Bacon Red Velvet Cake @ my apartment

My roommate and new hero, Sother Teague, made a bacon red velvet cake for his birthday. Yes, you read that correctly - a bacon red velvet cake, and it was delicious. I was on hand to document the process.

The basic philosophy behind the cake is the classic southern mayonnaise chocolate cake, which replaces the oil and eggs called for in the cake batter recipe with the oil and eggs contained in mayonnaise. The way in which the oil and egg yolks are combined to create mayonnaise yield a richer and creamier cake, or, in this instance, velvetier red velvet cake.

We fried up 1 lb. of Boar's Head Bacon in a half cup of vegetable oil and set the bacon aside. The oil and bacon grease was run through a cheesecloth and was also set aside to cool. We took two egg yolks, added a half cap of vinegar, and frothed them together. When the bacon grease/vegetable oil concoction cooled we whisked it into the eggs to make baconnaise.


We baked five cakes and then turned our attention to the cooked bacon. While the cake batter definitely had a wonderful bacon flavor, we knew we had to commit further. Sother decided on making bacon brittle. We chopped up the bacon into small bits and licked our fingers clean, then we got some water and sugar boiling, added the bacon and some butter, and poured the mixture onto a lined sheet pan.

The bacon brittle is amazing and we'll be selling it online soon. Drop me a line if you can think of a creative name for it and if we choose your suggestion you'll get a bag for free!

The cake frosting is a standard cream cheese frosting. We pulverized the bacon brittle and added it and the frosting between every layer of the cake. Voila, bacon red velvet cake.

Goat Taco @ Taco Bite

"Wow, there's a lot of goat meat on this taco," I heard myself exclaim - maybe for the first time in my life. I had just taken my first bite of a goat taco from Taco Bite located at South 4th St. and Rodney in Williamsburg Brooklyn on a rainy Saturday. My friend and I had stopped in to break our fast from the previous evening and discuss the plight of the bumblebees. While we didn't solve the bee problem, we did have some very fresh and authentic Mexican food.

The goat meat taco was served on a fresh corn tortilla and piled high with wonderfully seasoned goat meat which was tender, yet had a little crunchy char on some of the edges. I've never had goat before, but I'd describe it as a gamier lamb, but with a different set of spices. The meat was topped with chopped raw onions and cilantro and red and green salsas. Both sauces are good, but the green one is extra delicious. Overall this is quite a good deal for $3. I put them on my speed dial so I can call them from my bike on the way home after work and pick it up right when it gets done.

Roast Beef, Turkey, Swiss & Slaw @ Eisenberg's Sandwich Shop

I don't get it often, but sometimes I have a carnal craving for roast beef. Roast beef is everywhere here in New York, but since my desire for it comes so infrequently I decide to do it up right. Not only am I looking for quality, but I'm also looking for quantity. Maybe it's because my stomach is stretched from last week, but what more New York than over sized Deli sandwiches?

After diagnosing my symptoms, my attention immediately turned to Eisenberg's Sandwich Shop, an institution in the Flat Iron district since it opened in 1929. I've had the famous reuben and the weekly Thursday meatloaf sandwich special with great success and figured that the roast beef should be the same caliber. I decided on the roast beef, turkey, swiss & slaw with russian dressing on rye bread and washed it all down with a Schweppes seltzer water. This was the perfect remedy. I knew when I got roast beef stuck between my teeth on the first bite that this sandwich was going to leave an impression on me for the rest of the day. Perfectly messy and made with plenty of TLC, I bet the only way for it to taste any better would be to go there and eat it at the original lunch counter with benevolent owner Josh Konecky manning the cash register in one of his many signature Hawaiian shirts.