[1] Homemade bacon jam (photo © Grognar | CC BY 2.0 license).

[2] Ready-to-eat bacon jam from Vino de Milo. You can buy it online (photo © Vino de Milo).

[3] Brussels sprouts with bacon jam: a hors d’oeuvre, appetizer or side (photo © Pampered Chef).

[4] Shredded short rib and bacon jam on crostini (photo © Opacity | CC-BY-2.0 License).

[6] Fancy: St. Andre triple-creme cheese fondue, topped with polenta, topped with bacon jam (photo © Rawrz | CC-BY-NC-SA-2.0-license).

[7] Chunky homemade bacon jam (photo © Tvol | CC-BY-2.0 License)).

[8] Bacon comes from the side or belly of the pig. (chart © The Healthy Butcher).

December 30th is National Bacon Day (and if you need to celebrate even more, International Bacon Day is the Saturday before Labor Day).

We’re celebrating with bacon jam.

Bacon jam is a sweet and savory condiment that adds a little something extra to breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

Numerous uses for bacon jam follow, as do recipes.

You don’t have to make it from scratch these days. In the last 10 years, artisan food producers have been selling jars of their own bacon jam recipes.

Vino de Milo’s Maple Bacon Onion Jam is one such offering, made in small batches with a strong focus on quality.

With layers of flavor, the recipe is built on a beef base with roasted onions, apples, brown and white sugars, balsamic and cider vinegars, nitrite- and nitrate-free bacon, maple syrup, hickory smoke and a splash of Merlot wine.

One word: yummy!
 
 
USES FOR BACON JAM

One of our favorite uses for bacon jam is for company canapés/crostini*: store-bought chicken liver mousse or paté, topped with store-bought bacon jam.

We prefer a base of toasted baguette (or for canapés, the narrower ficelle, a skinnier baguette).

But for an easy-peasy solution, buy some nice crackers. This time around, we simply purchased a box of fig and olive crisps at Trader Joe’s.

 
 
BACON JAM RECIPES

 

THE HISTORY OF BACON

How about a shout-out to those ancient Middle Easterners who domesticated† the wild boar as early as 9,000 B.C.E., in the Tigris River basin. (The boar was domesticated independently in Asia.)

To these brave and hungry hunters and boar-wranglers, we owe ham and bacon—although the modern bacon we know and love wouldn’t appear until the mid-1700s.

While boar and pig meat were cured from earliest times (smoked, salted and/or dried). But it wasn’t until the early-to-mid-18th century that a transformation began that distinguished “bacon” as the side of pork (the pig’s sides), cured with salt.

The Word “Bacon”

The word “bacon” originally referred to all pork. It derived from the Old High German “bacho,” meaning “buttock”—the part we call ham or leg of pork.

 
Bacon Evolves Under English Farmers

Numerous food historians credit pig farmers in the English countryside for noticing that some breeds of pig had meatier sides.

The British system for making bacon became widespread in the 18th century, and spread to other parts of Europe.

As mentioned earlier, by the 1700s in England, bacon was defined as meat cut from the side of the pig and cured with salt.

According to The Oxford Companion To Food, the first large-scale bacon curing business was established in the 1770s in the county of Wiltshire, in south-central England, by one John Harris.

According to some accounts of the history of bacon, John Harris of Wiltshire set up one of the first bacon curing shops in the country. The place has certainly become known for its production of bacon.

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Asian pigs were introduced to Europe, and crossbred to create breeds with qualities that made them better as bacon pigs, lard pigs, ham pigs and so forth.

Today there are more than 70 breeds in commercial production worldwide.

Some English bacon terminology:

* A canapé is a type of hors d’oeuvre, a category of small, single-bite food. It is traditionally a small piece of bread with a topping. Crostini, made of a topping on toasted bread, can be considered a canapé if the bread is small; i.e., one bite rather than a larger piece of bread.

†Because pigs will not allow themselves to be herded like goats and sheep, they were part of agricultural settlements rather than the herds of nomadic peoples.

We love steak tartare and order it whenever we find it on the menu.

We “collect” photos of creative steak tartare platings, and do our best to recreate them at home.

This one (photo #1—we’re making it for New Year’s Eve) is from New York chef David Shim, of Michelin-starred Cote, a Korean steakhouse.

His tongue-in-cheek name for the dish, Steak & Eggs, pays homage to the caviar eggs on top of the tartare.

The recipe is part of a dish swap that saw eight restaurants in New York City and Los Angeles swap their favorite creations, sending a taste of their signature dishes to the opposite coast.

The series also supports Relief Opportunities for all Restaurants (ROAR), an organization providing direct assistance to restaurant workers, the charity partner of San Pellegrino’s “Destination Dining Series: An East Coast, West Coast Signature Dish Swap.”
 
 
RECIPE: STEAK & EGGS, AN INNOVATIVE STEAK TARTARE

This is a recipe for an experienced cook. You will need good knife skills to brunoise the beef. If you need to brush up, here’s a video on how to brunoise. Remember to sharpen your knives!

