Saturday, January 29, 2011

Experimental Sandwiches and Secret Bread Ingredients

I received a book from my auntie this Christmas called Backcountry Bowhunting, in which the author Cameron Hanes touts the qualities of "peanut butter and bacon" sandwiches.  As a man blessed (or cursed, whichever you choose) with a palate enjoying weird food combinations, I had to try it.  So I've been experimenting while out skiing, both at the resort and in the backcountry.  I've tried PB, Bacon, and Banana as well as PB, Bacon, and Maple Syrup.  Both were tasty, but in my opinion the banana overpowers the taste of the bacon and thus I find it questionable to have it in there at all.  The maple syrup combo hit the spot and I've repeated it several times.  The nutritional qualities of a PBBMS might not be very good unless your activity level is such that your body is just in need of calories, such as climbing hard or skiing harder.  The average couch potato should be duly warned of becoming addicted to such a snack...


My experimentation has coincided nicely with some bread making.  Over Thanksgiving, my baker-of-a-younger-sister off-hand suggested that you can make really good bread by substituting bacon grease for the butter or lard called for in the recipe.  When I made a couple of loaves of whole wheat bread  recently, I had saved a supply of bacon drippings from my sandwiches, so I threw it in instead of the butter and added maple syrup instead of sugar or honey.  The result was fantastic: moist, delectable, with a hint of smoky bacon!  Great for a side with dinner, sandwiches, and eating a half of a loaf before bed if you're my dad...
Don't be alarmed! This is a healthier variety of sandwich: ham,
pickles, and spinach doctored with a touch of honey mustard. 

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