SPICY BACON PEANUT BRITTLE ... YES!

BACON...BACON...BACON...

if i could just put a touch of bacon in everything, i think i'd be happy...

well, let me rethink that...i'm already pretty happy!

AND, i already DO try to put a little bacon in everything!

oh, and don't forget the spice. i have to have a bit of (who am i kidding)...ALOT of spicy heat in everything i eat. my breakfast usually has 3 kinds of peppers in it. lunch? pepperocini and Sarachi, and dinner? Tapatio and jalapenos on the side.

do they make a flamin' hot toothpaste?

i found this brittle recipe at cooks.com

i did, however, add some vanilla. i read in a Betty Crocker recipe to...

liquify the 1 tsp baking soda with 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp water.

i think it makes it easier this way.

also this recipe calles for 2 c. chopped peanuts (i prefer wholes and halves) AND, i think it needs more than 2 c.

use thick bacon cooked however you do it best, but make it CRISPY.

for the spice i used red pepper flakes (use at your discretion)

add all your extras when you add the peanuts according to the recipe

oh...and i used good large roasted salted Virginia peanuts
always use a GOOD candy thermometer. i learned the hard way. a few recipes down the drain and a few lame thermometers melted and/or returned.
have fun...

Dad's Recoup Din-Din in the Old Dominion.

As previously mentioned, I'm back home, in Virginia. I'm helping my dad recover from a lil' back surgery. A large part of my duties exist in the shopping, cooking, and feeding realm. And what better to do with my time while he naps and trips out on the painkillers than write about all this foodness happening, here in the dirty south?

Joel Salitin is pretty much The Man. He is a self-described environmentalist capitalist lunatic farmer, or as the New York Times calls him, “the high priest of the pasture.” You may remember him from The Omnivore’s Dilemma, in which he was profiled at length by Michael Pollan. Salatin’s innovative farming system at his Polyface Farm —where the animals live according to their “ness,” the earth is used for symbiosis, and happiness and health is key—has gained attention from around the country, and he travels in the winter giving lectures and demonstrations. He is the author of a number of books including Holy Cows and Hog Heaven, Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal, You Can Farm, Pastured Poultry Profit$, Salad Bar Beef and Family Friendly Farming.

So you may imagine my absolute delight to be able to be able to purchase his farm's bacon whilst shopping here, in Richmond. I prepared a meal, for my dad, incorporating said bacon and/or its fat in a number of ways.

Dad's Special Meal:

• Hanover Tomato, Butterhead Lettuce, and Bacon with Blue Cheese Dresssing
• Cheesy Creamed Corn with Cilantro
• Will's Awesome Lamb Chops with Cumin, Cardamom & Lime (lamb from the Belmont Butchery)

Hanover tomato, Butterhead Lettuce, and Bacon with Blue Cheese Dresssing

Serves 4

Ingredients:

6 bacon slices, chopped

1/2 cup sour cream

3 Tbsp whole milk plus additional if necessary

2 Tbsp cider vinegar

1 scallion, chopped

1 cup crumbled blue cheese (1/4 lb), divided

1 (1/2-lb) head Bibb or Boston lettuce

1 large Hanover tomato, cut into wedges

Directions:

• Cook bacon in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain, reserving fat in skillet.
• Whisk together 1 Tbsp hot bacon fat, sour cream, milk, vinegar, and 1/4 tsp each of salt & pepper until smooth. Stir in scallion and 2/3 cup of blue cheese. Thin with additional milk if desired.
• Quarter lettuce lengthwise (through stem) into wedges, then remove core and arrange each wedge on a plate with tomato wedges. Stir dressing and spoon over top. Sprinkle with bacon, remaining 1/3 cup blue cheese, and pepper to taste.

Printable Recipe

Cheesy Creamed Corn with Cilantro

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon bacon fat

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 1/2 cups chopped scallions (about 6 large)

• 12 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs

• 2/3 cup heavy cream

• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

• 1 large garlic clove

• 6 oz queso fresco or mild feta, crumbled (1 1/3 cups)

• 1 cup cilantro sprigs

Directions:

• Heat bacon fat and butter in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until foam subsides, then cook scallions, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add corn and 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.
• Stir together cream and cornstarch in a small bowl until thoroughly combined, then add to corn and simmer, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Transfer 1 1/2 cups corn mixture to a blender with garlic and purée until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Return to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until just heated through.
• Transfer corn to a large shallow serving bowl and sprinkle cheese and cilantro over top.

