Happy 4th of July Everyone!

Since we are celebrating our country's birth, we wanted to do something "All-American"

 So, what came to mind?  That's easy....

Here's just a few examples of what we mean by this:

So, Ann & Jason would like to welcome you to their home to share in their All-American love of BACON!!!

Tipsy Pigs:  Katie & Denis

Who thought bacon in a drink would be weird?  Not us!  Katie and Denis brought the fixings for the Tipsy Pig:

If you are a bourbon fan (which 7/8 of us are!) this was an AMAZING drink!  Garnished with bacon (of course!) and a maraschino cherry :)


For the 1/8 of us that are not bourbon fans, there was also Bacon Maple Beer to go around, as well as delicious wines and beers specifically meant to "pair well" with Bacon!

And for the 1/8 of us that does love bourbon, but unforunately cannot drink it right now, there's always St. Pauli N.A.!

Cheers to my fellow bacon lovers!

1st Place Winner:  Culinary Couples Year One - Best Drink!







Recipe:
http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/alie-ward-and-georgia-hardstark/the-tipsy-pig-cocktail.html

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers:  Heather & Eric

Just as we had hoped they would when we announced the Bacon theme, Heather and Eric spoiled us with their Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers!

If you've never had these, oh my, you must must must must try them...  Bacon truly does make everything better :)

1st Place Winner:  Culinary Couples Year One - Best Appetizer!

Recipe:
Cut jalapenos in half, seed each half, stuff with cream cheese, wrap with a piece of bacon, and bake in oven at 375 to desired bacon crispiness!

Pasta Carbonara with Spinach Salad:  Ann & Jason

By the time we reached this recipe, the smell of bacon was in full effect throughout our home!

Here's a sneak peak of the key ingredient, yep, that's BACON!

Lucky for Ann (who may have had one too many tipsy pigs and realized why crockpot cooking the first round of Culinary Couples made so much more sense!), Jason took over cooking this one :)

Dinner is served!

Recipes:

Pasta Carbonara:
1 1/4 pound spaghetti or linguine
2 cups frozen peas
1 tbs olive oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp Italian seasoning16 slices (about 1 pound) applewood smoked bacon, diced
1tbs olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
Juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped fresh parsley and basil
Grated Parmesan cheese

In a large pot of boiling water, cook spaghetti until al dente.  Add peas the last 3 minutes of cooking.  Drain well, reserving a few tablespoons of pasta water to add later if needed.  Toss with 1 tbs olive oil and set aside.

Beat eggs, Parmesan & Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, nutmeg, Italian seasoning

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook chopped bacon until slightly crisp, about 4 minutes.  Remove and drain onto paper towels.  Reserve 4 tablespoons of bacon fat and add remaining 1 tbs olive oil and heat in reused large skillet.  Add chopped onion and cook over medium heat until onion is translucent.  Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute more.  Add wine if desired and cook one minute more.

Return cooked bacon to pan, add cooked and drained spaghetti with peas.  Toss to coat, adding more olive oil, lemon juice, or reserved pasta water if it seems dry or is sticking together.  Add beaten egg mixture, and heavy cream if desired, and cook, tossing constantly with tongs or large fork until eggs are barely set.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately with chopped parsley and basil sprinkled on top, and extra Parmesan cheese at table.


Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette:
2 pounds baby spinach
Large white mushrooms, thinly sliced
3/4 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
8 pieces thick-sliced bacon (about 1/2 pound), finely diced
1 medium shallot, minced
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp packed light brown sugar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Place spinach in a large salad bowl.  Scatter with mushrooms and toasted pecans.

In a large skillet, fry bacon bits over medium-high heat until they're brown and crisp, about 4 minutes.  Use a slotted spoon to scoop them out and spread them on a piece of paper towel briefly before sprinkling them over the salad.  Reserve 3 tablespoons of hot bacon fat from the skillet.  Reheat over medium, add the shallot, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Wish in the vinegar, brown sugar, and Dijon.  Pour over entire salad and season with salt and pepper.  Toss gently and serve warm.

Bacon Brownies:  Ryan & MJ

The night would not have been complete without decadent brownies, filled with bits of crispy bacon, drizzled with cheesecake, and garnished with caramelized bacon - yeah WOW is right!  What a way to finish the evening!

Thanks to everyone for sharing in our incredible love of BACON!

Recipe:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Bacon-Cheesecake-Brownies/