Keto?? Yes, I fell down that rabbit hole and it’s working for me!

Seasonal Diet of the Pandemic
Controlling my weight as a chef and a baker — and basically someone who just loves all food — has always been a challenge. My usual procedure is work really hard on some kind of quick weight loss plan (never lasts) or a plan like Weight Watchers (the best, most sustainable program out there), lose the 20 pounds, keep it off for about 2 years, and then get bored of all the accountability, lose the plot, and then before I know it I'm eating chocolate chip cookies and I am doomed. Sugar is my crack and almost as addictive.

I have learned I am better with a plan that has strict rules and suggested menus to follow. I love a challenge, and I like to develop recipes to meet whatever crazy palette of ingredients I am currently allowed. So the keto diet has been my pandemic challenge. It's not easy to follow. To do it right, I have to monitor the macros of everything I eat (I use the free version of My Fitness Pal) to get the right percentage of fat (massive amounts of fat), protein, and carbs (the new enemy) as well as testing my blood and glucose to see if I have successfully reached ketosis — which is when your body burns fat and weight starts to disappear. Fat is now my friend, which is so weird!

If you are interested, there is a huge amount of info on the web as well as some great books I'll list at the end of this post.

After almost 4 months, I am down 15 pounds and at my goal weight. Anyone who has ever had a weight issue knows the really hard work is keeping it off. But I am going to keep my expectations realistic and not beat myself up. One of my favorite parts of this challenge has been all the discoveries that taught me new ways to use ingredients to create some of the foods I no longer eat — like bread!

I would like to share 3 recipes which are delicious, nutritious and kind of cool: hearts of palm bread (GF); celery root, butternut squash, and bacon rösti; and mocha mousse. They are all Keto, so remember they are high in fat and calories but low in protein and carbs. The orgiginal recipe sources are linked, but I've made a number of changes in some of these recipes.

Celery Root, Butternut Squash, Bacon and Parmesan Rösti

Adapted from Simply Keto by Suzanne Ryan

Ingredients
2 slices sugar-free bacon, cut into small pieces
1 cup shredded raw celery root
1/2 cup shredded raw butternut squash
1 shallot
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 clove fresh crushed garlic
1 egg

Procedure
In a 10 inch sauté pan, cook the bacon until mostly crisp. Remove bacon and save the fat. While the bacon cooks, combine the shredded celery root, parsley, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, garlic, and egg and mix well. Put 2 tablespoons bacon fat back into the sauté pan. Add the celeriac mixture to the pan with the cooked bacon in it and stir well. With the back of a large spoon, press the mixture into the bottom of the pan to form a round cake.

Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the bottom is dark golden brown and crisp, and the top is softened. Put into 375 oven for 15 minutes. Carefully place a serving plate over your pan and flip the cake onto it crispy side up. Serve it hot, garnished with more parsley if you like.

Hearts of Palm Bread

Adapted from I Breathe I'm Hungry by Mellissa Sevigny

Ingredients
1 (14 ounce) can of hearts of palm, well drained (equals about 8 ounces drained weight, or 1 1/2 cups sliced)
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups super-fine blanched almond flour
2/3 cup coconut flour
3 tablespoons psyllium husk powder
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt (sea salt or Himalayan salt preferred)

Procedure

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9.5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Combine the hearts of palm, eggs, olive oil, and water in a blender, and blend until smooth. Pour into the mixing bowl of your stand mixer. Add the almond flour, coconut flour, psyllium husk powder, baking powder and salt.

Mix with a dough hook on low to medium for 1 to 2 minutes or until a dough is formed. If you don’t have a stand mixer, mix by hand with a sturdy spoon for several minutes, then knead by hand for a minute or two, until you have a well-blended and uniform-looking dough.

Form into a loaf about 8 inches long by 3 inches wide and 3 inches high, and place in the parchment-lined loaf pan. Bake for 70 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the bread has risen by about 1 inch.

Remove from the oven and carefully lift the loaf out of the pan by the edges of the parchment paper. Place the loaf (without the parchment paper) on a wire rack too cool. This will keep it from getting soggy on the bottom, and will allow any moisture to evaporate as steam. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Store the bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Note: most forms of Psyllium husk will turn your bread a slight purple grey. This does not affect flavor, but the recipe creator recommends Healthworks brand because it never turns her baked goods purple.