You’ll need ring molds to shape the portions of tartare.

If your budget doesn’t allow for sturgeon caviar, use any of the affordable caviars, from salmon, trout or whitefish to these additional affordable caviar types.

This is a real treat, so happy eating!

Ingredients For The Steak Tartare (Per Serving)

These portions are meant to be small appetizers—just a bite of a first course, with other equally scrumptious courses to follow.

 
Ingredients For The Toast (Per Serving)

 
Preparation For The Steak Tartare

1. PREPARE two small mixing bowls of similar size: one to mix the steak and one bowl to hold ice water. Have one mixing bowl filled with half ice and half water to make a proper ice bath. Put the empty mixing bowl on the ice bath.

2. BRUNOISE the tenderloin; place the beef in the mixing bowl and coat it with extra virgin olive oil. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Place a 1.75-inch diameter ring mold/cutter into the serving bowl and fill it with the seasoned tenderloin. While filling the mold, gently press the meat down to make a firm and even base.

3. SPRINKLE chives on top of the meat and remove the portion from the mold, onto the individual serving dish.

4. QUENELLE the caviar and place it on top of the tartare. (A quenelle is an ovoid (egg) shape, made with two spoons. Here’s a video.)

Preparation For The Toast

1. PREHEAT a convection oven to 375°F.

2. SLICE the loaf of bread into 1/2-inch slices. Cut the sliced bread into smaller sticks (fingers), to 3/4-inch width x 3-inches in length.

3. LINE a sheet tray with parchment paper and place the bread fingers on it. You can temper the butter for a smoother spread (it should be like mayonnaise consistency). We whisked it until it was mayo-like.

4. SPREAD ½ tablespoon of butter on each side of the bread and toast it in until it becomes golden brown. You will need 4 fingers of toast for each serving of tartare (photo #1).

5. PLATE with the tartare or serve on a separate plate, basket, etc.
 
 
> STEAK TARTARE HISTORY

[1] The “Steak & Eggs” interpretation of steak tartare by Chef David Shim (photo © Cote Restaurant | NYC).

[2] Another fancy way to serve Steak Tartare, from D & D London (photo © D & D London).

[3] Some chefs prefer to serve steak tartare with potato chips instead of toast (photo © STK Steakhouse).

[4] Chef Charlie Palmer takes a tuile to new heights (photo © Aureole | Las Vegas).

While tartare was a beef dish for most of its life, creative chefs have taken the concept further.

A few recipes we’ve tried:

[1] Coffee date scones (photos #1 and #4 © Nescafé).

[2] Scones can be round or triangular. The triangular shape is an old one that comes from cooking scones in a frying pan over the fire, then cutting the cooked circle into pie-shape triangles (photo © King Arthur Baking Company).

[3] Dates are among the sweetest fruits in the world, with a concentration of natural sugar. They’re great for baking, snacking, in green and chicken salads, on oatmeal and much more; and can be substituted for raisins, dates and other dried fruits (photo © Bard Valley Natural Delights).

[4] Nescafe Taster’s Choice coffee granules. Here’s the difference between coffee granules and instant coffee.

We made these Nescafé Coffee-Date Scones (photo #1) for brunch this weekend, served warm with optional butter and jam.

Not surprisingly, they go great with coffee!

Substitutions & Additions:

 
 
RECIPE: COFFEE-DATE SCONES

Prep time is 12 minutes, cook time is 10-12 minutes.

Ingredients For 10 Scones

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.

2. COMBINE the evaporated milk and coffee granules in small bowl; stir until the coffee is dissolved.

3. COMBINE the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Cut in the butter with pastry blender or two knives, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the coffee mixture, dates and vanilla extract until the mixture forms a soft dough.

4. KNEAD 5 to 7 times on a lightly floured surface. Gently pat or roll into a 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with 2-1/2-inch biscuit cutter and place on the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over the tops.

5. BAKE for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.
 
 
MORE SCONE RECIPES

 
 
> THE HISTORY OF SCONES
 
>MORE USES FOR INSTANT COFFEE
 
> THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INSTANT COFFEE & COFFEE GRANULES
 
 
DATE TRIVIA

One of the first fruits domesticated in the Middle East (around 5000 B.C.E.), dates are now grown in the Bard Valley of Southern California.

Like apricots, cherries, olives, peaches, plums and others, dates are a stone fruit, with a large pit in the middle.

Called “natures’s candy,” dates are naturally fat-free, packed with nutrients and an excellent source of quick energy.

Dates are high in potassium and fiber, supplying 24% of your daily recommended fiber in just one serving (about 6 dates).

Middle Easterners use dates in omelets for breakfast, and in sauces for veal or lamb.

Larger varieties ike the Medjool can be stuffed with cheeses, nuts or even peanut butter.

They’re great for baking, snacking, in green and chicken salads, on oatmeal, in stuffings, smoothies, and made into chutney. They can be substituted for raisins, dates and other dried fruits in any recipe.

