Below you will find a video and mp3 of the song. I suggest you listen to the mp3 first since that is the polished studio version of the song. The video is of Avi Buffalo playing the song in someone’s apartment. I thought it was neat to see him playing the lead melody and singing at the same time (I couldn’t do that).

Avi Buffalo – “What’s In It For”

[Read post to play audio samples]
Download MP3

Avi Buffalo was started in Long Beach by a kid named Avi who gave up skateboarding for the guitar. He found a few local blues guys to teach him the basics and then started recording his bluesy pop songs. After a while it kind of turned into a band and they got signed by Sub Pop.

Homepage | Pitchfork | YouTube

I personally think this is the best bacon soup we made so far. Beth really like it too, but since you use the bacon grease in the soup she thinks its not the healthiest thing to eat. I guess there is some truth to that fear, the recipe say is has 458 calories and 21g of fat per serving. Since its the winter I feel we need the extra calories to stay warm so I am not that worried about it.

Bacon Chicken and Dumplings

Prep Time: 20 Min | Cook Time: 30 Min | Ready In: 50 Min

What you will need:

• 3 slices bacon (I would prefer more)
• 3 large potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – diced
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed
• 3 cups half-and-half
• 1 1/2 cups biscuit mix
• 1 cup milk

How to make it:

1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside; reserve bacon drippings in skillet.
2. Add potatoes, onion and chicken to bacon drippings and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in chicken broth; season with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir in corn, and simmer all together for 15 minutes.
3. Pour in half-and-half and bring to a boil; add crumbled bacon. In a medium bowl, combine biscuit mix with milk and mix well (dough should be thick). Drop tablespoon sizes of dough into boiling mixture; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes uncovered, then another 10 minutes covered. (Note: Do not stir while simmering, or dumplings will break apart). Serve hot.

This recipe is from AllRecipes.com and the photo is by docswife.

Just click on the above images to read the reviews. Do you think I should bring back my beer reviews? I never thought I was that good at so that’s why I stopped. I didn’t know enough about beer to do is right.

Halfway through the show we got educational and talked about the national drink and national product of the USA. Your going to have to watch she see what they are. Also worth mentioning, Sean purchased a bacon press with will let us know how it works out in two weeks.

Bacon LIVE 065: Watch us on uStream.tv!

Watch LIVE Wednesdays at 7 pm EST, go to our show page for details!

Over the weekend my inbox exploded with emails about a story that posted on Yahoo about bacon. It seems the people at Rachael Ray Magazine think they can review bacon better than I can. They’re lucky there is not a bacon blogger union, if there was I would be talking to my steward right about now.

I am going to go down their list of “top” bacon and give you my 2 cents on them. I was surprised to find out that I do agree with a few of them on the list.

Rachael Ray’s Top Bacon Picks:

• BEST ORIGINAL: Ozark Trails Hickory Smoked and Peppered Bacon
  I do enjoy hickory smoked and peppered bacon but I wouldn’t call the combination of the two the best original bacon. I think Sean and Dogfish Head Brewery (they used the bacon I will soon mention in their pork dinner) would agree when I say Mountain Products Smokehouse Maple-Cinnamon bacon is the best original flavor. I blew our minds when we first tried it and we still talk about it to this day.
• BEST THICK-CUT: Jimmy Dean Thick Slice Premium Bacon
  Any bacon lover knows Jimmy Dean’s bacon is not something to put on a best of list. Its usually a fatty flavor injected mess. Now I haven’t tried there “thick sliced” bacon but I am sure it’s just like their normal variety. I would have picked Oscar Mayer’s Applewood Super Thickcut Bacon for this category.
• BEST TURKEY: Oscar Mayer Turkey Bacon
  This just proves that the writers at Rachael Ray Mag are NOT bacon lovers. True bacon lovers would not waste their time with turkey bacon. I guess I should be happy they didn’t put veggie bacon on the list. Veggie bacon is more offensive to me then someone calling me a vegan lover.
• BEST SWEET: Beeler’s Uncured Apple-Cinnamon Bacon
  Ok, I can agree with this one Ms. Ray. Beeler’s is known for making some great bacon and I am sure their Apple-Cinnamon Bacon is top notch. I am going to have to add this bacon to my must review ASAP list.
• BEST ODDBALL: Mountain Products Smokehouse Chipotle Southwest Smoked Bacon
  Wow! It looks like they did their homework for at least one category. Sean and I both enjoy this bacon when we had it and it was a great oddball flavor. I am impressed that they knew about Mountain Products Smokehouse, but now it opens up a lot of questions about how their Maple-Cinnamon bacon didn’t win best original. Maybe they didn’t want them to steal all the glory by winning two categories.

