Bacon is now cancer causing?

"Halloween week kicked off with big scary news from the World Health Organization: Processed meat is now in the same category of carcinogens as cigarettes . . .
. . . and sunshine."

The IARC says it is now classifying processed meat as a Class One carcinogen (known to cause cancer) and all red meat as Class Two carcinogens (likely to cause cancer). Wait, don’t place that bulk order of lentils just yet. “Causes cancer” is not the same as “will give you cancer.”

But don't worry, it's now safe to eat bread. "Scientists who found gluten sensitivity evidence have now shown it doesn't exist."

In one of the best examples of science working, a researcher who provided key evidence of (non-celiac disease) gluten sensitivity recently published follow-up papers that show the opposite...

For a follow-up paper, 37 self-identified gluten-sensitive patients were tested. According to Real Clear Science’s Newton Blog, here’s how the experiment went:

Subjects would be provided with every single meal for the duration of the trial. Any and all potential dietary triggers for gastrointestinal symptoms would be removed, including lactose (from milk products), certain preservatives like benzoates, propionate, sulfites, and nitrites, and fermentable, poorly absorbed short-chain carbohydrates, also known as FODMAPs. And last, but not least, nine days worth of urine and faecal matter would be collected. With this new study, Gibson wasn’t messing around.

The subjects cycled through high-gluten, low-gluten, and no-gluten (placebo) diets, without knowing which diet plan they were on at any given time. In the end, all of the treatment diets - even the placebo diet - caused pain, bloating, nausea, and gas to a similar degree. It didn’t matter if the diet contained gluten. (Read more about the study.)

"In contrast to our first study… we could find absolutely no specific response to gluten," Gibson wrote in the paper. A third, larger study published this monthhas confirmed the findings.

New ways of doing things, beginning with an ingenious BLT

http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/22-things-youre-doing-wrong#.cqPJg0vBZ

bacon sandwich

Chile Volcano Eruption and a Bacon “Starry Night”

Volcano Eruption in Chile Photo by Francisco Nagroni

Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” Made Out of Bacon

KLEM FM

Ozzy Osbourne appeared briefly onstage with Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler the other night on the Grammys:

I used to love Black Sabbath. But by the time I got to see them -- in 1974 -- they could barely put on a show. They showed up over an hour late at their Madison, WI show and played for less than that. My most vivid memory (from safely off to the right up in the stands) is the lights abruptly coming back up after 45 minutes or so and the angry mob of drunken fans refusing to leave. A well-aimed, empty liquor bottle struck Bill Ward's bass drum and bounced off. Black Sabbath had sodded off, never to return. I was pissed off -- $4.50 was a lot of money to me then -- equivalent to $25 or so today.

Ozzy explains what was going wrong behind the scenes at the time:

(The clip is from Penelope Spheeris' epic "The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years").  Watching Ozzy cook bacon and pour orange juice is worth the click.

Black Sabbath still can't seem to reconcile with original drummer Bill Ward. My cursory read is that they badly mistreated him over the years and still enjoy doing so. Screw them. I won't forgive them or give them another dime until they do. Nobody lives forever, so kiss and make up.

Devils On Horseback

Detail of medieval stained glass from Sainte-Chapelle de Paris,
now at the Musée National du Moyen Âge, Paris

No, no, not that kind of Devil on horseback! These:

... wonderful little savory-salty-sweet-smoky hors d'oeuvres that go great with cocktails, as party tidbits or as appetizers. They're often only prunes (or dates) wrapped in bacon, but I got the idea (from Jennifer Paterson) to stuff in a bit of chicken liver which I think makes them more interesting. I've no idea why they're called Devils on Horseback— there's another, similar dish called Angels on Horseback, which is an oyster wrapped in bacon, skewered and cooked. If you wish to be gastronomically and religiously ecumenical, you could serve both culinary equestrians, Godly and Satanic, together.

Devils On Horseback

Ingredients:

• chicken livers
• about 2 tablespoons butter
• Cayenne pepper
• salt
• medium-size pitted prunes
• about 2 cups Sercial or Rainwater Madeira, Tawny Port, or brewed black tea
• good-quality sliced smoked bacon
• toothpicks or small wooden or bamboo skewers
• A baking tray, lined with aluminum foil for convenience

Soak the prunes in the Madeira, Port or tea for at least an hour, or up to 24 hours, then drain and dry the prunes slightly with paper towels. If you've used Madeira or Port, don't throw it away after the soak— drink it! The pruny nuance is delicious.

About 30 minutes before you plan to cook the Devils, put the toothpicks or skewers in a little bowl of water to soak; this helps prevent them burning in the oven.

Preheat oven to 450º F.

Trim the chicken livers, removing any membrane that's still attached, then dry them with paper towels. Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Gently sauté the livers on both sides for a few minutes. Do not overcook. The livers should be firmed but still quite pink inside; overcooked livers are crumbly, dry and terrible to eat. Remove the cooked livers to a cutting board and slice them into pieces that will fit inside a prune. Sprinkle the liver pieces with the Cayenne pepper and a little salt.

Take a soaked prune and stuff it with a piece of liver. Flatten out a piece of bacon and cut it in half, then roll one of the halves firmly 'round the stuffed prune. Pierce the whole thing with one of the soaked toothpicks, then place it on the baking tray. Repeat this process until all the prunes are stuffed, wrapped and pierced and placed on the tray, about 1.5 inches apart.

Put the baking tray into the preheated oven and cook for about 7-9 minutes, then carefully flip each Devil over using tongs. Place the tray back into the oven for about another 7-9 minutes, until the bacon is cooked, crisped and a bit browned.

Serve hot.