Skip to main content

Cook the Books: Manhattan Honeymoon with Candied Bacon


For this round - our February-March selection - of Cook the Books, This month’s book selection was chosen by Claudia from Honey From Rock. She chose Dinner with Edward by Isabel Vincent.* You can read Claudia's invitation: here.

Claudia wrote: "As our last CTBC pick was a memoir about physical healing and the food that helped it to progress, this book is more about the emotional wounded and how cooking can sustain and comfort, as well as how casual acts of kindness can morph into not only friendship but life changes.  Each chapter revolves around a meal, with both menu and delectable recipes."


On the Page...

I started reading this one evening while watching my boys at the pool. I finished it in just a few sittings after that. Dinner with Edward is comprised of Vincent's dinners with Edward at a pivotal point in both their lives. Edward's beloved wife, Paula, has just died and Vincent is in the middle of a divorce. They build a friendship over many evenings, many dinners, many conversations, and many cocktails.

Dinner with Edward is a memoir that I have seen characterized as Tuesdays with Morrie - but for foodies. That's an interesting comparison, but oddly, I vastly preferred the latter. Despite the fabulous food in Vincent's book, I had a difficult time liking her or even relating to her.

It was, however, easy to adore Edward.  His devotion to his wife, his old-fashioned views, and his culinary acumen made him absolutely charming.

About His Wife...and Being in Love
"After a few moments of reflection, his blue-gray eyes growing shiny with the beginning of tears, he returned to preparing the oysters. 'She melted my heart,' he said. 'Paradise was me and Paula'" (pg. 100). 

And this: "'Is there someone who will stand naked with you in the shower and hold you and comfort you?' he had once said in a hoarse whisper, his words seeming to tumble over one another. 'If you can't do that with the person you're with, then you're not really in love'" (pg. 105).

About His Views...
"At ninety-three, Edward is almost twice my age. Born in Nashville, he likes his bourbon on the rocks, uses words like 'moxie' in conversation, but can also curse like New Yorker. He doesn't own a cell phone or a computer; he writes in longhand, and he never watches television.

'We live in the age of communications but nobody knows how to communicate anymore,' he once said to me. 'It's just emailing and texting, not communicating,' Edward went on. "Nobody's dealing with reality. It's a shame'" (pp. 49-50).

About His Food...
"Edward made his rémoulade in the Louisiana style, with cayenne pepper and mayonnaise, whipping it until the mixture turned a light rose. The creamy, piquant rémoulade enveloped the sweet, firm pieces of steamed fennel. I found it hard to stop eating. Luckily, Edward arrived, clutching a platter of bronzed chicken on a bed of roasted carrots and celery topped with fresh sprigs of thyme and rosemary. He had brined the chicken for two days in apple cider and salt, before rubbing the entire bird with thyme, rosemary, and butter" (pg. 47).

In My Glass...

There was ample food inspiration throughout the book, though I longed for a recipe - Edward's recipes. But the menus at the beginning of each chapter were inspiring enough. There were even several culinary terms that I needed to look up.

I was actually inspired to create this cocktail by a couple of different elements in the book. First: the menu for chapter seven.

Bourbon
No ice
No tonic
No lime
Just neat

Second: Edward's adoration of Paula. It seemed that their entire marriage was a honeymoon. So, I set about making a cocktail with bourbon and honey. Oh, and bacon...because bacon makes everything better!

I have a bottle of ocean-aged bourbon that I keep for special occasions. Yep, it's as crazy as it sounds this bourbon is aged on the ocean. I first discovered it when I interviewed a chef in King City who was just opening his restaurant. I wanted to balk and say that it had to be a marketing gimmick. But, I can't.

This bourbon is aged for six to eight years before it's put into barrels and loaded onto a container ship. For six months, the bourbon circumnavigates the globe, stopping in over thirty ports, and crossing the equator four times. The idea is that the constant movement of the bourbon, as it sloshes around, ages it faster because more of the liquid is in contact with the wood more often. Interesting, right?

If you like bourbon, track down a bottle. I think Edward would agree. It's seriously tasty with strongly defined bourbon notes blended with unique, briny characteristics. And while it is pricey, a percentage of each bottle goes towards ocean research. That's a worthy cause in my mind! 


Manhattan Honeymoon with Candied Bacon 
makes 1 cocktail

Honey-Salt
  • ½ C coarse sea salt
  • 1 T black salt
  • 1 T granulated honey
Candied Bacon
  • 1 lb Applewood Smoked Bacon (must be thick-cut)
  • 1 C organic brown sugar
  • 1 t ground sweet paprika
  • 1 t ground cinnamon
  • pinch of fleur de sel
Cocktail
  • 2 ounces good quality bourbon
  • ¾ ounce sweet vermouth
  • ½ ounce honey (I used an orange blossom honey)
  • dash of bitters
  • 1 orange wedge
  • also needed: crushed ice + more ice for serving
Garnish
  • orange twist from an organic orange
  • candied bacon

Procedure
Honey-Salt
Place the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and toss to blend. If you think the salt is too coarse, you can give it a few pulses in a spice grinder or use a mortar an pestle. Pour out onto a saucer and set aside.

