Everything Tastes Better with Bacon

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Everything Tastes Better with Bacon
LC Class
2001037240

Everything Tastes Better with Bacon: 70 Fabulous Recipes for Every Meal of the Day is a book about cooking with bacon written by author, food commentator and The Oregonian columnist Sara Perry. The book was published in the United States on May 1, 2002, by Chronicle Books, and in a French language edition in 2004 by Les Éditions de l'Homme in Montreal. In it, Perry describes her original concept of recipes combining sugar and bacon. Her book includes recipes for bacon-flavored dishes and desserts.

The book received mainly positive reviews and its recipes were selected for inclusion in The Best American Recipes 2003–2004. The

St. Petersburg Times classed it as among the "most interesting and unique cookbooks" published, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette highlighted it in the article "Favorite Cookbooks for 2002" and The Denver Post included it in a list of best cookbooks of 2002. A review in the Toronto Star
criticized Perry's lack of creativity in her choice of recipes. Recipes from the work have been featured in related cookbooks.

Background

Sara Perry is a resident of Portland, Oregon, and a columnist for The Oregonian,[1][2] a radio restaurant commentator[3] and a cookbook author. Before Everything Tastes Better with Bacon she wrote four books: The New Complete Coffee Book, The New Tea Book, Christmastime Treats and Weekends with the Kids.[3] Her editor at Chronicle Books suggested bacon as a cookbook subject. Bacon's popularity and usage was increasing, but Perry believed that a paucity of recipes would make writing the book difficult. Recalling her fondness for honey-baked ham, she combined sugar and bacon to create dishes.[4] Perry realized that bacon could be used to add seasoning in flavoring dishes, including salads and pastas.[5] She observed that bacon increased the sweet and salty tastes of food.[6] Everything Tastes Better with Bacon was published in English in paperback format by Chronicle Books on May 1, 2002.[7][8] The book sold for a retail price of US$18.95 in its initial publication.[9][10] A French paperback edition was published in 2004 by Les Editions de l'Homme, as part of its "Tout un plat!" ("What a dish!") series.[11][12]

Content summary

Woman wearing glasses and white shirt, with head rested on hand
Sara Perry in 2009

Perry explains her feelings about bacon in the book's introduction, observing that its smell while cooking helps start her day and provide her with a sense of calmness.

stovetop, in an oven and under a griller to maximize its flavor and appearance.[19][23][24] The book is illustrated with photographs by Sheri Giblin.[25]

Reception

Everything Tastes Better with Bacon was positively received by reviewers and food critics. The

Dwight Garner of The New York Times included the book in a list of favorites among recent cooking publications.[29] The review was critical of the author's dessert recipes, but agreed with her overall argument for increased use of bacon in cooking.[29]

Apple Crisp with Brown Sugar-Bacon Topping and Ruby Raisin Mincemeat Tart.[32] Steve Smith, executive chef at Dixon's Downtown Grill in Denver, was inspired by Perry's "Maple Sundae" recipe and used it to create his own macadamia-bacon crunch ice cream dessert.[33]

Writing for the

Spaghetti Alla Carbonara and Cobb salad, Pear-Apple Crisp with Brown Sugar-Bacon Topping and Bacon Brittle.[36] A review in the Toronto Star criticized Perry's lack of creativity in her choice of recipes.[37] The review concluded the book was a good deal compared to other cookbooks on the subject while noting its lack of comprehensiveness with the small number of total recipes included.[37] Michele Anna Jordan of The Press Democrat recommended Perry's work, and commented that the author's zest for the subject was contagious.[38]

Impact

According to the Chicago Sun-Times and the St. Petersburg Times, Everything Tastes Better with Bacon is a niche work in the cookbook genre.[18][28] Perry stated that bacon had undergone a renaissance period.[10] The Christian Science Monitor noted in a 2003 article that bacon was becoming an increasingly used cooking ingredient, despite having been maligned by nutritionists.[10] Two recipes from the book were selected for inclusion in The Best American Recipes 2003–2004: The Year's Top Picks from Books, Magazines, Newspapers and the Internet.[39][40] Perry's recipe for "Succulent Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp" was referenced in the 2003 book Smoke & Spice: Cooking with Smoke, the Real Way to Barbecue.[41] Fran McCullough, the author of The Best American Recipes, commented that the book was a surprising addition to the field.[26]

The Atlantic said that three years after the book's publication, bacon had become as popular as chocolate or olive oil.[42] Leah A. Zeldes observed in a 2006 article for the Chicago Sun-Times that the book contributed to the body of works that display the adaptability of bacon in recipes.[18] In his 2009 book Hungry Monkey, author Matthew Amster-Burton commented on the phenomena involving bacon and books on the subject in prior years, listing the book along with The Bacon Cookbook and Seduced by Bacon.[43] A 2013 article in the British newspaper The Independent cited the book as an example of increasing interest in pork.[44]

See also

References

  1. ^ Julian & Riven 2002, p. 33.
  2. ^ Browning-Blas 2002, p. M7.
  3. ^ a b Perry & Caruso 2003, p. 121.
  4. ^ Keeler 2002, p. 1C.
  5. ^ Sacramento Bee 2002, p. F1.
  6. ^ Smith 2002, p. D1.
  7. ^ WorldCat 2011a.
  8. ^ Perry 2002, p. 4.
  9. ^ Fabricant 2002.
  10. ^ a b c Paulson 2003, p. 16.
  11. ^ WorldCat 2011b.
  12. ^ Perry 2004.
  13. ^ Crooks 2002, p. D1.
  14. ^ Saunders 2002, p. C4.
  15. ^ English 2002.
  16. ^ a b McCarthy 2002, p. A1.
  17. ^ Perry 2002, p. 7.
  18. ^ a b c Zeldes 2006, p. S1.
  19. ^ a b Lawson 2003, p. 12D.
  20. ^ Meitus 2003b, p. 3D.
  21. ^ Longino 2002.
  22. ^ a b Eddy 2002, p. 1.
  23. ^ Mahoney 2003, p. D1.
  24. ^ Cichy 2003, p. 4E.
  25. ^ a b Hoedel 2002, p. E2.
  26. ^ a b c d Keeler 2003, p. 1D.
  27. ^ Aldana 2005, p. 215.
  28. ^ a b Keeler 2008, p. 5E.
  29. ^ a b Garner 2002, p. 54.
  30. ^ Burch 2002, p. F1.
  31. ^ Ehret 2002, p. 6F.
  32. ^ a b Meitus 2003a, p. 5D.
  33. ^ Browning-Blas 2003, p. F01.
  34. ^ a b c Parrish 2002, p. F1.
  35. ^ Husted 2002, p. FF9.
  36. ^ Browning-Blas 2002, p. M-07.
  37. ^ a b Toronto Star 2002, p. D05.
  38. ^ Jordan 2002, p. D1.
  39. ^ McCullough & Stevens 2003, pp. 84–85, 280, 284.
  40. ^ Bonwich 2004, p. 1.
  41. ^ Jamison & Jamison 2003, p. 340.
  42. ^ Kummer 2005.
  43. ^ Amster-Burton 2009, p. 63.
  44. ^ Muston 2013, pp. 44–45.

Bibliography

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sara Perry.
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