Finally someone has written a book about my two favorite smokey indulgences. Bourbon & Bacon : The Ultimate Guide to the South’s Favorite Food Groups, by Morgan Murphy, is both colorful and entertaining. It’s packed with bourbon recipes, food recipes, and tasting notes on about 75 whiskeys (which would be particularly useful as a quick reference before you pick up your next bottle).
There are also notes on about dozen or so of the country’s top bacon (aka “The Wonder Meat”) purveyors as well as an explanation of the hog’s best cuts and preservation techniques.
It’s a fun read with colloquial anecdotes and witty commentary (check out the appendix of “Morgan’s Top Shelf”). It’s well-designed and has fantastic photography which makes it easy to pick up and thumb through. The book will definitely make a great gift for anyone who likes bourbon and bacon – so basically everybody you know.
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Update on October 12, 2014 : My wife made the bourbon and bacon popcorn recipe for a football party and it killed. We will be giving it out to the neighbors for Christmas.