Mocha Mousse

Adapted from from Ruled.Me

Ingredients
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup granulated Swerve
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated Swerve

Procedure
In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream, and butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Next, blend in the vanilla extract, Swerve, cocoa powder, and coffee powder until incorporated and set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add Swerve and beat a bit more. Fold 1/3 of the whipped cream mixture into the cream cheese mixture to lighten it. Be sure to not deflate the bubbles. Fold in the remaining 2/3 of the mixture until the whipped cream is evenly incorporated.

Transfer the mousse into 6 8-ounce ramekins and refrigerate until set, then just eat it all.

some more keto resources:

• The Complete Ketogenic Diet for Beginners by Amy Ramos
• The Keto Diet by Leanne Vogel
• Simply Keto by Suzanne Ryan
• Sweet and Savory Fat Bombs by Martina Slajerova
• All Day I Dream About Food
• KetoConnect
• Ruled.me

Goat Cheese Bacon Balls

Nice New Nibbles
This sounds kind of dirty, but it isn’t. It's just delicious. Great do ahead appetizer, goes well with cocktails, but what doesn't?

Ingredients
6 slices bacon

4 ounces goat cheese
4 ounces cream cheese

2 tablespoons chopped thyme or basil, divided

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup pecans

Procedure
Fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Pat the slices to remove excess grease. 
While the bacon is cooking, whiz the goat cheese, cream cheese, 1 tablespoon of herbs, and black pepper in the food processor. Blend until creamy and well-mixed, then form small balls, about the size of the tip of your thumb. 
Place balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
 Put in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up a little more.

Clean out the food processor. Crumble in the cooled bacon, the remaining tablespoon of herbs, and the pecans. Pulse until very fine and crumbly; it should be as fine as your food processor will make it. 
Take the cheese balls out of the freezer and roll them in the bacon mixture, pressing it in with your fingers if it doesn't immediately stick.
 Place the balls in a container and refrigerate until serving. Serve on toothpicks or with crackers.

Harissa-Pancetta Breakfast Pizza

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Frankly, I don't like pizza because it's often really greasy and I am not a big fan of melted, stretchy, sticky cheese. But! with a few tweaks and the addition of smoked meat — like bacon or chorizo, or you-name-it — I am hooked! Also, I changed the cheese to goat cheese, which you could spread on cardboard and I would eat. This recipe makes 4 individual pizzas.

Ingredients for crust
1 cup warm water (between 110°F and 115°F)
1 teaspoon active dry yeast (about half of a 1/4-ounce packet)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus about 1/4 cup more for oiling the bowl and the baking sheets and for drizzling

Ingredients for topping
6 ounces thinly sliced pancetta or bacon or Serrano ham or prosicutto or chorizo
4 tablespoons harissa
2 cups crumbled goat cheese or Feta
4 large eggs
4 scallions, thinly sliced

Procedure
Place water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment, sprinkle yeast on top, and let rest until mixture is bubbling, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. When yeast mixture is ready, add flour mixture and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and mix on low speed until flour is moistened and dough starts to come together, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium and mix until dough is smooth and stretches 3 to 4 inches without breaking, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, coat a large bowl with oil. Transfer dough to the oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap, and set in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. (Alternatively, let the dough rise in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 2 days.)

Heat the oven to 450°F and arrange one rack in the middle and another rack in the lower third of the oven. Place pancetta in a single layer on two baking sheets and bake one sheet on each rack, rotating the sheets halfway through the cooking time, until pancetta is browned and crispy, about 15 minutes. Remove pancetta to several sheets of paper towels and let drain briefly. When cooled, break into small pieces and place in a small bowl; set aside. Wash the baking sheets and return them to the oven (one on each rack) to heat, at least 10 minutes, while preparing the dough.

Once the dough has risen, punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly oiled surface. Divide it into four equal pieces and cover with plastic wrap. Shape two of the pieces into 7-inch rounds. Remove the hot baking sheet from the middle rack (leave the other one in the oven) and drizzle with olive oil. Carefully place the rounds side by side on the baking sheet, not touching each other. Evenly spread 1 tablespoon of the harissa on each round, then scatter a quarter of the cheese and a quarter of the reserved pancetta over each. Bake on the middle rack until the dough just starts to puff and is barely golden in a few spots, about 5 minutes.

Remove pizzas from the oven, carefully crack an egg into the center of each, and drizzle with about 1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil. Return the baking sheet to the middle rack and bake until pizza crusts are crisp and browned and egg whites are set, about 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle each with a quarter of the scallions. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve immediately.

