Baconfest Michigan - Swooning Over Swine

I had the most fabulous time at Baconfest Michigan this past Saturday, with many thanks to my fellow AnnArbor.com writers Dave Bardallis and Jessica Webster for their assistance in fixing me up with some excellent VIP tickets ... two of them, to be precise.

Now, who would get the thrill of going to this gleeful gala with me?  Because, of course, you have to bring the right companion.  (Photo: One of Jeremy's favorites - a fried plantain topped with bacon and mustard-maple panchetta from Green Dot Stables in Detroit) 

My ex-boyfriend who fears his food - it can't have salt, sugar, or fat; and it can't have flavor, or else it would undoubtedly possess those other verboten qualities - would never have been a candidate.  My friends who are vegetarians wouldn't have enjoyed themselves too much; neither would my many friends who keep kosher ... nope.

But there was one candidate who shone above the others: Jeremy, of course!  I'm a pretty good eater, but a 21-year-old male is a consummate calorie consumer.  And you want someone to join you at this sort of festivity who has a healthy appetite, an adventurous spirit, and a willingness to pop an antacid (or a blood pressure pill) and keep right on going from the first vendor to the last.  (Photo: The sweet, succulent Bacon-Wrapped Pork Belly from One-Eyed Betty's in Ferndale)

Oh, yes.  Jeremy was my only choice for a Baconfest partner in crime!

There were 30 stations.  Jeremy and I ate and/or drank at 25 of them, and only missed a few because they'd run out of goodies before we found our way to them ... pout.  Since I didn't get to try it for myself, I guess I'll just have to make my own version of an Elvis Pie with peanut butter, banana, and - of course! - bacon, huh?  I did, at least, get to try the lusciously rich vanilla ice cream with bacon, maple syrup, and waffles stirred into it, though, with many thanks to Treat Dreams for appeasing my sweet tooth.  (Photo: Another of Jeremy's favorites - a panino [not a typo, it's the singular of "panini"] with bacon, turkey, cheddar, tomatoes, and bacon mayonnaise on ciabatta from The Panini Press in Berkley)

Jeremy thinks I out-ate him, but I think it was a tie - I tried a few more samples, but that's because Jeremy happily ate his entire portions rather than following my example by tasting only a bit ... though, admittedly, I did finish a pretty good number of them.  Never underestimate the skinny girl!  She may normally engage in moderation, but she enjoys good food too much to waste an opportunity such as this by only nibbling.  (Photo: Spicy, chewy Molasses Cookies with bacon from Lily's Seafood in Royal Oak)

As soon as we opened the car doors upon arrival, the amazing fragrance of bacon was in the air.  We walked up to the press table - past a long line of folks waiting for general admission, which was a rare Cinderella-type moment for me - checked in, were given our credentials, and entered into a sea of people, food, music, aromas, and other sensory stimulation.  Let the feasting begin!  (Photo: Sweet and salty Bacon Cashew Caramel Corn from Local Kitchen and Bar, which is coming soon to Ferndale)

As the proud owners of VIP badges, Jeremy and I were also able to go to a special area with four extra tables, two offering food and two offering drinks.

The first of the food stations belonged to the MGM Grand Casino in Detroit, which served some beautiful, wonderfully complex, and flavorful corn cakes topped with peppercorn bacon, a sweet ginger glaze, house-made butter pickles, and pork belly that had been cooked in Michigan's own Faygo root beer.  

The other VIP food station belonged to Forest Grill of Birmingham, home of chef David Gilbert (a 2012 semi-finalist for a James Beard Foundation Award as Best Chef - Great Lakes) and Brian Polcyn (a 2006 nominee for the same honor).  This, of course, has put the restaurant near the very top of Fairy Mary's Food Fantasies (a reference to my fairy godmother costume at Purim and a post about various food-related hopes and dreams, for anyone who is new to my party and thus dazed and confused).

I chatted with the Forest Grill representative a bit, telling her how disappointed I'd been that Chef Gilbert hadn't made the Beard Award finals, though I was happy to have had him noticed.  And then - with great anticipation - we tried these fabulous, smoky, spicy pork sausages in a salty, crisp/chewy pretzel wrap - the most elegant "pigs in blankets" I've ever eaten.  They were complemented by a lovely sharp mustard sauce that had a distinctive tang.

Then we meandered over to the drink tables.  Not being much of a drinker - and never a beer drinker - I was initially going to pass right by these stations and move on to more food ... we all know this is what I obsess about nearly every waking minute, after all!  But Jeremy saw that The Oakland Art Novelty Company was offering a variety of unique drinks, including one called "The Livin's Easy": pale ale served in a cup rimmed with a combination of pork rinds, cayenne, sugar, ghost pepper, and sea salt.

Ghost pepper?  The hottest pepper on the planet?  The famous pepper that scores a full ONE MILLION on the heat scale?  Oh, Jeremy had his heart set on my trying that!

