May-June 2016_nobleed

the Pork issue

Makin’ with bacon by Chef Lisa Barbato + photo by Romney Caruso

S avory and sweet are a classic flavor combination. Everyone gets concessions at the movies (“let’s all go to the lobby ...”). Have you ever tried eating your chocolate and popcorn at the same time? I pour my candy right in the bag. I can taste it as I write this — buttery, salty popcorn mixed with the sweet, rich chocolaty taste of the Hershey’s kisses. I also like pairing something smoky-meaty with something sweet. I’m not the only one. In 2007, Chicago’s Vosges Haut-Chocolat launched Mo’s Bacon Bar (dark milk

chocolate studded with hand-chopped bits of fruitwood-smoked bacon). It was a big hit. Since then, bacon has become a staple on dessert menus around the world and has reached most homes in America. Search “bacon desserts” on Pinterest to find every swine-smoke-salty-sweet treat imaginable. Maple bacon fudge, maple bacon blondies, maple bacon cupcakes, dark chocolate bacon bark, bourbon bacon brittle, even bacon fried Oreos (bacon-wrapped Oreo cookies, fried crisp)! Even if you haven’t had a bacon dessert, you know this taste. You’ve probably enjoyed it

plenty of times and just never gave it much thought. Have you ever dipped your bacon into the syrup that runs off your pancakes? Or enjoyed a bacon cheeseburger with a milk shake? Well, there you go. While pork and chocolate have recently become “en vogue,” they have a strong history in Mexico that dates back to the Mayans.Mexican chocolate is often scented with different spices such as chiles, anise seed, allspice and vanilla to add flavor.These ingredients also serve as a key ingredient in several Mexican dishes such as mole, which is a sauce made of dark chocolate and spices.

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MY ROUSES EVERYDAY maY | JUNE 2016