Will's Awesome Lamb Chops with Cumin, Cardamom and Lime (lamb from the Belmont Butchery)

Ingredients:

12-16 cloves of garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cardamom
1/3 cup FRESH lime juice
1 tbsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
16 rib lamb chops (If you're willing to spend the extra money, the American really are quite superior - better meat/better fat)

 

Directions: 

• In the food processor, drop garlic, add cumin, cardamom, lime juice, salt, pepper and oil.  Pour into a large bag or container to marinate (a coupla hours or up to 2 days).
  

• On the grill is a must, and with a medium flame they'll be done in about 2 minutes per side.  Perhaps a bit more but rarer is better.
  

We both agreed, this was a damn good meal.

Hanover tomatoes mean RVA is in the hizouse!

I'm back in the old stomping ground, y'all. And as such, am inspired to wax on a bit about some local culinary gems. One in particular, the Hanover tomato. Did you know this tomato has it's own festival?

Nestled slightly north of Virginia’s capital city of Richmond is Hanover County, which, up until a few years ago, was a largely rural expanse populated by family farms. A drive past former farms now sprouting subdivisions and shopping complexes reveals the same loss of farmland to development that is plaguing many areas surrounding growing cities. The few agricultural holdouts against this trend continue to turn out plentiful harvests of wheat, corn, soybeans—and juicy, succulent Hanover tomatoes. Virginia is the third-largest producer of fresh market tomatoes in the country, and Hanover County yields the second-largest harvest of tomatoes in the state.

One of the largest producers of Hanover tomatoes, and also one of the few family farms remaining in the area, is Kirby Farms near Mechanicsville, where Tommy Kirby has lived and worked all his life. Now his son Kevin has joined him in growing these highly prized plump tomatoes, known for their vibrant color and full flavor.

Kevin Kirby attributes the tomato’s characteristics to the “sandy, loamy soil” that is prevalent in Hanover County. Another prominent area tomato farmer, Robert Dodd of Dodd’s Farms Acres, concurs. He claims that “you could grow the same tomato plant 30 miles away,” and it might taste different because the soil in Hanover County is “the best there is.” Kirby adds that while many tomato varieties are brought to market too early, Hanover tomatoes are “vine ripe,” meaning they are never picked until fully ripened. The naming of Hanover tomatoes goes back to “old-fashioned word of mouth,” according to Kirby. It probably harkens back to bygone days when Hanover farmers would bring their harvest to Richmond markets. Today, the tomatoes can be found at most central Virginia supermarkets, farm stands and country stores throughout the summer, and they are usually labeled as such. However, unlike Vidalia onions, which by law can only be so named if they are grown in seven specific Georgia counties, Hanover tomatoes have never received official designation.

I still maintain that the best way to enjoy a choice tomato is simply; sliced with salt, pepper (and a dollop of mayo?), or in a sandwich. But if you’re in the mood for a more adventurous treatment, here is an appetizing summer soup supplied by Richmond-area chef Martin E. Gravely.

* This soup features another regional specialty—lump crabmeat.


Food = Love, and Virginia is for lovers...

Charred Hanover Tomato Soup With Lump Crab
 

Roasting the tomatoes before adding them to the soup intensifies their flavor.

Ingredients:

4-5 ripe Hanover tomatoes, halved
¼ pound pancetta, diced
2 medium red onions, quartered
3-4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup white wine
2 quarts chicken stock or broth
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons cornstarch
½ pound lump crab meat
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Place the tomatoes, cut-side up, on a sheet pan and roast until blackened around the edges—about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, over medium heat, cook the pancetta and onion together in a one-gallon kettle until the onions turn deep golden brown. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper, cooking an additional minute. Add the wine and bring it to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any accumulated browned bits. Add the stock and blackened tomatoes and simmer for 30 minutes to an hour. Using a food processor or a blender, purée the soup in batches, and strain it into another large kettle. Season fairly generously with salt and pepper.

In a separate bowl, whisk together ½ cup of cold water and the cornstarch until well dissolved, then whisk in one cup of the hot soup. Add the mixture back to the soup and bring to a boil for 10 seconds to thicken, stirring well. Turn to low heat and gently stir in the crab along with the lime juice.

Serve immediately, or chill the soup and serve it cold. Serves 4 as an entrée; 6-8 as an appetizer.

