The Takedown

Maybe you already knew this, but SF is a pretty food-ish town- so they didn’t even blink when I said yo dudes want 15lbs of bacon and make whatever you want?  They just rolled up their sleeves and said no big woop what about we do jam, ice cream, cupcakes,  macaroons and also other stuff?  Dudes, it really was that awesome…

Thanks to all the cooks for their super hard work and amazing foodstuffs!!! Thanks humongously to Thirsty Bear for being such a cool and brillo venue, with tons of crazy good organic beers and also very cool and nice bartenders! My sponsor Hormel Black Label Bacon hooked up the bacon big time on this, the 4th leg of this years Bacon Takedown Tour!!!  I get all happy thinking about how awesome this is going, you guys!

Here, without further ado, are the WINNERS and RECIPES!!!

People’s Choice Awards:

• 1^st: Seana Mickols – Bacon Jalapeño Popper Tamales
• 2^nd: Kai Kronfield (Nosh This) –The Frosty Wilbur (bacon ice cream)
• 3^rd: Pig-Maki (Krista) – Aloha Roll & BLT Roll

Judges Choice Awards:

• 1^st: Ivy Something – Bacon Fried Chicken & Sweet Potato Biscuits
• 2^nd: Aihui Ong (Lovewithfood.com) – Bacon Macaroons w/ Bacon Infused Port Wine Filling
• 3^rd: Trace Williams (East Bay Food Revolution)– Bourbon Bacon Jam

Full Contestant List & Recipes

• Trace Williams (East Bay Food Revolution)– Bourbon Bacon Jam w/ Brie on Crostini
• Kai Kronfield (Nosh This) –The Frosty Wilbur (bacon ice cream)
• John Simone – Beacon Peanut Butter Pimp Bars
• Mark Danziger – Candied Bacon Jerky
• Bacon Liveration Front (Charles & Julia) – Rockin’ Rumaki
• Ivy Something – Bacon Fried Chicken & Sweet Potato Biscuits
• Aihui Ong (Lovewithfood.com) – Bacon Macaroons w/ Bacon Infused Port Wine Filling
• Tom Herndon – Multiple Hogasms
• Kajsa Sexton – Bacon Peanut Brittle
• Matt Zito – Bacon Wrapped Stone Fruit
• Elaine So & AJ Patel – Baco-Nut
• Marisa Lagos – Ravioli tre Porcellini
• Seana Mickols – Bacon Jalapeño Popper Tamales
• Pig-Maki (Krista) – Aloha Roll & BLT Roll
• Bacon in the Streets, Pig in the Sheets (Alyssa Medilla & Katy Rowe) – The Kings Revenge, Cupcakes of Doom

Tickets available at door!

To anyone who fancies themselves a Genius of Bacon: I will give you 15lbs of Hormel Black Label Bacon to prove said genius by bringing a worthy recipe to The Thirsty Bear, July 10 at HIGH NOON!  There isn’t enough hyperbole in the world to describe the momentousness of this occasion.  Come and join the small army of cooks at Thirsty Bear!  EMAIL ME TO ENTER!!!  Or come and eat all of it, and vote on the most bestest.

A mere $15 will gain you entry into a very yummy two hours of bliss. Tickets HERE…

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This is not fake! It is real!

Holleee crapppp 20-30 scoops of Brooklyn Ice Cream for you to judge!  At the Bell House- July 17 at 4PM.  Want to know why it is July 17? Because Chief King Ronald Reagan decided in the 1980s that America needed it to be National Ice Cream Day.  And he even made July National Ice Cream Month, so basically in July, you know how you must behave: all happy and dancing, probably…

In case it is not immediately apparent, the poster is of a bunch of zombie mummies advancing with spoons- their only weapon  against an extraordinarily powerful zombie mummie that has a Sundae instead of where brains should be.   The poster was drawed by an awesome kid i know. Hey! These zombie mummies need all the help they can get!  Come join the fracas!!!

TICKETS HERE!

SPONSORS:

and

Prizes:

Portion of procedes benefit Women’s Education Project!