So I sucked up some courage - frankly, more afraid of disliking the beer than the potential pain of the pepper mixture - and we ordered one of these babies.  Except that the station had run out of beer.  But not one to disappoint a child, even if that child is 21 years old and stands 6'3", the bartender went to very gracious neighboring station Jolly Pumpkin Brewery and had them fill the spice-rimmed glass for me.

And so, I smelled the drink ... my sinuses were still okay, not having been seared.  I tried to put my lips to the cup, but was feeling intimidated.  Jeremy, of course, was chuckling at my cowardice.  I touched my finger to the salt mix and tasted that ... just a hint of heat.  I let Jeremy do the same thing - and he's very, very sensitive to spice.  But he didn't think it was particularly oppressive, rather it was more salty than hot.

Then I took the plunge and put the beer to my lips, salt and all.  And here is just part of the expression on my face, as the other photos were too blurry to make out properly:

The beer was pretty good, as far as beer goes; I took another few sips as we wandered around, a never-before-seen occurrence in my life.  The spice wasn't too bad - certainly not painful, as I'd thought it might be.  This concoction was definitely the most unique thing I tried at Baconfest!  And it sure did have a kick, I'll have to admit ... :)

There was so much food to gluttonously plow through!  I think my favorites were the ones that combined sweet and salty, as well as offering contrasting textures - bacon caramel apples and blue cheese-stuffed dates with bacon were very high on my list of treats that nearly made me swoon.  I wish I could show you everything, but there are items I don't even have pictures of - whether because of lighting, balancing too many things, crowds, the station having run out before my camera and I got to them, or just a photo that didn't turn out well.  (Photo: Sweet and tender Bacon Butterscotch Scones from Cheeky Monkeys Foods in Royal Oak)

But they all definitely deserve to be noted: butterscotch pudding topped with crisp bacon bits ... Irish nachos with bacon ... bacon-wrapped corn on the cob ... bacon-wrapped meatloaf ... chocolate-covered candied bacon ... "Bacon-Infused Pizza Awesomeness" ... chophouse salad with creamy bacon-herb dressing ... "Pig Candy" (brown sugar-coated bacon strips) ... wasabi chips with green tea tapioca and duck-bacon ... figs stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in bacon ... applewood bacon brittle ... bacon and grit cake with maple-pepper bacon ... sweet potato, maple and bacon pie ... bacon fat truffles ... Triple Cheese Mac and Bacon Threat ... and bacon fat ice cream with pureed bacon.  Oy!

To read more about our adventures at Baconfest, go to AnnArbor.com's Food & Grocery page; today's post tells about the Ann Arbor area offerings in great - and delicious - detail.  If I'd included it all here, none of you would ever bother to finish reading the post!  (Photo: "The Frankenbacon," which is sausage and cheese wrapped in bacon, all smoked and coated in sauce ... and wrapped in more bacon - from Detroit BBQ Company in Detroit)

Well, as you can see, Jeremy and I pigged out (groan ...!) at Baconfest Michigan.  We had so much fun, ate so much fabulous food, heard great music, and enjoyed ourselves immensely.  I'm probably still oozing treyf ([TRAYF] = non-kosher), but very happily so!

Photo collage at the top of the post: a spicy, tender, fabulous Pork Belly Slider with pickled red onion, bacon jam, and grainy mustard from Cork Wine Pub in Pleasant Ridge; luscious, buttery hand-dipped Bacon Caramel Apples from The Root Restaurant and Bar in White Lake that were among my very favorite treats; and moist, seductive Bacon-Banana Cupcakes with Bacon Buttercream from Cliff Bell's in Detroit.

Beard Awards Blathering

The James Beard Awards - often referred to as the "Oscars of the food world" - were given out just a few days ago; the winners in writing and television categories were announced this past Friday evening, with the chef, restaurant, and wine/bar programs being honored on Monday night.

These are bestowed by the enormously prestigious James Beard Foundation, whose "mission is to celebrate, nurture, and preserve America’s diverse culinary heritage and future."  Here is the organization's philosophy:

"Food matters. You are what you eat not only because food is nutrition, but also because food is an integral part of our everyday lives. Food is economics, politics, entertainment, culture, fashion, family, passion ... and nourishment. The James Beard Foundation is at the center of America's culinary community, dedicated to exploring the way food enriches our lives."

Thus, the Beard Awards are a huge, huge event for those who are fortunate enough to be in the inner circles.  They're also a very big deal for obsessive geeks like me who sit in front of their laptops watching a live stream of the ceremony (since the Food Network inexplicably doesn't show it).

So, what did I think?  Do I have some opinions about the winners, non-winners (it sounds so much kinder than "losers"), and everything else?

Why, of course I do!  I'm the same girl who once ridiculed the absurdity of Gatorade flavors and ranted about wedding cake - or, rather, a lack thereof at a friend's niece's wedding.  Of course I have notions to share and pontificating to do!

So pour a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, depending upon the time of day, and let's chat.  Here's the list of winners for you to peruse, in case you haven't seen it yet, so that you can contribute to this cause in the comments.