Printable Recipe

HAUTE CHOCOLAT...

haute

chocolat...

oooh, fancy...?

hot chocolate...

no, not Swiss Miss hot chocolate.

i talkin' muey caliente cayenne HOT...

well...not too hot but just the right amount to counter balance the sweetness of the chocolate and sugar.

this starts out with my good ol' go-to recipe for shortbread cookies i found from Smittenkitchen who adapted it from Dorie G.

from this recipe you can add just about anything...and i have and will continue to do so.

for the Chocolate Chocolate Cayenne cookies i added 2 Tsp cocoa powder, 3/4 c. mini chips and 3/4 tsp cayenne. you might want to start with 1/2 tsp because, as you know, you can always heat things up, but ya can't cool 'em down..

a trick i learned to keep the shape crisp is i add about 1 T. extra flour to the recipe and after cutting shapes i put them back in the fridge for about 10 min....then straight into the oven and bump up the temp about 20-30 degrees for the first 4-5 mins (but DON'T forget to lower it again).

i love these cookies #1 they are kinda fancy (haute, ha ha), and #2 people don't know what that little kick is at the end(if you don't tell)...they'll just ask for more.

New Site Design!

At long last! The redesign has launched! I hope you like it as much as I do. First and foremost I want to thank my amazingly talented web designer, Cat Batacan and my coding guru Christine Vilar. I highly recommend them both. The photo in the banner is one I took at Borough Market in London a few years ago.



Not all the links to Recipes, Reviews, News and Travel have been added yet, but the new format should make navigating much easier than before. Thanks for all your patience, if you notice anything amiss, please do let me know.

JAPANESE SOUFFLE CHEESECAKE with a Saucy Orange Glaze

well, 1st let me say...

"DOMO ARIGATO" to pepsakoy .

i fell upon her recipe while searching for and interesting cheesecake. and, i might add, this is an interesting cheesecake. it's not really a cheesecake at all. it has hardly any cream cheese (125g. - approx 1/3 c.?). the recipe sounded kind of involved and i'm not a master when it comes to folding in eggwhites and bain marie's let alone anything with the word "souffle" in it...so i thought i would challenge myself to this one. pepsakoy's recipe explains every step so i decided to jump in yesterday.

this cake is actually quite a bit easier than i thought, just sounds like alot of trouble. there are a few other recipes out there like this one at Dianna's Desserts .

i think i might just try this one next time just to see if it does have more volume.

i am pleased to say my little challenge was fun. mostly because i always feel i succeed if my end result looks like the recipe (photo of full cake is what most others look like)

WELL.....i thought this little plain looking cake needed something. don't get me wrong...it's a beautiful thing, and it was even better the next morning, but for a full-on dessert it needs something. i chose to make a light orange glaze (more like a sauce, it turns out).

my glaze was...

1/2 c powdered sugar

1/8 c. melted butter

1 T. lemon juice

scant 2 T orange juice

about 2 T. orange zest

i let that sit for a bit too long so i popped it in the microwave for about 15 sec.

i think this totaly intensified the orange flavor...and color

try it...

i must say...the glaze changed the whole cake..

made it asbsolutely fabulous.

now, as you can see, it looks like a fancy dessert to go along with it's fancy name...

Smoked Oyster BLT: Recipe

I'm not sure who first decided to smoke an oyster or why, but it sure was a good idea. The texture of a smoked oyster is nothing like a raw oyster. It's firm yet still creamy, sweet and addictive to eat as candy.

The little ones that come in the can are often used as appetizers. Despite being labeled "colossal" they are anything but. They taste a bit like the oil they are packed in. While the canned ones are ok, they are impossible to go back to after eating fresh ones from the Pacific Northwest.


These oysters are actual size!
Recently I agreed to judge a contest and received a shipment of deluxe seafood to help me "prepare." I got two fresh steamed crabs, shrimp, smoked salmon and the most plump, sweet smoked oysters I had ever tried. While I had no problem coming up with ideas for using all of the other seafood, I was a bit stumped by the oysters.

These oysters were way too large to languish on a cracker or a piece of toast. Instead I stuffed them into a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. The applewood smoked bacon really went well with the oysters. It provided nice crunchy chewy contrast but also sweet and salty notes. I know iceberg lettuce is terribly retro, but it really is the right choice for this sandwich. It provides crunch and juiciness without competing with all the other flavors. If you travel to Oregon, there are plenty of wonderful places to find fresh seafood, raw, cooked or smoked. My luscious oysters came from Bell Buoy of Seaside.