Guests Bram and Monica Meehan: Breakfast for Dinner

Special Guest Bram and I had a great time on the show (as always) sharing our favorite breakfast-for-dinner recipes. Thanks, Stacy! As promised, here's the roundup, with links:

Cheddar and Green Chile Waffles with Thyme Maple Syrup

This recipe is adapted from Nora Singley's recipe at The Kitchn. It's supposed to serve 4 to 6 people, but we normally halve this recipe and it easily makes 8 or 9 waffles in our waffle iron. Also, the original recipe has you sauteing Serrano chiles to add to the batter, but we raid our stash of frozen, roasted green chile. The thyme syrup is a nice touch but plain maple syrup is great, too.

Ingredients for waffles
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups medium cornmeal
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
3 1/2 cups milk
2/3 cup olive oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
5 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 11 ounces)
1/4 cup roasted green chiles

Ingredients for syrup
2 cups maple syrup
thyme sprigs

Procedure
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. Add milk, olive oil, eggs, and maple syrup, whisking to combine. Do not overmix; batter may be lumpy. Fold in the cheddar cheese and chiles. Let batter rest at least 30 minutes at room temperature, and up to one hour.

While batter sits, combine maple syrup, thyme sprigs, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring up to a simmer and cook, 3 to 4 minutes, to infuse syrup. Keep warm.

Heat up waffle iron, spray with cooking spray if yours isn't non-stick. Pour batter into waffle iron and cook until golden brown, about 6 minutes, depending on your iron. Carefully remove waffle from iron and repeat process with remaining batter. Keep waffles warm in 200 degree oven, or serve immediately with thyme maple syrup.

Cheesy Bacon Grits with Egg

You can get quick grits in pretty much any bulk food section; for small amounts of chopped bacon, try Trader Joe's Uncured Bacon Ends & Pieces. This recipe is from Radically Simple: Brilliant Flavors with Breathtaking Ease by Rozanne Gold, via Relish.com. Serves 4.

Ingredients
5 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups quick grits
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for frying eggs
1/3 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions, white and green parts
4 slices crisply cooked bacon, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
8 eggs

Procedure
Combine water and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Gradually whisk in grits. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook, whisking often, until thick and creamy. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter, cheese, green onions, bacon and pepper. Cook 5 minutes longer.

Melt additional butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Fry eggs until whites are set and yolks are still runny. Or poach eggs in boiling water 3 minutes.
Spoon grits into bowls. Top with eggs.

You'll probably want to have some sort of vegetable side; or, try this similar recipe from The Kitchn that incorporates the greens:

Fried Eggs and Collard Greens over Polenta

Ingredients
olive oil
4-5 strips of thick cut bacon (you can also use about 1/2 pound of pancetta)
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 large bunch of collard greens, leaves stripped and chopped
1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth
2 cups whole milk
2 cups water
1 cup yellow corn meal
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
8 eggs
freshly grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Procedure
Roughly chop the bacon into chunks. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low heat in a large sauce pan with a lid. Add the bacon and begin to cook. After about 5 minutes, add the onion. Continue to cook both until the bacon is crispy and the onion is soft and beginning to caramelize, about 8 to 10 more minutes.

Raise the heat to medium-high and add the collard greens. Stir and toss until the greens are coated in the oil and bacon fat and beginning to wilt. Add 1/2 cup of the chicken broth, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat slightly and cover the pan. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, adding more chicken broth if the mixture gets dry, until the collard greens are dark green and soft.

Meanwhile, cook the polenta. Bring the milk and water to boil in a medium sauce pan. Add the corn meal in a steady stream, whisking as you go. Season with salt and pepper (about a teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of pepper to start, then taste). Continue to cook, whisking, until the polenta begins to thicken. Reduce the heat so that the polenta bubbles slowly and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes. The cooking time may vary, depending on how coarse the corn meal is, but the finished polenta should give some resistance when you stir it with a whisk. Add the butter and more salt and pepper to taste. You can turn off the heat and cover the pan to keep the polenta warm. When you are ready to serve it, stir to loosen it up and add a bit more milk if necessary.

Add a bit of butter or olive oil to a non-stick skilled and fry the eggs, two by two if necessary. To serve, put a big scoop of polenta on each plate and top it with the greens and bacon mixture and two fried eggs. Sprinkle with parmesan, salt, pepper, and hot sauce, if desired.

