Is this the answer...

...to all our prayers Bacon Lovers? Me thinks so.

Behold the Bacon Inhaler.

Bacon & Egg Stratta

Tonight I made a Bacon & Egg Stratta. We had everything in the house and it seemed the quickest and best way to empty out the fridge at the end of a long weekend of Spring cleaning.

I used a stale loaf of italian crusty bread, and layered cubes with old white cheddar and crisp bacon bits. Topped with fresh green onion and diced tomato and soaked in egg flavoured with onion powder and dry mustard, salt and pep. Baked in a 325 oven for a little less than an hour. The results were creamy, cheese, smoky and crisp on the edge. Delicious and surprisingly light with a side salad of field greens with super simple red wine vinnaigrette.

The Queen & Beaver Public House

This week my dad was in town and took us out for dinner at The Queen and Beaver Public House on Elm St. An old townhouse that has been transformed into a real deal English pub with incredible food. The atmosphere is cozy and comfortable, the decor is kitschy, (one of my favourite things is the Charles and Diana wedding china in the front entrance, hopefully they get a Wills & Kate one too...) and the plates are mismatched!

My Dad and I shared a starter of Pressed Quail and Foie Gras terrine with Spice Prune jam, garnished with a perfectly cooked (and adorable) Quail egg and basket chips. Delish.

The bf had housemade sausages and mash....just look at that gravy.

Dad had to have the Ox Tongue and Beetroot with Tewkesbury Mash

And I had the Mushroom Pithivier (kind of like a slice of potato and mushroom pie) with greens garnished with pickled onion and gherkins. And a side of brussel sprouts and bacon (obviously).

Dessert was a Chocolate and Orange tart, and a lovely Canadian cheese plate with oatcakes and sliced apple. Phenomenal!

Bacon Jerky

Oh yes, there is such a thing...The good people at BaconFreak.com left this little diddy in my inbox this morning. You're welcome.

Paese Ristorante

Paese is a new Italian restaurant in Toronto's Entertainment district. We went for a nice Friday night date and ate and ate and ate. The house-made pancetta is ridiculous, so naturally we ordered everything on the menu that included it.

Excuse the poor iphone pictures, I only recently dicovered the flash.

Our starters were pancetta wrapped scallops on a celery root sugo with green olive and fig salsa, and grilled shrimp with cannelini beans and gremolata.

Then we each got a pizza, all of which come with homemade condiments, spicy to not-so-spicy, left to right.

I had the Bianca, topped with potatoes, that divine pancetta, roasted onions and smoked mozzarella.

Bf had Proscuitto Bianca, topped with proscuitto cotto, arugula, fior di latte and tomato sauce (top). Paese is definitely one of our new faves, a must try for proper homemade Italian food, with a sophisticated edge.

Pan-fried Perogies with Onions & Bacon

Is there anything more divine on a soggy rainy day than pillowy perogies garnished with sauteed onions and bacon? I think not. While I admit I've had a bit of a bacon lull as of late, tonight's meal was perfectly simple and with the big chunks of bacon on top, reminds me of why I love my favourite ingredients oh so much.

Breakfast for Dinner

After a long, cold winter's day nothing can comfort the soul quite like a breakfast favourite at dinner time. Thursday was one of those days so I made Eggs Benedict. I will admit that I cheated and didn't make the Hollandaise myself, terrible I know, just didn't have that kind of patience...

This was also my first venture at poaching eggs since Chef school, so I was quite pleased that they came out so well, little oblong pods carrying perfectly medium-hard yolks. Dinner was creamy and buttery... and totally indulgent with that hit of salt from the bacon, the best way to turn a frigid winter night into a warm and cozy evening.