Hello, Lover.

"Oh, my greasy lover, bacon." --Jim Gaffigan

I heart bacon.

And when I read Shauna's recent post on a bacon-themed potluck she and The Chef hosted, well... needless to say, I drooled.

Chatting with a friend shortly thereafter, I described bacon-wrapped dates. She said, "Oooh. I wonder how that tastes."

"I don't think we'll have to wonder for long," I replied.

And we didn't. Last night I made them, we tasted, and swooned. Eyes rolled. Tongues lolled. We sniffed and gobbled and sucked on the toothpicks after they were gone.

So if you like bacon, try these. You won't be sorry.

Bacon-Wrapped Dates with White Balsamic-Shallot Glaze

makes 6

6 medjool dates (I left the pits inside.)

3 slices bacon, each cut in half

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar (I used a pear-infused white balsamic vinegar)

Wrap bacon strips around dates and secure with toothpicks. Place in a greased pan. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400*F.

In a saucepan set over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add shallot and cook, stirring often, until transparent. Add vinegar and simmer until reduced by half.

Drizzle vinegar mixture over dates and bake, uncovered, for about 10-15 minutes (turning over half-way through cooking), or until bacon is well cooked. Remove from oven and cool in pan 5 minutes. Transfer dates to a paper towel to drain any remaining grease.

Breakfast for Dinner

On a cold winter day there's nothing better here at Chez W than breakfast for dinner.

Mr.W and I love us some good old fashioned eggs, bacon and hash browns for dinner. Or breakfast. Or lunch. When we lived in Atlanta we would dash off to Waffle House for this very meal—but now that we live in my hometown here in the snow-covered Yankee North, well, we have to make this at home—and really, there's nothing easier.

General Instructions: How I Make Bacon, Eggs and Hash
Browns "Scattered and Covered"

In a large skillet over a medium-low flame, fry bacon in batches, turning often with tongs to ensure even cooking. Of course bacon shrinks and curls as it cooks, and that's why it needs to be turned frequently—otherwise you get those uncooked bacon fat puffs.

Some of us like those white fat puffs. I always go for those first--right in my mouth. But I've discovered that most people think that's gross. Go figure.

It is important to remove the bacon strips from the skillet before they become crisp—they will crisp up while draining on paper towels. You can always cook bacon a little bit more if you need to.

Obviously this takes practice--and I usually overcook the first few pieces of bacon until I get the feel of it. So don't beat yourself up over it--the overcooked ones are for munching while you're getting everything cooked up.

I usually pour off most of that bacon grease and add a good glug—I'd say about 1/3 cup—of canola oil for frying anything else after the bacon. But you could use all bacon grease if you really want that yummy bacon-y goodness. Set pan over a medium flame.

I shredded two large russet potatoes that Mr.W washed and peeled for me and spread them evenly in the skillet, topped with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

After about 5 minutes, I turned the potatoes in sections; another 5 minutes later they were done and removed in three mounds to a paper-lined plate to drain, each topped with a slice of american cheese to melt. I used Velveeta—Mr.W wouldn't have it any other way.

I never have success with cooking eggs in my regular pan, so I keep two small nonstick skillets just for this purpose. Three eggs, combined with ¼ cup water and whisked to combine were added to a nonstick skillet sprayed with a little cooking spray. Using a silicone spatula I moved the eggs around constantly until cooked through but still light and fluffy. I transferred the cooked eggs to a plate while I made the second batch, which only took a couple of minutes more.

Served with some hot sauce and ketchup, this is just the right meal to warm us up on a cold evening.

While this isn't really a recipe of any caliber, I hope that Eve of the Garden of Eating (http://gardenofeatingblog.blogspot.com/) will accept this as my entry to her Comfort Food Cook-Off event (http://gardenofeatingblog.blogspot.com/2008/01/announcing-2008-comfort-food-cook-off.html). See the roundup and cast your vote for the best comfort food entry here.