Basic Frittata, with variations

This basic recipe comes from our dog-eared, food-spattered, falling-apart, much-loved copy of Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter or oil
5 or 6 eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or other cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
minced fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Procedure
Preheat oven to 350. Put the butter or oil in a medium-to-large, ovenproof skillet, preferably non-stick, and turn the heat to medium. While it's heating, beat together the eggs, cheese, salt and pepper. When the butter melts or the oil is hot, pour the egg mixture into the skillet and turn the heat to medium-low. Cook, undisturbed, fro about 10 minutes, or until the bottom of the frittata is firm.

Transfer skillet to oven. Bake, checking every 5 minutes or so, just until the top of the frittata is no longer runny, 10 to 20 minutes more. Garnish with the parsley and serve hot or at room temperature.

Variations
You can add almost anything you think would be tasty to the basic frittata recipe, just mix into the eggs with the cheese. The basic proportions are 1 to 2 cups filling for every 4 to 5 eggs. Basically don't make so much it won't fit in your skillet. Also, keep in mind that add-ins won't cook through in the time it takes to set the eggs, so pre-cook raw meats or sauté/steam veggies if needed. Some ideas:

• sautéed broccoli, asparagus, spinach, chard, kale
• chopped fresh herbs
• bacon with pan-fired apple and onion
• minced salami, cooked sausage, ham, cooked or smoked fish
• sautéed onion, fresh tomato, and basil
• cooked potato cubes
• grated, salted and quick-cooked zucchini
• sautéed mushrooms
• goat cheese

A Trio of Mashed Potatoes

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Is there anyone who doesn’t get excited about the thought of homemade mashed potatoes? Don’t even tell me you use instant, that's just wrong. Having said that, there is one thing plain instant potato mix is good for and that’s thickening soup, it's ideal. But I digress ... getting back to the subject at hand, homemade mashed potatoes with butter and sour cream and chives is hard to beat. But sometimes it's nice to try some variations, so here are three. BLT mash (not with lettuce but with leeks), Pesto mash, and yet again from England the classic Bubble and Squeak.

BLT Mash

Ingredients
2 1/2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
1/2 pound sliced bacon
2 cups sliced leeks (whites only)
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup 1/2 and 1/2 warmed
4 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons minced, oil-packed, sun-dried tomatoes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Procedure
Boil potatoes in salted water until tender about 20 minutes. Sauté bacon in frying pan. Remove bacon from pan when crisp and then add the leeks to the bacon fat and cook until tender. Add sun-dried tomatoes to leek mixture and add bacon back in. Drain potatoes, then mash them in the pan. Add bacon, leeks, and tomato mix, plus all the remaining ingredients. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Pesto mashed potatoes

Ingredients
2 cups fresh basil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup olive oil
2 1/2 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup half-and-half, warmed

Procedure
Blend basil, Parmesan, salt, and pepper flakes in food processor until minced then drizzle in olive oil. Boil potatoes and garlic in salted water until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, return to the pan to the stove and dry the potatoes briefly over medium heat. Mash them in the pan and stir in basil mixture, butter, and half-and-half. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve immediately, as basil will change color and darken over time.

Bubble and Squeak

Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
4 slices bacon, cubed
1/2 small head cabbage
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup butter, melted

Procedure
Place potatoes in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, reserving drippings, and crumble bacon. Saute cabbage and onion until soft and translucent. Putting a lid on the pan helps the vegetables cook faster. Drain the cooked potatoes, mash with milk and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the cabbage and onions, and then transfer the mixture to a large serving bowl. Make a well in the center, and pour in the melted butter and mix well, then form potato mix into small cakes and fry till browned.

Note: Celery root can also be boiled and added to mashed potatoes to give them another wonderful flavor.

Root Beer Baked Beans

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
I love baked beans, especially with grilled Hebrew national hot dogs. A classic combo! And frankly I just buy the canned ones from the supermarket. Sometimes I sex them up a bit with a little bourbon or molasses, brown sugar or add some heat, but usually I just open and serve. Perhaps I am not trying hard enough. Anyway I found this recipe for homemade baked beans made with artisan root beer and I knew this needed to be done. I must say they are great.

Ingredients
4 slices applewood smoked bacon
3 1/2 cups diced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 15 ounce cannelloni beans (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups Artisanal Root beer
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons light molasses
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder (Ancho or Chimayo)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Procedure
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook bacon in a large ovenproof pot until crisp over medium heat. Remove crisp bacon to the side on paper towels. Add onions to bacon fat and cook till they begin to brown about 8 minutes. Next, add garlic cook 1 minute more. Add beans, root beer, tomato paste, vinegar, molasses, mustard, chili powder, and salt. Stir in bacon (lightly chop) and bring mixture to the boil. Transfer pot to the oven and bake uncovered till the sauce thickens, about 30 minutes. Serve as part of a great meal!