I would like to thank the writers at Rachael “I kinda know a little about bacon” Ray Magazine for putting some great bacon in the spot light. Next time though, please consult with an expert before you start claiming you know what the best bacon is.

[via yahoo]

The album this song is from, ‘Merriweather Post Pavilion’, is the first AnCo album I was able to listen to and enjoy from beginning to end. Some hardcore fans hate it because they feel it’s to mainstream. Luckily, I am able to keep my inter-hipster in check so I can enjoy it for what it is, a really good album to listen to when you want to escape but your inter-straightedge will not let you do drugs.

Animal Collective is a band currently based in New York City but was originally from Baltimore, Maryland. The band consists of Avey Tare (David Portner), Panda Bear (Noah Lennox), Deacon (Josh Dibb), and Geologist (Brian Weitz). The band members met in school and started recording together in various forms of collaboration from a young age. Right now the band is on a hiatus so they can focus on creating and writing music.

Where to find more information about this weeks band:
Homepage – Pitchfork Reviews – Music on Lala – YouTube Videos

For this week’s Weekend Cooking I am pulling out an oldie but goodie, the Bacon, Cheese, and Potato Chowder. This was one of the first recipes Beth and I made together back in 2007. Our only complaint was that it called for two strips of bacon for six bowls. It should be more like two strips for each bowl.

I am glad I found this recipe again and Beth and I will hopefully get to make it again this weekend. I have one pack of the Nueske’s Cherry wood bacon left and this would be a great way to use it.

Bacon, Cheese, and Potato Chowder

Ingredients (Makes 6 servings)

• 3 cups milk
• 1 can (10.75 oz) condensed cream of potato soup
• 2 cups frozen Southern-style hash browns
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 12 slices bacon, crisply cooked, drained and crumbled (originally called for 2 strips)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

Cooking Instructions

1. Mix milk and soup in large saucepan. Stir in hash browns. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Ladle into 6 soup bowls.
3. Top evenly with the cheese, bacon and onions.

This recipe was adapted from a recipe that was posted on tarahsrecipes.wordpress.com

Big Hop IPA

Loads of Centennial and Cascade hops make this a truly American IPA, brewed to be VERY hoppy but not especially bitter, balanced with a solid Munich Malt backbone. Our flagship, and by far, our most popular beer.

Style: India Pale Ale (IPA) – Availibility: Year Round – Alcohol By Volume: 5.8% – Bitterness: 70 IBUs

Big Hop IPA is one of my personal favorite PA beers. I has a great hoppy flavor that is never to bitter. I believe thats because it well balanced with the type of malts they use. If you ever in Pittsburgh and see it on tap I would suggest you give it a try, if you like IPAs.

For more information about this beer check out the East End Brewing website and Beer Advocate.

The rest of the show was filled with our normal antics. We wrapped up the show by announcing the winners of the Wendy’s bacon twitter contest and me saying the letters B O N for some strange reason. If I figure out why I will let you know.

Bacon LIVE 064:
Watch us on uStream.tv!

Watch LIVE Wednesdays at 7 pm EST, go to our show page for details!

Americas Favorite Dude supplied the bacon items that we reviewed on this show free of charge. This is a good thing because if I had to buy everything I reviewed on the show I would be broke. Read my disclosure policy for more information.

“This year we’re preparing to accommodate our largest crowd ever, and I am finally beginning to feel comfortable with our bacon inventory,” Brooks Reynolds, Bacon Board spokesman says with relief. “So far, we’ve secured 1,050 lbs of bacon from our purveyors. With 600 participants expected, we’re guaranteed to have an average of 1 ½ lbs per person.” Last year 583 lbs of bacon was consumed by a crowd of 346 individuals.

Jeffrey Olson, M.D., the festival’s 2010 Honorary Cardiologist added, “I’m extremely excited for this year’s bacon festival. And, I plan on passing out business cards!”

The theme for this year’s festival is: “A Bacon Odyssey, One Small Step for Man, One Giant Leap for Bacon.” Ticket cost for the event is $35 per person – ticket sales will be limited to 8 tickets per order. The ticket entitles the holder to a commemorative t-shirt, koozie, a menu of 7 bacon items, unlimited bacon samples at the Bacon Showcase, live music, a seat in two bacon educational lectures, and a free bacon bloody mary.