Smoked Oyster BLT
Serves 1

Ingredients

1 roll or ciabatta bread
homemade mayonnaise
2 slices bacon, cooked
1 tomato, sliced
iceberg lettuce
5-6 fresh smoked oysters, not canned

Instructions

Slice the bread and hollow out any excess to make plenty of room for the fillings. Spread the bread with mayonnaise, layer on the slices of tomato, oysters, bacon and lettuce.

Enjoy!

Dim Sum at Zi Yean 自然酒楼

Zi Yean Restaurant resides in Lengkok Bahru, just a short walk from Redhill MRT station and on the ground floor of an old HDB block. There is a choice of eating inside the comforts of air conditioned dining area and the non-air conditioned section. There's GST charges if you dine with air conditioning. No GST dining at the non-air conditioned dining area. I was there with my family for dim sum.

Zi Yean @ Lengkok Bahru

The photo shows the non-airconditioned area. The

air conditioned dining area is to the right side of the photo.

These are what I liked among the dishes that we ordered.

Siew Mai - Steamed Pork Dumpling

Beef Balls

Har Gao - Steamed Shrimp Dumplings

Peking Duck

Close up of the Peking Duck

Char Siew in Flour Roll

Steamed Pork Ribs

Char Siew Bao - Char Siew Bun

Squid with Satay Sauce

Fried shrimp and banana roll

Chilled Mango Puree and Sago

Steamed Yam topped with pumpkin cubes and coconut milk

Cost : About S$20 per person

Address : Blk 56 Lengkok Bahru #01-443

Tel : +65 64740911

Country : Singapore

CHOCOLATE-CARAMEL BACON CANDY

MORE BACON CANDY ?...

well, actually, i forgot about this batch. this was my first atempt so i know it looks a bit rugged. i, of course, made some real rookie candy makin' mistakes, but how can you really ruin something with 3 basic ingredients ?!...

my vision was long crispy strips of thick bacon, dipped in yummy chewy caramel, then dipped in chocolate...sounds cool, huh?

but they looked ugly 'cuz i had no idea what i was doing.

end result?...TASTY!!! definitely tasty...but have to work on the execution.

i won't bore you with a recipe, because what is it?...

get your favorite thick bacon and cook it up nice a crisp. i prefere the microwave method

make your carmel...i googled some recipes and just chose one (i'll try to find it)

dipp your bacon in the carmel and let cool on some buttered wax paper

***ok...this is where i made my 1st big WRONG!...i thought just wax paper would do...BUT APPARENETLY NOT !!!...my caramel stuck like glue. i had to pry each piece off, hence the reason for my bacon being in pieces.

anyway, after that...my 2nd mistake...

i have no idea how to work with chocolate, so i just melted some chips and dunked the carmel bacon bits in...i know for a fact there is a better consistancy to be made for dipping, but i didn't research and i had a bee in my bonnet to get these done.

so, like i said, ugly buggers, but tasty and fun and a good conversation piece.

i'll try again. i kept some the way they look in the photo, but then i had a "fix-it-idea"

click here to see what i did with the rest

YUMMMMM !!!!!

Bistro Du Vin ....... Casual French Cuisine

Along Claymore Hill, strapped between Les Amis and La Strada, also part of the Les Amis Group, Bistro Du Vin is a bistro that serves casual French Cuisine. Les Amis group did spend some effort in getting the interior and furnishing to exuberate a casual French bistro feel. The red walls, the cosy lights, down to the checkered green and white napkins makes for the casual touches. Finally a French restaurant that you can walk in in your bermudas, T-shirts and feel absolutely comfortable without fear of being shown the door.

Inside Bistro Du Vin

Painted red walls, cosy lights, green and white checkered napkins,

the table and chairs all contributed in making it a casual French bistro.

Classic gratinated onion soup with gruyere cheese and croutons (S$14)
I don't know if this was the traditional French onion
soup but it definitely suited my taste more than the
traditional onion soup that I had in Picotin. The added cheese helped.

Fish soup served with croutons and

saffron-potato mayonnaise on the side (S$18)
This soup is more like a bisque but made with fish.
Dipping the croutons in the soup alone already satisfy me.