Candied Bacon 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place a wire rack on top of that. In a small mixing bowl, blend all of the dry ingredients together in a small mixing bowl.
  
Place the bacon on top of the wire rack. Spoon 1 T of the sugar mixture over each piece of bacon and spread evenly over the surface. Place in the preheated oven. Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and, gently, spread the caramel that has formed over the bacon. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes.

Using tongs, carefully flip the bacon over and spoon 1 T of the sugar mixture on the second side. Spread it evenly over the surface. Bake for 5 minutes.

When the bacon is crisped and the glaze is caramelized, it's done. Remove to a parchment-lined baking sheet and let cool completely.

Cocktail
Run the orange wedge around the lip of a rocks glass to wet the rim. Dip into the honey-salt, gently shaking off any excess. Set aside.

Place the bourbon, vermouth, honey, and bitters in a cocktail shaker or large mason jar. Top with crushed ice and shake. Strain into the prepared glass and garnish with an orange twist and a strip of candied bacon. Add in an ice cube or two, if desired.

Cheers!
I am also linking this post to Foodie Reads. Here's what everyone else read in February 2017: here.

*This blog currently has a partnership with Amazon.com in their affiliate program, which gives me a small percentage of sales if you buy a product through a link on my blog. It doesn't cost you anything more. If you are uncomfortable with this, feel free to go directly to Amazon.com and search for the item of your choice.

Comments

  1. That bourbon is better traveled than most people. I wonder who came up with that plan? It is interesting. I should try to find some for my husband. I've never developed a taste for it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds like a beautiful cocktail in memory of a beautiful love story. Perhaps that bourbon can be sourced online?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I too was wishing there were recipes included but the descriptions themselves were complete enough that you could pretty much replicate them. I love your inspiration behind the drink.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I agree with every point you made. I love your indepth look at the book as well. I tend to be a lot more "surface" in my review. My husband loves bourbon. I have to find a bottle of ocean aged for him.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love that you did this as an homage to their marriage. Edward was so sweet when he described his life with Paula. Bacon does make everything better.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love everything about this drink!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Meyer Lemon Custard-Filled Matcha Turtles #BreadBakers

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our  Pinterest board  right here. Links are also updated after each event on the  Bread Bakers home page .  We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. This month Stacy of Food Lust People Love  is hosting and she wrote: "Your bread can be large, as in one big animal, or small - animal-shaped rolls. Use your imagination! Points for flavor and shape!" If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to Stacy at foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. Here's the animal-shaped bread basket from the #BreadBakers... Beef and Sweet Onion Dim Sum Pandas from Karen's Kitchen Stories Bird Bread Rolls from Ambrosia Easter Bunny Buns from Cook with Renu Ham and Cheese Elephant Rolls from Food Lust People Love Hedgehog Bread from Making Mir

Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé #Winophiles

This month the French Winophiles group is looking at affordable wines from Burgundy.  Host Cindy of Grape Experiences wrote: "Burgundy, or Bourgogne, is known for its wines of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir... as well as Aligote, Gamay, Sauvignon, César, Pinot Beurot, Sacy, Melon in lesser quantities. Many of the well-known wines are quite expensive, but there are plenty of values to be found." Read her invitation here. And there won't be a Twitter chat for this event, so you will have to dive into the articles themselves to read about our pairings and findings. Here's the line-up... Wendy Klik from A Day in the Life on the Farm enjoys Domaine Chevillon Chezeaux Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits, 2018 Paired with a Maple Pecan Chicken . Camilla Mann from Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares her love of Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé. Jeff Burrows of FoodWineClick! explains why we should Look t

Quick Pickled Red Onions and Radishes

If you've been reading my blog for even a short amount of time, you probably know how much I love to pickle things. I was just telling a friend you can pickle - with vinegar - or you can ferment - with salt - for similar delicious effect. The latter has digestive benefits and I love to do that, but when I need that pop of sour flavor quickly, I whip up quick pickles that are ready in as little as a day or two. I've Pickled Blueberries , Pickled Asparagus , Pickled Cranberries , Pickled Pumpkin , and even Pickled Chard Stems ! This I did last night for an upcoming recipe challenge that requires I include radishes. Ummmm...of course I'm pickling them! Ingredients  makes 1 quart jar radishes, trimmed and sliced organic red onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I used a mandolin slicer) 3/4 C vinegar (I used white distilled vinegar) 3/4 C water 3 T organic granulated sugar 1 T salt (I used some grey sea salt) 6 to 8 grinds of black pepper Proce