Schedule of Events

• 10:00 am – Doors Open, Blazing Bacon Bloodies are Served, 1st Course is Served, Sign In for Bacon Eating Contest Begins (Sign In Closes at 2:30 pm), DJ Patrick Porto Sets the Mood
• 10:45 am – Opening Ceremony, National Anthem by Special Guest, Bacon Invocation by the Godfather, Opening Remarks and 1st Official “OHHH, Bacon!” Cheer
• 11:00 am – Bacon Showcase Opens and Parade of Pre-Cooked Bacon Explosions
• 11:15 am – Live Music Begins by the Saylor Hill Sliders, Lecture Hall Opens with First Seminar Entitled “A Driving Tour of Iowa Bacon” by Leo Landis, The Bacon Professor (This Lecture Will Be Repeated at 1:15 pm)
• 11:45 am – Second Seminar entitled, “Why Everything is So Much Better with Bacon” by Jonathan A. Campbell, MS with the Iowa State Meat Laboratory (This Lecture Will Be Repeated at 1:45 pm)
• 12:00 pm – 2nd Course is Served
• 12:30 pm – Third Seminar entitled, “Temple Rye Whiskey – An Iowa Classic” by Scott Bush, President of Temple Rye
• 1:00 pm – Parade of Bacon Explosions by the BBQ Addicts, creators of the Bacon Explosion
• 2:00 pm – Bacon Popper Pizza served by Fong’s Pizza
• 2:30 pm – Bacon Desserts are Served
• 3:00 pm – Bacon Showcase Closes
• 3:15 pm – Bacon Eating Contest Begins
• 3:45 pm – Bacon Festival Closing Ceremony (Best Bacon T-Shirt Award Winner, Last “OHHH, Bacon” Cheer, Bacon Eating Champion Speaks)
• 4:00 pm – The After-Party Begins at High Life Lounge and El Bait Shop

* Times are subject to change

Event Information

• What – Third Annual Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival
• When – Saturday, February 27th, 10am – 4pm
• Where – Scottish Rite Consistory, 519 Park Street, Des Moines, IA
• Ticket Availability – Available for purchase through an online link located at www.blueribbonbaconfestival.com at high noon on Thursday, February 4th
• Cost – $35 per ticket which includes a commemorative t-shirt, koozie, a menu of 7 bacon items, unlimited bacon samples at the Bacon Showcase, live music, a seat in two bacon educational lectures and your first drink free
• Consumption – 583 lbs of bacon was consumed at the 2nd Annual Bacon Festival in 2009, the Iowa Bacon Board has already secured over 1,050 lbs of bacon for this year’s event
• Competition – Personal Trainer, Manni Balignasay is the back-to-back Blue Ribbon Bacon Eating Champion in 2008 & 2009
• Bacon Showcase – In 2010 the following bacon brands will be showcased: Eden Farms, Farmland, Hormel, Iowa Farm Families, Niman Ranch and Vande Rose Farms
• Iowa Bacon Board – Members include Suzanne Reynolds Arnold, Seth Hall, Mark Pederson, Caressa McCurnin, Logan Porter, Marshall Porter, Tom Porter, Brad Proctor, David Proctor, Brooks Reynolds, John Tiffany and Kevin Tiffany
• Honorary Cardiologist – Jeffrey Olson, M.D. – Dr. Olson will be present, handing out business cards and discussing the benefits of a balanced bacon diet
• Sponsors – Coors Original Banquet Beer, IP Pathways, Pearl Vodka, Reynolds & Reynolds, Iowa Pork Producers, Smarty Pig, Stiver’s Ford Lincoln Mercury, Scottish Rite Consistory, Vande Rose Farms, Niman Ranch, Fidelity Bank, Fong’s Pizza and Goin’ Postal

What started as one man’s passion for “all things bacon” has evolved into America’s premier bacon festival. In 2007, Brooks Reynolds of Des Moines gathered fellow bacon lovers and formed the Iowa Bacon Board with the mission of improving the enjoyment of all things bacon. Informal meetings of the group had been held for years with weekend retreats at Spirit Lake where each bacon fanatic would bring at least two pounds of bacon for consumption over a two-day period. On March 1st, 2008, after several meetings between the Iowa Bacon Board, Full Court Press and In Any Event the festival was born: a day dedicated to nothing but Bacon.

Passion Pit is an American electronic band that formed in 2007 at Cambridge, Massachusetts. It started out as a side project on a laptop and has turned in to a fulltime project with a live band. The original goal of the project was to write songs to a girl friend as a Valentine’s Day present. Sadly for Michael Angelakos, Passion Pit founder, the girl friend didn’t stick around. Lucky for us the band did!

