Bacon: A Love Story
Encyclopedia
Bacon: A Love Story, A Salty Survey of Everybody's Favorite Meat is a non-fiction
book about bacon
, written by author Heather Lauer
. It was published in May 2009. Lauer was inspired to write the book after getting an idea to start a blog about bacon while out with her two brothers for cocktails. She started a blog Bacon Unwrapped in 2005, along with a social networking site about bacon. The book describes the processes of curing and cooking bacon, and gives over 20 recipes that use the product. It also analyzes the impact of bacon on popular culture
, and intersperses text with quips from comedian
Jim Gaffigan
, and facts about bacon.
The book received a generally positive reception, with The Sacramento Bee
calling the book "entertaining and informational". Both The Toronto Star and The Sacramento Bee recommended the book as a Father's Day
gift. The Portsmouth Herald
and The Arizona Republic
highlighted the book on lists of summer reading recommendations. A review in Publishers Weekly
observed that the book would be enjoyed by bacon lovers, but not as much by other readers.
. She hatched the idea to write a book about bacon after going out for cocktails with her two brothers in 2005. "I was out drinking with my brothers one night, and the topic of bacon came up. We had eaten bacon as kids, and bacon was a special thing on Sunday mornings. Somehow, the idea came up about how funny it would be to start a blog about bacon. ... I took it and ran with it," explained Lauer to The Arizona Republic
. She began the blog about bacon called Bacon Unwrapped, located at www.baconunwrapped.com, and also created a social networking site about the product at baconnation.ning.com in 2005.
Lauer thought that the surge in interest in bacon products prior to the book's publication was "media driven". She noted that a response to political correctness
as related to cooking and food consumption may have driven interest in the product. Lauer said that bacon seems to be "the one thing that people are unwilling to give up". In a post to her blog in March 2009, Lauer lamented those that were willing to posit an end to the trend of interest in bacon. She commented, "Bacon is something that everybody is familiar with and most people grew up eating. It has a comfort aspect to it and a familiarity. It's also got an addictive aspect to it - that sweet and salty combination of flavors." She asserted that the interest in the product is just as much due to the culture surrounding it as to the bacon itself. "Current food trends focus on eating real and eating local, and there's nothing more real than a delicious strip of bacon. In many U.S. cities, local producers and chefs are making a name for themselves because of bacon," said Lauer. She pointed out that "most chefs would admit that bacon has long been one of their secret weapons in the kitchen." The book was marketed as the "most comprehensive book about bacon to date". Lauer promoted her book in a September 2009 appearance as a co-host at the Blue Ribbon Bacon Tour in Pennsylvania
, hosted by fellow bacon blogger Jason Mosley (Mr. Baconpants, at mrbaconpants.com).
. Lauer includes information on chefs throughout the United States that have a love of bacon, as well as venues that serve the product. The book contains over 20 recipes for dishes made with bacon, including Bacon Bloody Mary, Bacon-Wrapped Tater Tots
, Bacon Bleu Salad, and bacon brownies. Bristol Bacon, a recipe by chef Duncan Bristol and owner of restaurant Brick 29 in Nampa, Idaho
, is featured in the book. Interspersed throughout the book are bits about bacon from comedian
Jim Gaffigan
and random information; such as the fact that "Cracker Barrel serves 124 million slices of bacon per year". Lauer notes, "Speck is the direct German translation of the word 'bacon', and observes that the word "creates cross-cultural confusion". A section on the book called "Bacon 411" serves as a resource for further information on the product.
, Allen Pierleoni recommended the book as a gift for Father's Day
, and called the work, "entertaining and informational, full of anecdotes, history, recipes and explanations of what pork belly has brought to the popular culture." Rita Zekas of The Toronto Star also recommended the book as a Father's Day gift. Kerry J. Byrne noted that the book covers "everything from bacon-curing methods to bacon blogs" and includes "easy recipes". Publishers Weekly
reviewed the book and called it a "voluminous look at all things bacon". The review in Publishers Weekly concluded, "Readers who, like Lauer, possess a borderline-obsessive love for bacon are likely to embrace this as their new Bible, but anyone else will quickly get their fill." Rachel Forrest of The Portsmouth Herald
recommended the book in her "Annual Summer Reading List for Foodies". "Another of my favorites this year is 'Bacon: A Love Story: A Salty Survey of Everybody's Favorite Meat' by Heather Lauer. A book all about bacon. ... she profiles chefs who use it, odd finds across the nation and plenty of recipes," commented Forrest. The Arizona Republic
highlighted the book among its selection of "Books to help turn pages of summer".
