Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Weaving a Tale of Bacon

Small roast smothered in bacon. Yay!
Cooking things that take along time is a personal pleasure of mine.
I'm usually home. As long as I have an idea, and have it in time, I can throw something together like a soup, or a stew, or a roast.
It makes the house warm and inviting. Working with my hands to prepare food is soothing. It helps me think.
Sorting out what spices to use perks up my creativity.
Fiction writers use "what ifs" in their writing. I use "what ifs" in my cooking.
Fortunately, it usually works out.
The weather has turned wintry this week and I've been using it to my advantage. Yesterday I made a pot of beans from scratch. Between the quick soak and the simmering it took all day. That was fine with me.
I'd taken out some bacon for the beans and had so much that I actually contained myself and held some back. Normally I wouldn't, but I thought about making roast today and wondered, "What if I put a bacon weave on it?"

I had enough for a small weave, just enough to cover the top as opposed to rolling the roast in it.
It just went in, at 275F, a few minutes ago. It'll stay in for about nine hours.
It's going to be a good day.

15 comments:

Ron Scheer said...

Spending all day at home with something in the slow cooker...you are making me yearn for retirement. Never thought I'd hear myself say that.

Dawn said...

Oh Leah I so look forward to seeing what it is you are going to say each day.

I love this post:)
I find it interesting you like to cook...and cook things that take a long time.
I on the other hand....can't help but think that if I ever won the lottery it would be a cook that I hire first thing.
Give me a toilet brush any day! (For some odd reason I would rather clean 10 bathrooms before setting my hand to a pot of stew that takes me a day to make!)
Eating on the other hand.....ahhhh.
Now THAT is one thing I could take forever in doing!

So....9 hours you say?
I think I could easily get to your table by then;)

Have a wonderful day.
(I won't know what to cook until 4:30 this afternoon:)

Laurita said...

I love cooking, and I especially love to read about other people cooking. It's such a simple joy, especially in the colder months.

BTW, I love your blog header photo.

Reb said...

OMG, that will be delicious!

Leah J. Utas said...

Ron, I retired from outside the home work in 2001. I've been indulging myself in this sort of thing since then.

Dawn, it's good to know someone is looking forward to my words. Thanks.
You are welcome to my table any day, Dawn. And you are more than welcome to clean anything in the house you like. I despise cleaning.

Laurita, yes. That's it. It's a simple joy. I like reading about cooking, too. It's fascinating to read what others do to food, and it gives me ideas for my own experiments.
Thanks, re: header photo

Reb, it smells good already and it's been less than an hour.

the Bag Lady said...

If the weather wasn't so poor here, I could be there before it comes out of the oven (just barely). But we are in the midst of a mini blizzard, so I think I'll just stay home by the wood-burning stove and knit.
Of course, I'll probably have to throw something in the oven now, just because you've inspired me.
Your bacon weave looks scrumptious, though.

Hilary said...

I'll bet your home smells wonderful!

Leah J. Utas said...

Too bad you can't get here, Bag Lady. Sorry to hear about your mini blizzard. It sounds so cozy to be by a woodstove.

Hilary, it sure does.

messymimi said...

You cook the way I try to teach my cooking class to cook -- if you think it will taste good together, try it. Let the recipe be the starting place, the jumping off point, not the rule book.

Your roast sounds like something my group would find scrumptious, I'll have to try it.

Tabor said...

Making me hungry. We are having striped bass with an Indian sauce and yours sound soooo much better!! Whoops. My word verification is septic...I guess that has something to do with the heart?

Leah J. Utas said...

Messymimi, that's the only way I cook. If I follow a recipe it tends to not turn out. My way, it doesn't matter.

Bass with Indian sauce sounds nummy.
What an interesting word verif. today.

solarity said...

It's a bacon hat!

Mary Anne in Kentucky

Leah J. Utas said...

Mary Anne, best kind of hat ever.

Cheryl Kohan said...

There's a lot in common between writing and cooking from scratch, don't you think? I really like your "what if" approach.

Haven't made a pot of beans from scratch for a long time...a good idea and I think I'll do it this weekend.

Leah J. Utas said...

Cheryl, yes there sure is. Put the ingredients together for a good dish, or a good hearty story.