Puffy Eggs in Casserole

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
This recipe from Around the Table by Ellen Wright is super easy, but must be started the night before. So if you are thinking Mother's Day brunch — get busy!

Ingredients
1 loaf French bread (I like sourdough)
2 tablespoons softened butter
12 eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup shredded cheddar
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
6 strips cooked bacon (cook crisp and crumbled) for garnish

Procedure
The night before, cut the bread into 1 inch thick slices and spread with the softened butter. Butter a round or square baking dish that is 2-3 inches deep and cover the bottom of the pan with bread slices. Now combine the egg, cheese, milk, and melted butter and pour over the bread. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, remove dish from fridge and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake until golden brown and puffy, about 50-60 minutes. Garnish with crumbled bacon and parsley and serve immediately.

Here are some variations that would be delicious: turkey sausage, or chorizo mixed in; spread butter on one side of the bread and raspberry jam on the other; add sautéed veggies like asparagus or sautéed spinach as a middle layer. Try goat cheese instead of cheddar. Really, the possibilities are endless!

Candied Bacon Ice Cream

The Altitude Adjustment Section
The summer season has officially begun, so I think it's time to start thinking about making light homemade ice cream and sorbets. They are so easy and so delicious. I was going to do a wonderful coconut lime sorbet my husband loves, but then while browsing through the cookbook of the week Bacon: A Love Story, I came across this crazy recipe for candied bacon ice cream (originally was created by David Lebovitz) and I thought, "carpe diem, baby!" So here we go! This recipe makes 3/4 of a quart of super rich ice cream.

Ingredients
5 strips good bacon (applewood smoked)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons salted butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 3/4 cups half-and-half
5 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons dark rum or whiskey
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Procedure

You can candy the bacon way ahead of time. Start by placing the slices on a sheet pan lined with a silpat or aluminum foil (shiny side down). Sprinkle 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons brown sugar evenly over the strips of bacon and bake for 12-16 minutes. Midway through baking, flip over bacon and run it through the puddle of brown sugar on the sheet pan. Bake till it is glazed and dark brown. Remove bacon and let cool on wire rack. Once cool and crisp, chop bacon into small pieces about the size of grains of rice.

To make the ice cream, melt the butter in a thick medium sized saucepan over low heat. Stir in the dark brown sugar and half of the half-and-half. Pour the remaining half-and-half into a metal bowl sitting over an ice bath. Get a mesh strainer ready to use. Heat the sugar cream mixture till hot, but not boiling — you just want the sugar to dissolve. In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks and gradually add the warmed sugar cream mixture to the yolks, whisking all the time. Next pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat till the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of your spoon. You are basically making cooked custard. Be careful as this could burn if not well tended. Strain this mixture through your sieve into the remaining chilled half-and-half. Stir till chilled then add the liquor, cinnamon and vanilla extract.

Refrigerate till thoroughly chilled and then process in your ice cream maker as directed. Add the candied bacon bits during the last 5 minutes of churning the ice cream. Make this if you dare!

Smoky Pumpkin Soup

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
The red edition of the The Silver Palate Cookbook has some great recipes in it. This one is for a smoky pumpkin soup and — needless to say — the smoky flavor comes from my main man: bacon. Check it out.

Ingredients
6 slices bacon, diced, cooked crisp, fat reserved
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 cups peeled, cut up, cubed pumpkin (1 inch pieces)
6 cups beef broth or canned beef broth
1/2 cup Marsala wine
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Toasted pumpkin seeds to garnish (optional)

Procedure
Heat the bacon fat and the butter in a stockpot. Add the pumpkin and sauté for 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Pour in the stock and simmer covered for about 30 minutes, till pumpkin is tender. Remove from heat and stir in the Marsala, thyme, salt, and pepper. Process the soup in the blender or food processor till smooth and return to the stockpot. Now add the reserved crumbled bacon. Simmer for 10 minutes and serve garnished with toasted pumpkin seeds. This recipe serves 6 people.

Southwestern Cobb Salad with Lime Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Here is a great salad you can do ahead and enjoy on the porch during those balmy summer nights. If you are not a meat-eater substitute smoked tofu for the turkey, but there is no real substitute for bacon, even vegetarians admit that!