In no particular order:

- I acknowledge that big cities tend to have the greatest opportunity for, and ability to support, world-class restaurants.  But the finalists and winners were very New York- and Chicago-centric.  Boston, Seattle, San Francisco, Austin ... they all represented a bit.  But overwhelmingly, those other two nabbed the attention.  I adore both cities - I was born and raised in New York!  But there's a wide world of culinary excellence beyond their skyscrapers.

- I didn't even like Ted Allen on "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," one of my very favorite shows in its early incarnation (before they started to whore themselves out to sponsors and were heavy-handed in mentioning brand names).  Ted was supposed to coach the poor schlub guests about cooking and dining.  And one time he actually expected some clueless guy - because, of course, they were all clueless guys who needed to move on from their frat-boy status into adulthood with the help of the gay community's fabulousness - to learn how to cook (cruelly) and eat (messily) a lobster, rather than teaching him how to prepare something simple and classic and neat and tidy.  It was so unfair and embarrassing!!!  So now I see him on "Chopped," for which he won two - two!!! - Beard Awards.  He is the antithesis of dynamic, and so ungifted in stating the obvious; Jeremy and I groan when we watch him, because he is utterly superfluous on the show and makes his lack of necessity painfully evident.  And he - Ted Allen?!? - won two awards???

- I'm very sorry that no chefs from Michigan restaurants made the short list of nominees. (Grant Achatz - culinary superstar, multiple Beard Award winner, inductee this year into the Beard Foundation's "Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America" - was raised in Michigan but owns restaurants in Chicago).  Three had been named as semi-finalists: Luciano Del Signore of Bacco Ristorante in Southfield; David Gilbert of Forest Grill in Birmingham; and Matthew Millar of Reserve in Grand Rapids all received acknowledgement of their gifts and talents in the early rounds.  I'm also sorry that the Michigan-raised nephew of a good friend/co-worker - Max Sussman of Roberta's in New York City - didn't make the final list of nominees for "Rising Star Chef of the Year."  His winning would have been so, so cool!

- I was so happy to see the warm and wonderful Laurie Colwin welcomed into the Cookbook Hall of Fame, many years posthumously.  She writes as though she's chatting while the two of you are making dinner ... precisely the tone I strive for.  Nothing glamorous or complicated, just simple lovely recipes.  If you haven't read her work, I highly recommend her collections of food essays - Home Cooking and More Home Cooking - in addition to her fiction.

- Why was everyone wearing black or grey, with the exception of Duff Goldman who wore a mustard-colored t-shirt which was inappropriately informal for the occasion despite being worn under a dark suit?  Yeah, it was New York and it was a semi-formal affair.  But still!  When I go to the awards ceremony some day - when, not if!  Be positive! - I will wear pink.  Maybe red, maybe purple, but most likely pink.  With sparkles, of course ... :)

- I love that there are awards specifically for newcomers - such as the afore-mentioned "Rising Star Chef of the Year" award that my friend's nephew should have won (though it was no surprise whatsoever that Christina Tosi of Momofuku Milk Bar, famous for her addictive Crack Pie, won that prize) - as well as for those who are well-established and have produced and served at a consistently exceptional level for a minimum of 5 or 10 years (depending upon the category).  Everyone gets a chance.

- The ceremony didn't run very smoothly, and there was a fair amount of "down time" between presentations.  The show needs some form of transition ... possibly a band, so they also have a means to play off the long-winded folks (though there were thankfully very few of them).

- I'm so impressed that the winner of "Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic," Maricel Presilla of Cucharamama, is also an academic with a doctorate in Medieval Spanish history.  However, she was one of those long-winded winners who needed to be played off the stage.  I, of course, say this as someone who would also undoubtedly get played off the stage.  Judge not, lest ye be judged.

- It's so important that while there are many accolades for sophistication and pretense, there is also celebration of comfort food and old-fashioned favorites, acknowledging culinary and style diversity while appreciating talent and fabulous flavor wherever they may be found.

- And that leads me to my favorite category of the evening: "America’s Classics."  This category honors establishments ranging from steak houses to back woods shacks that are "beloved in their regions for quality food that reflects the character of their community."  This year's honorees are:

Jones Bar-B-Q Diner (Marianna, Arkansas)

Nora's Fish Creek Inn (Wilson, Wyoming)

Shady Glen (Manchester, Connecticut)

St. Elmo Steak House (Indianapolis, Indiana)

The Fry Bread House (Phoenix, Arizona)

Each link features the video that was shown at the awards ceremony, demonstrating how cherished these establishments are in their towns, letting you meet the owners who give so much of themselves each day and who maintain valuable traditions.  I highly recommend that you watch each segment - they're only about 2 minutes long.  But if you only watch one, watch the one for Jones Bar-B-Q Diner ... I intend to make a pilgrimage there some day.  Others go to Mecca, I'm going down to Marianna, Arkansas, for some seriously old-fashioned, "if it ain't broke why fix it?", secret recipe, this is how it's done barbecue.  And I love that an older couple - the barbecue joint's owners - from a podunk town of 4000 right smack in the middle of the state was wined, dined, and celebrated in the big ol' city!  This was my favorite award - and my favorite recipient - of all!