Jim Britt's life revolves around food, chef-prepared or from his own kitchen. Beyond the blog, Jim is a partner a gBritt PR in Portland, which specializes in lifestyle public relations.
March 2009
March 17, 2009
Bacon Candy
Today I ate bacon candy. Bacon brittle to be precise. One of my foodie office mates brought it in as a St Patrick's day treat. Some treat! The texture was brittle-like: sugary, crunchy, enjoyable. The flavor was, well, bacon-like. All that was missing was the eggs-over-easy, potatoes and coffee. If you're a bacon lover, go for it. Here's a recipe. Now bring on the mouthwash.
MAKES ABOUT 1 POUND
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) chopped pecans
1/3 to 1/2 cup cooked bacon bits (6 to 8 ounces uncooked bacon)
Grease or butter a large nonstick baking sheet.
In a medium heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and water over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the syrup comes to a boil. Attach a candy thermometer to the pan, increase the heat to high, and cook, without stirring, until the mixture reaches 290 degrees. Immediately remove from the heat.
Stir in the butter, vanilla, baking soda, pecans and bacon bits. Watch out, the mixture will foam. When the foam subsides, pour the hot mixture onto the prepared baking sheet as thinly as possible. Do not use a spatula.
Cool at least 10 minutes before breaking into pieces. Store in a covered container.
Nutrition facts per serving: 233 calories, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 7 mg cholesterol, 41 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 327 mg sodium, 0 g fiber
From Everything Tastes Better With Bacon
David's 388
Last night Gillian and I stopped into Chef David Turin's two-year old restaurant, "David's 388." It's located in South Portland's Willard Square neighborhood. David is a real pro, his food is excellent and the atmosphere that he and his team have creatd there is wonderfully inviting; you feel like you're someplace very special. It's a beautiful little place.
388 reminds Gillian and me of our all-time favorite restaurant, Mia Francesca, located in Chicago's "Wrigleyville" neighborhood. We'd walk to Mia Francesca from our apartment on Belmont Harbor at least once or twice a month. We splurged when we went there. That was fifteen years ago and it's still a splurge when we go out. At 388, costs are a little easier on the wallet. He's priced the menu just right -- eight-dollar apps and fourteen-dollar entrees.
His choice of colors and lighting are warm and relaxing. The din of customer voices, music, kitchen pots and pans is far from overwhelming. The room is full of energy. I think 388 is on par with Back Bay Grill, Bresca, Bar Lola and similar small rooms. These kind of places feel more alive than most larger rooms.
Something special happening at 388. If you've not been there yet you should add it to your dining destinations list. Cheers.
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