Crouton dipped in fish soup and topped with cheese shavings
Adding cheese shavings and the saffron potato mayonnaise
well surpassed my expectations for fish soup.

Cured Sausage Platter (S$25)

Spanish sausages : Chorizo, Lomo, Longaniza

(from furthest to the nearest)
I have to say these cured pork parts were good. The only pity,
they were too little for 4. I don't think I ate enough to
absolutely nail it as my killer dish of the night.

The Ham and Sausage room

which also served as the wine cellar.....

I'm glad they serve the Iberico de Bellota.

I will be back for some of these.

Kurobuta Pork with Rosemary Sauce (S$39)
I wasn't really happy that they served me the pork with Rosemary Sauce
when I pointed at the Kurobuta Pork with mustard sauce. I graciously
accepted but regretted immediately as the flavour from the cummin seeds
were too strong for me (and everyone on my table). That did it for me for
this dish. I should have stuck to something more French
than Kurobuta pork. Served me right!

Duck Confit (S$32)
HY pitied me and shared her duck confit with me. The only
flaw for this dish was the dry meat inside the crispy skin.
If this duck was cooked in its own fat, I thought that the inside
was over cooked. It was however, tasty in contrast to what I had.

I regretted not capturing W's steak frites or J's grilled fish. Obviously, the steak was one of the better mains for the night. Nevertheless, we made it up with the good desserts that followed.

Profiteroles (S$12)

Choux buns filled with vanilla ice cream, topped with

warm chocolate sauce and almond flakes

HY loved profiteroles and I liked it that the choux was

soft yet not marshy when added to the melted ice cream.

We probably didn't allow the ice cream to melt fast enough.

Warm thinly crusted apple tart served with vanilla ice cream (S$12)

The apple tart was presented as thinly sliced

apples baked over a piece of filo and then sprinkled

with some icing sugar. The apple slices tasted nice

after being partially caramelised at the top edges.

I prefer The French Kitchen for the mains which is equivalent pricing. Although I might be biased after my wrong choice of mains. Despite my personal comments, the place was filled up that Sunday night. Wasn't I lucky to get a table from just budging into the bistro during lunch time to make a reservation for dinner the same day?

Bistro Du Vin is definitely not in the same league as Bouchon Bistro in Yountville, California (the only other French bistro that I visited before). The difference in the level of service and food is definitely noticeable. The prices that we paid in Bistro Du Vin isn't significantly lower though.

1 Scotts Road, Shaw Centre #02-12
Tel : +65 6733 7763
Singapore
Bistro Du Vin Website

Nebulous Misadventures (aka The Lost Weekend)

Del Mar, Trains, Horses, Gambling, Beer Fest, Sunburn, Flaming Lips, Bus Rides, Weeble-Wobbling, The Mysterious Loss of a Jean Jacket, Cabs, Ocean, A Pedicab and San Diego.

Oh, and a little bit of food and a lot of drinks.

Day 1:
1/8 Cup of Coffee
Pitcher of Sangria (shared)
1 Large Bloody Mary
3 Corn Dogs (shared)
Beer Fest: 5 Beer "Tastes"
Tri Tip Sandwich, Black-Eyed Peas, Potato Salad (shared) 
White Wine
Red Wine
Plate of Meat (not much for me) 
No Water



Day 2:
Coffee
Orange Juice (shared)
Double Shot of Espresso
Chilequiles (exceptional)
Mimosas
Cava
White Wine
Red Wine
French Dip Sandwich, Potato Salad
Pickled Pig's Foot (horrifying)
A Negligible Amount of Water
 
 
But at least I lived to document it (albeit like a caveman).

Why do YOU cook?

Why do you cook? It's a simple question but there are many different answers. Professional chefs cook because it's their career. The rest of us cook because we need to, but also because we want to cook. Recently a conversation with a friend prompted my curiosity so I asked some bloggers this very question and will be posting their answers very soon. But for now, I'd love to hear what you have to say:

Why do YOU cook?

I'm also curious to know:

What was the last cookbook you bought?

What was the last cookbook you used and which recipe did you reference?

As an incentive, I am giving away an advance reading copy of 100 Words for Foodies and an attractive Epicurious kitchen apron to one lucky respondent (so be sure to include your email, it will only be visible to me). Only one comment per person, please. I look forward to hearing what you have to say!