Ingredients for 2 large salads
3 cups crisp romaine, washed and torn
2 ears grilled corn, rubbed with olive oil, salt, pepper, and cumin, cut off the cob
1 cup Maytag blue cheese or buttermilk blue, crumbled
6 slices Applewood smoked bacon, cooked and diced
6 ounces Smoked turkey, diced
1 cup Smoked grape tomatoes
1/2 cup thin sliced red onions, boiled in rice wine vinegar, salt and sugar to cover, till tender then drain
1 diced avocado, drizzled with lime juice

Ingredients for dressing
2 tablespoons Dijon
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/8 teaspoon lime oil
1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
Salt and pepper
2 shakes Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 cups olive oil

Procedure for dressing
Put everything but oil in blender. Add oil slowly through the top till thick and emulsified.

Now finish salad — arrange all the beautiful ingredients on top of the greens and dress right before serving.

Pasta Carbonara

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
I know this is a seriously heart-challenging recipe, but every once in a while I crave Pasta Carbonara. It's like sex, but with more calories. Here’s the recipe for 6 servings.

Ingredients
1 pound Italian Pancetta or good quality bacon
1 medium diced onion
8 ounces fresh mushrooms sliced
5 large eggs room temp
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
1 pound fettuccine
1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley

Procedure
Fry the panchetta or bacon, in a large skillet, over medium heat. Remove bacon from pan, drain on paper towels and crumble. Pour out all but 3 tablespoons of bacon fat in the skillet. Cook onions in the fat for 7 minutes, over medium heat. Add mushrooms a wine and cook 5 minutes. Put up big pot of boiling salted water to cook pasta. Whisk eggs and cream together in mixing bowl, stir in Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Cook pasta till al dente. Drain and return to same pot you boiled it in. Immediately combine pasta with egg mix, crumbled bacon and onion. Toss thoroughly. Stir in chopped parsley and serve. Top with more cheese. Always keep number for paramedics close to the phone.

Southwestern Corn Pudding

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
This recipe has all the best flavors of Santa Fe. It's a big recipe, but you can cut it in half with ease.

Ingredients
1 onion, diced
1 red and 1 green pepper, diced
1 Jalapeno, seeded and diced
5 slices bacon, diced
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon ground chipotle powder
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic diced
8 cups half-and-half
12 eggs
1 cup A.P. flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup melted butter
3 tablespoons sugar
9 cups corn
1 pound shredded Monterey jack cheese

Procedure
Saute bacon, onions, peppers, garlic in a frying pan. Add salt and pepper. In a large bowl, whisk together half-and-half, eggs, flour, baking powder, melted butter, and sugar. Pulse half the corn in the food processor till lightly pureed. Combine all the corn with the sauteed vegetables and the egg mix. Add the grated cheese and break up with your fingers. Pour mixture into large casserole, which has been lightly buttered. Cover loosely with tin foil (it will puff up) and bake in a 350 oven for 45 minutes. Uncover and finish cooking till jiggly but not liquid in the center, around 15 -20 minutes more. Can also be made in individual ramekins, which take about 20 minutes to bake.

Broiled Swordfish with Bacon

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
You don't eat fish? Why? Just because we are nowhere near water? This is not an excuse. I have switched to buying IQF fish: individually quick frozen in individual portions. It's very good quality fish which is available in stores all over town. And swordfish in particular, due to its meaty texture and high fat content, freezes extremely well. I also picked this recipe because everybody loves anything with bacon in or on it. I have heard many a vegetarian say the only thing they miss in the meat world is bacon. So here it is:

Ingredients
2 swordfish steaks about 1 inch thick (about 8 ounces each)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 small yukon gold potatoes (skin on) parboiled for 10 minutes, cooled and then thinly sliced
1 small onion thinly sliced
2 slices apple wood smoked bacon cut into thirds
1/2 diced red and green pepper
1 tablespoon good quality olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped parsley to garnish

Procedure
Preheat your broiler. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and sprinkle with olive oil. Sprinkle both sides of the swordfish steaks with salt and pepper, and place on sheet pan. Cover steak with thin slices of potato. Top with sliced onion and peppers and then top with bacon. Drizzle the rest of the olive oil on top and add a bit more black pepper. Broil until the vegetables are lightly charred, the bacon is cooked, and the fish flakes when you put a fork into the side. Now, broiler strength is different so timing can be tricky. I recommend 10 minutes and check it. Top with chopped parsley.

I would serve this with a nice crisp salad and a chilled Sauvignon Blanc. Call me and I'll be there for dinner!