.  Restaurants like BarBacon in NYC are all the rage. Again I don't get it!  Why ruin salads, veggie dishes, pasta and more by adding bacon. Bacon overwhelms all that it is paired with so you just miss all the wonderful subtle flavors as bacon bullies it way into the dish, leaving it just tasting like bacon not much else.  When did bacon leave the breakfast table to become such a star?

Now that I shared that I have no palette for bacon, what about the health aspect of eating all that bacon.  Bacon is full of fat, cholesterol and salt, not to mention that it is a process meat which has been linked to several cancers. Adding bacon to everything is just unhealthy!  I recently read that Americans eat about 18 pounds of bacon a year.  Unbelievable, 18 pounds is 73, 248 calories, 8,160 grams fat, 7,872 grams cholesterol, and 2,208 grams salt per year.  Even if you love the taste of bacon those stats are reason enough to cut back.

Instead of adding bacon use fresh herbs as a flavorful healthy alternative to bacon.  Also I like to add interesting oils or vinegars as well garlic, scallions or shallots for an extra infusion of taste when I am cooking.  Again I find that bacon overpowering as an added ingredient, at best it is to be served with breakfast, not everything else.


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