Amy

SLOW SIMMER OXTAILS

SWINGIN' SIRLOIN !!!

as Paula Dean's husband calls it..

if you haven't tried oxtails, you're missing out. i was introduced to them when i was little by my fabulous grandma. as beautiful and reserved as she was, that never stopped her from gnawing on every bit of meat, sinew and cartilige she could get off those bones. needless to say, i was taught by the best. i really don't think i should ever eat these in public. these are home cookin' vittles anyway. doubtful you'll find these out anywhere. just fine with me. the slow cooking aroma throughout the house makes everything seem just right.

if you're feelin' up for it i'll tell ya, it's easy. cut some stuff up, put it in a pot and simmer just like you would a stew.

first timers don't be squimish...1st, trust your market and ask the butcher if they're fresh and maybe he'll pick them out for you. quite often they come packaged including a whole tail, big end to the tiny tip. these lil' nuggets shown above were a great example of some beautiful tail. bright red, white in the center and not surrounded by fat.

recipe ?...
well, like i said, it really IS just like making a good ol' stew. as a matter o' fact...just like your grandma used to make. this is the just one way of cooking them though. i think Paula Dean likes to throw them into a pyrex baking dish with some soy sauce and just a few other goodies. then cover them with tinfoil and in the oven they go for a while. hers come out finger lickin' good, of course, all sticky and tender. i have yet to try this method, but go ahead and google it, cuz i saw her make them on her show and they look fabulous.

oh,and i forgot to mention...the broth is wonderful and rich for soups and or gravies or what-not. just don't forget to let it cool after straining before putting in the fridge so that the fat will float to the top. then refridgerate and you'll be able to remove the fat easily before using again.

so...please give the ol' tail a try. it really is the most tender beef you'll be amazed

P.S. call me crazy, but i went to the Carniceria and came back with...

PIG'S FEET...1st time for everything

i'll keep ya posted. wish me luck.

BACON...CARAMEL...FUDGE...help me...!?

okay...let me just state for the fact...
YOU GOTTA TRY THIS !!!

lately, i'll admit, i've become a bit preoccupied with bacon. can't seem to get enough of it. i keep putting it in stuff or think about what i can add it to. i'd probably consider wearing eau de bacon if Kiehl's would come out with a new scent. stange, but i don't think my friends and taste testers are feeli' my obsession.

i think this idea started when i heard there was chocolate dipped bacon at the orange county fair. i was dying to go fight the traffic and parking JUST to try the darn bacon, but, alas, i couldn't get anyone to go with me so i thought i'd try my hand at it. of course, i had to one up the idea...so i came up with this...

i love that it accidently turned out looking like bacon

CARAMEL DIPPED BACON FUDGE

there's no real need for a recipe here. i mean, what you see is what you get. but i do have a few suggestions.

1st...start with good thick bacon. i like to trim some of the big chunks of fat off. (you know, like the ends sometimes have about an inch of plain fat). don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with bacon fat, but for this i like the meaty crispy parts.
2nd...it's important to get your bacon good and crispy. i prefer the microwave method. it takes a while, but if tended to, it will come out nice and pretty with all the grease soaked up in the paper towels.
next, choose your favorite caramel recipe. i'm definitly a novice at this candy making so i have no pointers for this step. dip your bacon and let it cool and set on a silpat or buttered wax paper or what ever you recipe calls for.

now for the FUDGE...i have a new (new to me, but old school) quick recipe for chocolate fudge and i got it from the Eagle Brand recipe site for their fool proof chocolate fudge. i know there's all kinds of better fudge rcipes out there also known as fool proof (marshmallow cream is a good one), BUT THIS ONE IS NO FAIL !!! EASY and QUICK.
it kinda comes out like putty, so don't be alarmed AND don't try to continue melting it to liquid...it ain't gonna happen...just make sure everything is incorperated. now would be a good time to add some HEAT...i forgot to add the red pepper flakes i wanted. a bit bummed about that but YOU try it. anyway...i lined my dish with foil instead of wax paper...i just find it easier to work with.
spread 1/2 the fudge in your dish. layer your caramel bacon down in pieces or chunks (whatever you have left....if you haven't eaten it all). press it down lightly so you think there will be no air between. then spead remainder of fudge. again making sure there's no air trapped. smooth out the top or make it however you want it to look, cuz, trust me...it ain't gonna move...no budge fudge...
okay...let's wrap this up...i don't know if my pieced together instructions help, but like i said...just try with this combo you'll love it.... however you put it together will be fabulous...