Where to find more information about this weeks band:
Homepage – Pitchfork Reviews – Music on Lala – YouTube Videos

This weeks “Weekend Cooking” is a recipe that Oscar Myers sent me to use with there Super Thickcut Bacon. Sadly I didn’t have their bacon so I used another great brand Nueske’s.

This is a great side dish for just about anything. It’s sweet, savory, and buttery. Beth and I thought they if we add diced potatoes to the mix it could almost be a meal in itself. Give this one a try and let us know what you think about it.

Bacon Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Vinegar
Prep Time: 10 min. Total Time: 40 min. Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Brussele sprouts, trimmed, halved
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4 slices of applewood bacon cut in to 1 inch strips
• 1 cup coarsely chopped red onions
• 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cooking Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 400F
2. Toss sprouts with oil, place in a shallow pan bake 20 min
3. Meanwhile cook bacon and onions in a skillet on medium heat until bacon starts to turn brown, drain off grease
4. Add bacon mixture to sprouts, stir.
5. Bake 5 to 10 min or until sprouts are tender and golden brown
6. Stir in vinegar and pepper
7. Enjoy!

Adapted from a recipe from Oscar Myers (all we did was add more bacon). Beth took that amazing photo of this recipe!

Today’s beer is Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, an Imperial IPA brewed to be enjoyed not chugged. This was the first continually-hopped beer the Delaware brewery made. It takes about a month to make from beginning to end. The 90 Minute IPA has been called the best I.P.A. in America.

Check out the video below of Sam explaining the brewing process.

While reading the Dogfish Head site for information to put in this post, I found the reason I love this beer so much. Right on the page for this beer it clearly states that it’s great when paired with pork. I know this to be true because at least once a month I have a Pork Shoulder Taco at Yo Rita in the South Site of Pittsburgh with a 90 Minute IPA. Let me just say the flavor combination is out of this world!

For more information about this beer check out the Dogfish website and Beer Advocate.

We are also giving away five Wendy’s $5 gift cards to five lucky twitter tweeters that tweet about Bacon LIVE! More details are below the embedded video.

Bacon LIVE 063:
Watch us on uStream.tv!

Twitter Contest:
To enter for a chance to win a $5 Wendy’s gift card, all you have to do is follow @MrBaconpants and tweet the following “http://twtaway.com/qipzar #baconLIVE”. To make it easier just follow the link and click the “enter contest” button.

Example of a tweet that would count:
“I could win free bacon by following @MrBaconpants & watching Bacon LIVE. http://twtaway.com/qipzar #BaconLIVE”

Twitter Contest Rules:

• You have to live in the USA (Sorry the coupon is only valid in the USA)
• The tweet must contain this link: http://twtaway.com/qipzar
• You have to follow @MrBaconpants
• You can only enter once per contest

Winners will be picked January 27, 2010 at 6pm EST

Good luck and if you have any questions please let me know. Enjoy Bacon!

Watch LIVE Wednesdays at 7 pm EST, go to our show page for details!

Nueskes supplied the Cherry Wood Bacon that we reviewed on this show free of charge. This is a good thing because if I had to buy everything I reviewed on the show I would be broke. Read my disclosure policy for more information.

Bacon Tuxedo Puzzle – $9.95
Ham? Too casual. Meatloaf? Too retro. Make no mistake about it, bacon is the best meat for formalwear! This bizarre jigsaw puzzle features a dashing young man in a bacon tuxedo posing with his date for a prom picture. She must have been so proud. Also includes a 48 piece bonus mystery puzzle! Each 500 piece puzzle is 14″ x 18″ when assembled.

I wonder what the 48 piece bonus prize is. I hope it’s a coupon for 48 bacon-wrapped spicy chicken nuggets from Wendy’s. It’s either that or another puzzle, which wouldn’t be as cool.

McPhee also released the “Sunrise in Meatopia Puzzle” which is an illustration of a landscape made of meat. It could also be a representation of a vegan nightmare. In fact if I worked for them I would have called it, “Hide the lid and build this puzzle with a vegan friend, then watch them crumble in sadness as they realize they build a meatopia”. Ok, maybe my title was a little long, but it got my point across.

Bacon and puzzle lovers finally have two puzzles they can complete with pride and satisfaction. Thanks Archie McPhee, Enjoy Bacon.

I really enjoy this band’s danceable rhythms and fuzzy guitars. They remind of Bon Iver with a little more gain. You can listen to a few free tracks below. They also have a few live videos on youtube worth checking out.

