Love Me Some Bacon

There are few things as purely wonderful as the smell of bacon cooking. Saveur Magazine (my husband's favorite periodical) has in the past done an entire recipe section just on bacon, including Billionaire's Bacon, that wonderful decadence that is bacon smothered in brown sugar. (Oh, how that channels my inner Homer Simpson -- and his happy, rotund belly.)

In the March 2007 issue, they feature on page 35 an artisanal bacon, ham and prosciutto maker, Benton's Smoky Mountain Country Hams (Madisonville, Tennessee). The picture isn't much to look at. Just a few strips of perfect bacon on a diner-style plate, with a larger stack on a plate in the background. But author Todd Coleman's description will make you want to go online right now and order your first package.

You'll have to wait in line. A note on their website laments:

***Attention to All Customers: Due to the recent article featuring our bacon in Saveur magazine, we have been absolutely overwhelmed with orders. We are a small, family-run business and producing high quality products is a process that cannot be rushed. We are working around the clock to fill all orders as quickly as we can, but some orders may be delayed as much as 5 weeks. We appreciate your business and hope you find our products worth waiting for! Thank you, Allan Benton***

I don't feel too bad pouring another cup into his overflowing PR bucket. Eventually he'll catch up to all those orders, mine being one in the queue. So I'll let you know if it lived up to expectations. We're taking Pancake Night to a new level...