i snapped a bunch of photos experimenting with very fast and very slow shutter speeds.  i posted a few of what i came up with, including a few of my niece, on flickr.   i also messed around with a polarizing filter to help cut down on the glare from the sun.  this was quite educational.  rotating the filter changed the light and color of the image.  although i’ve used this filter before, i’ve not played around with it to this extent.  (see “how to use a polarizing filter.”)

after we finished (aw) snapping our photos, our trek back took us close to benton’s bacon in madisonville.  did we stop by?  are you kidding?  i contained my excitement as we walked into the modest storefront.  once you step through their portal, the wonderful smell of smoked goodness fills your senses.  although visually there’s not much to see, the aroma tells a different story.  when i was asked i could be helped, i immediately told the fellow, “i need bacon!”

“how much?”

hmm, what a question?  i really hadn’t considered a limited amount.  but i knew i wanted a slab.  i asked rationally, “how much is it?”

he told me the price per pound.  i pondered for a moment and knew he needed an answer.  so i uttered, “twenty pounds.”  unphased, the benton’s butcher turned and walked toward the back.  in a moment, he returned carrying a slab and a half.  he loaded it on the scale and told me it was close to twenty pounds.  i told him that was fine.

benton’s bacon redefines how i rate the taste of bacon.  my senses have been re-calibrated to  a high level of quality.  everything else pales in comparison.  i don’t think i can eat regular bacon again.

with several of my pals going in together with my family, i now am going to receive different bacon from the grateful palate each month for the next twelve.  some of the different bacons include applewood smoked, peppered, cob smoked, hickory smoked, and maple and alder smoked.  (see the full list here:  http://www.gratefulpalate.com/?p=Category_12.)  i am very psyched!  mom presented a box to me with a stuffed pig along with the information about the club.

my sister made one of the best chocolate cakes ever.  and to step it up a notch, she sprinkled bacon on top of it.  the frosting is super creamy.  the cake as moist as if it came right out of the oven, even the next day.  and of course, there is the bacon.

another couple of friends also purchased a couple packages of benton’s bacon.  i’ve heard about this bacon.  it’s a local favorite/phenomenon making some news.  they hosted this year’s knoxville bacon fest.  i can’t wait to fry this up.

i got a few other items too–i’m set for movies for blockbuster summer season, got some dvds of a favorite series, and my fill of sushi during a dinner out.  it was a very good birthday.

thanks, family and friends!

as this tradition grew, i started bringing donuts.  krispy kreme, of course.  then with the addition of old city java came other goodies like bacon chocolate chip cookies and carrot cakes.  this has turned into something i look forward to.  right now, i’m sitting here enjoying the moment.  but come monday, the countdown to coffee friday will commence again.

here are a few vids of my acquisition of the donuts:

donut friday – the ordering from mark mcintyre on Vimeo.

donut friday – the receiving from mark mcintyre on Vimeo.

donut friday – the transportation from mark mcintyre on Vimeo.

i used the recipe found at bbqaddicts.com for this endeavor.  as the author of this recipe is a barbecue connoisseur, he chose a barbecue rub for his weave.  i received a coffee rub from a pal of mine for my birthday which i thought would be perfect for bacon.  i chose jimmy dean sausage, a pound of regular and a pound of hot, for my loaf ingredients.  and the bacon…i don’t recall the brand, perhaps thomas.  it was a good quality bacon, needless to say.  my cooking time was about two hours, although another 30 minutes would have made it better.

everyone who tried it seemed to like it.  even pat was on board with a helping (or two).  since pictures are worth a bunch of words, click image for slideshow.

the time change this evening will take its toll on me if i don’t get to bed rather early.  here is where planning ahead is key.

bacon for v-day! from mark mcintyre on Vimeo.

my first attempt were the bacon cinnamon rolls.  these turned out to taste as good as they sound.  if you think they don’t sound good, you have to do a bit of logic:  you eat bacon for breakfast, you eat cinnamon rolls for breakfast, both are good, they should be good together.  and they are.  i approve this recipe.

next was to prep some bacon chili for the evening meal.  i couldn’t find a decent recipe for this at foodnetwork.com.  so, i modified my old standard recipe and added bacon to the crockpot of chili as it cooked.  this turned out well, too, but the bacon flavor wasn’t strong enough.  next time, there needs to be a stronger bacon presence.  i believe replace one of the two pounds of beef with a pound of bacon will help.  breaking the bacon into smaller pieces is also advised.

the final baconized treat was the bacon brownies.  these turned out to be fantastic!  i recommend this recipe be attempted by all who love brownies and who love bacon.  two great tastes together!