Countdown to Release of BACON NATION!
It’s hard for me to believe that Peter Kaminsky and I started working on Bacon Nation about three years ago. But it’s no surprise that creating a cookbook of substance and size is (and should be!) a long and laborious process of researching, testing, refining, writing, editing, and meticulously proofing every recipe. Workman Publishing is just seven weeks away from releasing Bacon Nation, and I am very excited that it will soon be in the hands of bacon lovers and home cooks searching for ideas to make better appetizers, soups, salads, vegetable side dishes, roasts and fish dishes, and even desserts for everyday meals and special occasions.
From now until its May 7th publication date, I’m going to entice you with pictures and information about some of the complete recipes you’ll find in Bacon Nation. I do hope you like what you see.
Bacon Cheese Straws
I wanted to make cheese straws with the natural salty, meatiness of bacon and envisioned them as perfect for serving to my sons and husband who are giant New York Giants fans. Now that our two sons are adults and busy with their own lives, I think often about luring them home with the promise of good food. These Bacon Cheese Straws can kick off a party for family or friends and are perfect accompanied by a nice bottle of red Rioja or cold beer. Toss in a sporting event to watch together (it doesn’t have to be football) and you’ve got the makings of a great afternoon.
To make the crispy straws, I started with a commercially prepared frozen puff pastry, easily found in any major supermarket. Cooked bacon and grated Parmesan cheese are first sprinkled onto the pastry and then rolled and under sheets of parchment paper into the pastry.
A tape measure is useful for rolling the puff pastry into a large square and then for measuring and cutting equally-wide strips that are twisted into straws before they are baked.
Even with a measuring tape to guide you, the straws will probably end up having slightly different widths. Just do the best you can to cut them evenly. A ravioli or pizza cutter is the perfect tool for this step.
That’s all I’m gonna say about this recipe. I hope I’ve made you hungry and got you thinking about making these cheese straws from Bacon Nation. They certainly did the trick for my husband Mark and our two sons, Nicholas and William.
Take care!
Marie