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
book about bacon
Bacon
Bacon is a cured meat prepared from a pig. It is first cured using large quantities of salt, either in a brine or in a dry packing; the result is fresh bacon . Fresh bacon may then be further dried for weeks or months in cold air, boiled, or smoked. Fresh and dried bacon must be cooked before eating...
, written by author Heather Lauer
Heather Lauer
Heather Lauer is the author of the Bacon Unwrapped blog and the book Bacon: A Love Story: A Salty Survey of Everybody's Favorite Meat. The book was published May, 2009, and the blog will be in its fourth year as of July 2009.-Writing on bacon:...
. It was published in May 2009. Lauer was inspired to write the book after getting an idea to start a blog about bacon while out with her two brothers for cocktails. She started a blog Bacon Unwrapped in 2005, along with a social networking site about bacon. The book describes the processes of curing and cooking bacon, and gives over 20 recipes that use the product. It also analyzes the impact of bacon on popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
, and intersperses text with quips from comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
Jim Gaffigan
Jim Gaffigan
James Christopher "Jim" Gaffigan is an American stand-up comedian and actor.-Early life:Gaffigan was born in Chesterton, Indiana and attended La Lumiere School in La Porte, Indiana. He is the youngest of six children and often jokes about growing up in a large family. He attended one year at...
, and facts about bacon.
The book received a generally positive reception, with The Sacramento Bee
The Sacramento Bee
The Sacramento Bee is a daily newspaper published in Sacramento, California, in the United States. Since its creation in 1857, the Bee has become Sacramento's largest newspaper, the fifth largest newspaper in California, and the 25th largest paper in the U.S...
calling the book "entertaining and informational". Both The Toronto Star and The Sacramento Bee recommended the book as a Father's Day
Father's Day
Father's Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. Many countries celebrate it on the third Sunday of June but it is also celebrated widely on other days...
gift. The Portsmouth Herald
The Portsmouth Herald
The Portsmouth Herald is a seven-day daily newspaper serving greater Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Its coverage area also includes the municipalities of Greenland, New Castle, Newington and Rye, New Hampshire; and Eliot, Kittery, Kittery Point and South Berwick, Maine.News Corporation acquired The...
and The Arizona Republic
The Arizona Republic
The Arizona Republic is a daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. It was ranked tenth in US daily newspapers by circulation in 2007.-Early years:The newspaper was founded...
highlighted the book on lists of summer reading recommendations. A review in Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
observed that the book would be enjoyed by bacon lovers, but not as much by other readers.
Background
Before the book's publication, Heather Lauer was a public affairs consultant in ArizonaArizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. She hatched the idea to write a book about bacon after going out for cocktails with her two brothers in 2005. "I was out drinking with my brothers one night, and the topic of bacon came up. We had eaten bacon as kids, and bacon was a special thing on Sunday mornings. Somehow, the idea came up about how funny it would be to start a blog about bacon. ... I took it and ran with it," explained Lauer to The Arizona Republic
The Arizona Republic
The Arizona Republic is a daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. It was ranked tenth in US daily newspapers by circulation in 2007.-Early years:The newspaper was founded...
. She began the blog about bacon called Bacon Unwrapped, located at www.baconunwrapped.com, and also created a social networking site about the product at baconnation.ning.com in 2005.
Lauer thought that the surge in interest in bacon products prior to the book's publication was "media driven". She noted that a response to political correctness
Political correctness
Political correctness is a term which denotes language, ideas, policies, and behavior seen as seeking to minimize social and institutional offense in occupational, gender, racial, cultural, sexual orientation, certain other religions, beliefs or ideologies, disability, and age-related contexts,...
as related to cooking and food consumption may have driven interest in the product. Lauer said that bacon seems to be "the one thing that people are unwilling to give up". In a post to her blog in March 2009, Lauer lamented those that were willing to posit an end to the trend of interest in bacon. She commented, "Bacon is something that everybody is familiar with and most people grew up eating. It has a comfort aspect to it and a familiarity. It's also got an addictive aspect to it - that sweet and salty combination of flavors." She asserted that the interest in the product is just as much due to the culture surrounding it as to the bacon itself. "Current food trends focus on eating real and eating local, and there's nothing more real than a delicious strip of bacon. In many U.S. cities, local producers and chefs are making a name for themselves because of bacon," said Lauer. She pointed out that "most chefs would admit that bacon has long been one of their secret weapons in the kitchen." The book was marketed as the "most comprehensive book about bacon to date". Lauer promoted her book in a September 2009 appearance as a co-host at the Blue Ribbon Bacon Tour in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, hosted by fellow bacon blogger Jason Mosley (Mr. Baconpants, at mrbaconpants.com).
