Beer & Bacon Tasting

Photo courtesy of Eleven Courses website

I'm a big fan of Groupon, I must say. One of the deals I've snagged recently is for a beer and bacon tasting. Hello!? Does it get any better than that? Well, when you kick in 3 friends for the ride it does! Here's their description of what's in store:

"In a 90-minute class, guides lead students through chef-curated tasting menus pairing five craft beers with bacon-based dishes. Bacon samples are determined by the chef, but they may include hickory-smoked bacon, candied stone-ground white grit cake, and chocolate-drizzle bacon."

The only date they're hosting in April is the 21st, and they just changed their status from sold out to limited availability. I'm in the process of trying to make reservations right now, but if that doesn't work out, I'm sure May or June will work. 

The best part? The 5-course tasting generally sells for $97 per person, therefore our total would be $388 for 4 of us. I purchased the Groupon for 4 for $79. Love, love, love!

Leek & Bacon Soup

Have you ever made the exact same recipe twice, only to find the results taste almost nothing alike? That happened to me recently. I first made this soup back in December and loved-loved-loved it. I think I ate it for lunch at work and then dinner the same night 2 days in a row. It was super simple to make, not unhealthy and well, it has bacon and leeks. Winner-winner in my book folks! So . . . I made it again just a day or 2 ago. Now keep in mind the only change I made was not peeling the potatoes this time around. I know, I know, I always hear about all that nutrition I lose when I peel 'em, so this time I figured why not leave 'em unpeeled? Heck, it all goes through the blender anyway, so it won't really matter. Well kids, something mattered, and I have no clue what. Maybe it just needs more salt and pepper. It's by no means bad this time around, but it's so different it's scary. Can you say bizarre? Well, here you go. It's your turn to see how you like it.

Leek and Bacon Soup
Adapted from Kraft

8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 c. chicken broth
2 large leeks (approximately 1 lb.), white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
3 baking potatoes (approximately 1 lb.), chopped
Dash white pepper
1/2 c. skim milk

Bring the broth, leeks, potatoes and pepper to a boil in a medium saucepan and cook 15 - 20 minutes veggies are tender. Remove from heat. Add half the crumbled bacon and the milk to the pot and combine all. Blend in small batches in a blender until smooth; pour into bowls or back into the pot. To serve, top with reserved bacon. 

There, you see, simple enough to make a person really wonder how one could get such different results. It's not a hard recipe! Hmmm, what does that say about me then? Well, we won't go there. Both results are tasty, so I'll just have to make it a 3rd time - 2 out of 3 wins? Then I'll know what to expect? Well, it sounds good in theory at least. Anyway, give it a try and let me know what you think. Enjoy!