Bacon Times Three BLT

You read the title right, bacon in three different components of the BLT.  I may have a death wish or just need fatty food to motivate me to break out my running shoes.  Either way, this is an indulgent BLT worth trying!  Obviously way one is going to be crispy (only way) bacon.  Second, toasting up fresh slices of bread in the pan used to cook the bacon to get all of the crispy bits of flavor left behind.  And third?  Oh third is the best.

BACON FAT MAYONNAISE!  Normal mayo just has plain old oil but Toasty mayo goes full tilt fat kid crazy.  Just 3 tablespoons of bacon fat drizzled in and a pinch or two of smoked salt (new favorite, thanks Giada!) make the mayo smoky and full of bacony depth.  Add a couple of cloves of roasted garlic, because I always have a few on hand in my freezer, and it is my paradise.

Guys, it is just about the simple things.  Plump tomatoes, crunchy fresh greens, fresh bread from the French ex-pats in my neighborhood, and a killer mayo.  Oh and bacon.  Always bacon.

Chipotle Honeyed Pears Over Pea Shoot Salad

I'm literally counting down the days until my farmer's market opens this Saturday, but until then I have to rely on what I see in abundance as to what is good and fresh now.  My grocery store has recently had an influx in all kinds of pears, so naturally I had to pick some up and test them out.  I'm typically not a pear-person, but I loved cooked pears.  With pea shoots out as well as a hunk of goat cheese I needed to use, I came up with a dried chipotle powder and honey combo that would complement these three ingredients.  Plus a little crispy bacon thrown in for good measure, both the crumbled bits on top and a little of the leftover bacon fat to bind a quick vinaigrette.

I ate it just as a quickly thrown together side to some leftover chicken, but this is an elegant layered salad party-perfect for a springtime get together.  Sweet, spicy, crunchy, and satisfying, proving yet again that simple ingredients treated with respect will always give you the best results!