New Year’s Eve means Champagne in our house, but it also means eggnog (or if you prefer, egg nog).

We’ve made quite a few different recipes over the years. Some are linked below, including a low-calorie option.

This year, we’re looking forward to this spiced chocolate eggnog recipe from American Heritage Chocolate.

The recipe uses American Heritage Chocolate’s Finely Grated Baking Chocolate, which is the equivalent of grating a 57% cacao chocolate bar and adding anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, and red pepper (chile pepper).

To that, the recipe adds additional cinnamon and nutmeg, with optional cayenne as a garnish.
 
 
RECIPE: SPICED CHOCOLATE EGGNOG

Prep time is 25 minutes. You can then serve the eggnog hot or cold.

Served cold in an Old Fashioned glass, it’s like an alcoholic shake.

Can you add a scoop of chocolate ice cream? Sure!

Ingredients For 6 Cups

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the milk, sugar and cinnamon sticks in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat.

2. WHISK in a separate bowl, the egg yolks and 1/4 cup of hot milk mixture to temper.

3. RETURN the saucepan with the hot milk-sugar mixture to the heat. Whisk the mixture constantly and slowly pour in the tempered yolk mixture. Whisk the mixture constantly until it reaches a light simmer. Remove immediately from the heat.

4. ADD the chocolate and vanilla to the saucepan. Stir until the chocolate melts, and blend. Add the brandy or rum.

5. REMOVE the cinnamon sticks. Pour the eggnog into mugs or glasses of choice, and top with dollop of whipped cream, a grating of nutmeg and a tiny sprinkle of cayenne. Serve hot or cold.
 

MORE EGGNOG RECIPES

 
 
> DECEMBER 24TH IS NATIONAL EGGNOG DAY

> THE HISTORY OF EGGNOG

[1] This Chocolate Spiced Eggnog can be served hot or cold. The cold version, above, is served like a shake (photo © American Heritage Chocolate).

[2] Classic eggnog in a vintage punch cup (photo © All Whites Egg Whites | Bob Evans).

[3] Some people like rum in their eggnog, some like bourbon. Some add both (photo © Mount Gay Rum)!

[4] Pumpkin eggnog adds pumpkin purée for a festive fall drink (photo © Taste Of Home).

[1] You can build these crisps on any base you like. We chose toasted ficelle*, a long loaf of French bread that’s narrower than a baguette (photos #1 and #2 © Cambria Style).

[2] Buy extra figs and place them in a bowl for those who’d like some fresh fruit.

[3] Divina fig spread is delicious on toast, atop oatmeal, on sandwiches and much more. Check out our review (photos #3 and #4 © Murray’s Cheese).

[4] A jar of Divina Fig Spread. Try it as a spread on ham or turkey sandwiches.

We were looking for a new hors d’oeuvre to serve with a Champagne aperitif at our little family New Year’s Eve dinner.

Then, we were leafing through Cambria Style magazine’s 20th Anniversary issue, online, and we found this fig and goat cheese recipe that hit the spot for hors d’oeuvres** on New Year’s Eve.

It was adapted by Cambria Style from Bon Appétit magazine.
 
 
RECIPE: FIG & GOAT CHEESE PANCETTA CRISPS

Ingredients For 12 Crisps

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F.

2. LINE two large baking sheets with parchment paper and place the pancetta in a single layer on the paper. Bake until crisp and nicely browned, 12–15 minutes.

3. TRANSFER the pancetta crisps to paper towels and let cool for 15 minutes. (Note: If using sliced baguette/ficelle, you can toast them in the same oven after you remove the pancetta. See the directions in the footnote‡.)

4. ARRANGE the crisps on a serving platter and top each with 1 teaspoon goat cheese, a small dollop of fig spread, 1 arugula leaf and fig slices. Sprinkle with thyme and serve.
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF FIGS

> WHY GOAT CHEESE IS DIFFERENT

> A KIT TO MAKE YOUR OWN GOAT CHEESE
 
 
ABOUT CAMBRIA STYLE

Cambria Style is a lifestyle magazine that celebrates home decor, design and all the little things that make home special—like the tasty goat cheese and fig crisps above.

Cambria Style is an initiative to showcase the gorgeous Cambria home surfaces. The home features are positively drool-worthy.

Head here for a complimentary subscription to Cambria Style. It’s published twice a year and has won design awards.
 
________________

**Hors d’oeuvres are served before the meal, typically with cocktails or wine. Appetizers tend to indicate the beginning of the meal. An hors d’oeuvre isn’t considered to be part of the meal, so can insist of just about anything. Appetizers, on the other hand, are typically chosen to compliment the rest of the menu.

*Ficelle is a long loaf that’s thinner than a baguette—1″ to 2″ wide. The word is French for “string.”

†In the photos, Mary’s Gone Crackers gluten-free crackers were used.

‡To toast bread in the oven, lower the heat to 350°F and position a rack in the middle. Place the sliced bread on a baking sheet. Toast for 10 minutes, turning after five minutes.