I received my holiday gift early from the Grand Poobah - a bacon sampler from the Grateful Palate. The four bacons I received are: Nodine's Smokehouse 10 garlic clove and Nodine's Double Smoked from CT; Edwards Cinnamon Apple Virginia Bacon; Loveless Cafe's Hot and Spicy Jalapeño bacon from Nashville; and Oscar's Applewood Smoked from NY. Having visited the Loveless Cafe years ago, this bacon has brought back special memories. You must go there for the biscuits, jam, bacon and nostalgia. The celebrity photos and stories are worth the trip alone.We started with Nodine's 10 clove garlic bacon for the past two days. This is a slab of bacon cured with a garlic emulsion and actual whole cloves of garlic studded in the meat. The perfume has made my house smell, well heavenly, thus instructing the family not to open any windows or doors in the house to best preserve the aromas as long as possible. I am not sure how to describe this bacon. My writing skills won't do it justice. It's like writing about your first kiss
or my first sip of a Cote Rotie. Two loves, two passions combined into one - garlic and bacon. I may have to save the fat and put a little on my wrists before going to work each day. This bacon has a subtle sweetness followed by mellowed sublime garlic flavors which leads to a smoked finish. Absolutely divine, this is a dream come true. If you haven't figured out what to give the foodie in your family consider this bacon sampler. I now know how much the Grand Poobah really loves me.
Maybe 2009 should be the year Wine Authorities gets into the specialty bacon business? We could fly in 1 lb slabs from around the country and sell them to other Durham bacon lovers. - Salamanzar