“Hung Out” Download Mp3
[Read post to play audio samples]

“Street Issues” Download Mp3
[Read post to play audio samples]

Where to find more information about this weeks band:
MySpace – YouTube Videos – Record Label

Another new feature you are going to see on the blog is “Weekend Cooking”, where Beth and I will cook a bacon recipe and then share it with you. This week’s recipe is Lentil Soup made some of the leftover Nueske’s Applewood bacon. The recipe only called for three strips of bacon but I thought it would be better if we used four.

The soup has a very smokey flavor and the bacon doesn’t get lost. I am not sure if that’s because we added the extra bacon or the fact that Nueske’s bacon as such a strong flavor. It also becomes more flavorful when you heat it up for leftovers.

Give the recipe a try and let us know what you thought about it. If you changed anything please share via a comment. Send recipe ideas to jmosley at mrbaconpants dot com.

Lentil Soup w/ Nueske’s Applewood Bacon
Prep: 20 minutes Total: 1 hour Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 strips (4 ounces) bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/4-inch half-moons
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth (3 1/2 cups)
• 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven (or other 5-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid), cook bacon over medium-low heat until browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat.
2. Add onion and carrots; cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste, and cook 1 minute.
3. Add lentils, thyme, broth, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cover; cook until lentils are tender, 30 to 45 minutes.
4. Stir in vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Serve immediately.

Adapted from a recipe in Martha Stewart Living, March 2005 (all we did was add more bacon)

Nueskes supplied the Applewood Smoke Bacon free of charge. This is a good thing because if I had to buy everything I reviewed or used on this site I would be broke. Read my disclosure policy for more information.

This week’s “Thirsty Thursday” beer is Bear Republic’s Racer 5 IPA. The Bear Republic brewery was founded by third and fourth generation Sonoma County residents. They started out home brewing then found their very own brew pub. Their recipes have been developed over several years of trial and error in homebrewing. The Racer 5 IPA is known as Americas Best IPA and has won over 4 awards in the past five years.

Racer 5 IPA
ABV: 7.0% IBU: 75 OG: 1.070 Color: Golden
This hoppy IPA is a full bodied beer brewed with American pale and crystal malts and heavily hopped with Chinook, Cascade, Columbus and Centennial. There’s a trophy in every glass.
12oz. 6 pack | 12 oz. 12 pack | 22oz. | keg

Racer 5 is a very hoppy beer but it’s somehow also balanced with an explosion of hoppy flavor. I really enjoy this beer with a bacon cheeseburger or anything else with cheese and meat. I find this beer very drinkable. This one is my go-to beer for an early spring cookout.

Find more information and reviews at Beer Advocate.

Photo by Maxwell

We are giving away another five packages of Oscar Mayer Super Thickcut Bacon Details about the contest can be found at the end of this post.

Bacon LIVE 062:
Watch us on uStream.tv!

Twitter Contest:
To enter for a chance to win a free package of Oscar Mayer Super Thickcut Bacon, all you have to do is follow @MrBaconpants and tweet the following “http://twtaway.com/xm3gqq #baconLIVE”. To make it easier just follow the link and click the “enter contest” button.

Example of a tweet that would count:
“I could win free bacon by following @MrBaconpants & watching Bacon LIVE. http://twtaway.com/xm3gqq #BaconLIVE”

Twitter Contest Rules:

• You have to live in the USA (Sorry the coupon is only valid in the USA)
• The tweet must contain this link: http://twtaway.com/xm3gqq
• You have to follow @MrBaconpants
• You can only enter once per contest

Winners will be picked January 20, 2010 at 6pm EST

Good luck and if you have any questions please let me know. Enjoy Bacon!

Watch LIVE Wednesdays at 7 pm EST, go to our show page for details!

Nueskes supplied the Peppered Bacon that we reviewed on this show free of charge. This is a good thing because if I had to buy everything I reviewed on the show I would be broke. Read my disclosure policy for more information.

Cooking Gadgets recently did a post about the Fusion Silicon Finger Tongs, they sell for about $18 on Think Geek. They say they can handle heat up to 500 degrees (that’s some pretty hot bacon) and be washed in a dishwasher.

I am not sure if I would ever use finger tongs to flip bacon. I like the challenge of dodging splattering grease while I go in for a flip. Also since I usually cook high quality bacon the splattering is at a minimum. If I was planning to cook a lot of cheap bacon which contains a lot of water (that causes splattering), I would think about getting these.

Sure, you could use them for other things so they could be handy to have around. But as a bacon lover I don’t see a need for them when I enjoy bacon.