Contents
Bacon: A Love Story contains information on cooking and curing bacon, including "time-honored methods and traditions". The book analyzes how bacon has affected popular culturePopular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
. Lauer includes information on chefs throughout the United States that have a love of bacon, as well as venues that serve the product. The book contains over 20 recipes for dishes made with bacon, including Bacon Bloody Mary, Bacon-Wrapped Tater Tots
Tater Tots
Tater Tots, a registered trademark for a commercial form of hash browns made by Ore-Ida, are a side-dish made from deep-fried, grated taters. Tater Tots are widely recognized by their crispness, cylindrical shape and small size....
, Bacon Bleu Salad, and bacon brownies. Bristol Bacon, a recipe by chef Duncan Bristol and owner of restaurant Brick 29 in Nampa, Idaho
Nampa, Idaho
Nampa is the largest and the fastest growing city in Canyon County, Idaho, USA. The population of Nampa was 81,557 at the 2010 census. Nampa is located about west of Boise along Interstate 84, and six miles west of Meridian. Nampa is part of the Boise metropolitan area...
, is featured in the book. Interspersed throughout the book are bits about bacon from comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
Jim Gaffigan
Jim Gaffigan
James Christopher "Jim" Gaffigan is an American stand-up comedian and actor.-Early life:Gaffigan was born in Chesterton, Indiana and attended La Lumiere School in La Porte, Indiana. He is the youngest of six children and often jokes about growing up in a large family. He attended one year at...
and random information; such as the fact that "Cracker Barrel serves 124 million slices of bacon per year". Lauer notes, "Speck is the direct German translation of the word 'bacon', and observes that the word "creates cross-cultural confusion". A section on the book called "Bacon 411" serves as a resource for further information on the product.
Reception
Writing for The Sacramento BeeThe Sacramento Bee
The Sacramento Bee is a daily newspaper published in Sacramento, California, in the United States. Since its creation in 1857, the Bee has become Sacramento's largest newspaper, the fifth largest newspaper in California, and the 25th largest paper in the U.S...
, Allen Pierleoni recommended the book as a gift for Father's Day
Father's Day
Father's Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. Many countries celebrate it on the third Sunday of June but it is also celebrated widely on other days...
, and called the work, "entertaining and informational, full of anecdotes, history, recipes and explanations of what pork belly has brought to the popular culture." Rita Zekas of The Toronto Star also recommended the book as a Father's Day gift. Kerry J. Byrne noted that the book covers "everything from bacon-curing methods to bacon blogs" and includes "easy recipes". Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
reviewed the book and called it a "voluminous look at all things bacon". The review in Publishers Weekly concluded, "Readers who, like Lauer, possess a borderline-obsessive love for bacon are likely to embrace this as their new Bible, but anyone else will quickly get their fill." Rachel Forrest of The Portsmouth Herald
The Portsmouth Herald
The Portsmouth Herald is a seven-day daily newspaper serving greater Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Its coverage area also includes the municipalities of Greenland, New Castle, Newington and Rye, New Hampshire; and Eliot, Kittery, Kittery Point and South Berwick, Maine.News Corporation acquired The...
recommended the book in her "Annual Summer Reading List for Foodies". "Another of my favorites this year is 'Bacon: A Love Story: A Salty Survey of Everybody's Favorite Meat' by Heather Lauer. A book all about bacon. ... she profiles chefs who use it, odd finds across the nation and plenty of recipes," commented Forrest. The Arizona Republic
The Arizona Republic
The Arizona Republic is a daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. It was ranked tenth in US daily newspapers by circulation in 2007.-Early years:The newspaper was founded...
highlighted the book among its selection of "Books to help turn pages of summer".
See also
- Bacon maniaBacon maniaBacon mania refers to passionate bacon enthusiasm in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Especially fervent in the United States, the enthusiasm has been described as forming a "Bacon Nation"...
- List of books about bacon
- List of bacon dishes
- International Bacon DayInternational Bacon DayInternational Bacon Day or Bacon Day is an unofficial observance, often celebrated on the Saturday before US Labor Day...
- National Pig DayNational Pig DayNational Pig Day is an event held annually on March 1 in the United States to celebrate the pig. The holiday celebration was started in 1972 by sisters Ellen Stanley, a teacher in Lubbock, Texas, and Mary Lynne Rave of Beaufort, North Carolina...
External links
- Bacon: A Love Story, Harper Collins
- A forestaste of "Bacon: A Love Story", website of author