Oh boy oh boy oh boy!!!!  for eaters of Fine Swine, a better time was never had in Somerville… check it out:

Well first, a big woops! The Boston Bacon Takedown ground to a momentary halt when I accidentally called it the “Brooklyn” Bacon Takedown, and all the Bostonians in attendance basically flipped out! It was a mistake!  You can’t expect me to party this hard and have ALL the words that come out of my mouth actually be the correct words! LUCKILY, Bostonians are a super dope bunch and quickly forgave me- they realized they had to, because they were way busy filling up on bacon arinicini, brulee, and even maple lollipops!!!  Anyways, I was born in Fitchburg MA- so everyone knows how obviously wicked awesome I actually am…  phew!!!!!

This new venue, The Armory in Somerville… is insane. Insanely perfect that is!  And all the staff there was super sweet and amazing!!!  Thanks big time to them, and of course my amazeballs sponsor, Hormel Black Label Bacon, who always gives 300lbs of bacon to away at each Takedown spot!  We are already on the 3rd stop on this year’s Bacon Tour!!!   Thanks also to my sponsors, for donating SUPER SICKAZOIDICAL Le Creuset, Wusthof, Edgeware Microplane and Anolon cookware!!!

CHECK OUT PICS AT THE TAKEDOWN FB PAGE!!! AND ADD YOURSELF!!!!  And photog Jess Hodge took some BRILLO PICS HERE!

Dudes, Aleks Strub….  Remember her??? She won the 2010 Lamb Takedown – and suddenly stormed the gates with a Bacon Ban Mhi (cruelly named The Little Bao-Wow Buns) and won the whole thing AGAIN!  Other cook highlights:  Doug Sherman from the Boston stoner metal band Gozu made Bacon Mac and Cheeze!!! Ace Daforno and Skip Carrio, winners from the 2009 Boston Chili Takedown, were secretly voted Best in Show by their Takedowner peerz…  And I personally don’t get how Robin Hoyt’s maple bacon daisies didn’t blow the competition away!  I have a thing for maple… But instead of me blathering…  HERE IS THE WRAP UP!!!!!

At A Glance:

Overall winners, Aleks S. & Frank Chen, showcased a take on Frank’s Mom’s recipe – “The Little Bao-Wow buns.” This was the second win for Aleks- she took first place in the Boston Lamb Takedown  last year. The team took home the first place trophy, a one year supply ofHormel® Black Label® bacon, cookware and more!

Guest Judges:

• Adam Ragusea – WBUR Radio
• Auditi Guha – Wickedlocal.com, Hot, Buttered & Toasted Blog
• Christen Gentile & Katie Boucher (KTeb & CDog) – TheEats Blog

People’s Choice Awards:

• 1^st: Aleks S. & Frank Chen – The Little Bao-Wow Buns
• 2^nd: Matt O’Shea – BBQ Bacon Jam
• 3^rd: Aaron Tanaka – Bacon Ginger Crème Brulee

Judges Choice Awards:

• 1^st: Zach & Erica Waldstein –Maple Bacon Munchkins
• 2^nd: Rob Primmer & Peter Sedlak – Bacon Confit
• 3^rd: Lauren Lesser & Nate Wicksman – Bacon Arancini w/ Garlic Bacon Aioli

Most Artistic Poster in the Whole Place Award!

Guinevere Osborn!!!!!! (she wins a year’s supply of bacon for her genius painting skills !)

Full Contestant List & Recipes

• Aleks S. & Frank Chen – The Little Bao-Wow Buns
• Mike “Ace” Daforno & Skip Carrio (Boston BBQ Company) – Mandy’s Soup
• Doug Sherman – Bacon Mac & Cheese “Old Dirty Bacon”
• Tom Wethern – Cacao Maple Bacon Bites
• Jessica Tomer – Bacon Brownies
• Rob Primmer & Peter Sedlak – Bacon Confit
• Meg Carroll – Bacon Bourbon Bark
• Halley Sikes – Bacon S’Mores
• Dan & Ali (Bacon Face Killahs) – All Bacon Fat Oreo
• Andrea & Cat – Bacon Toffee Brownies
• Zach & Erica Waldstein –Maple Bacon Munchkins
• Aaron Tanaka – Bacon Ginger Crème Brulee
• Kathryn Devinney – Bacon Cheesecake Brownies
• Lauren Lesser & Nate Wicksman – Bacon Arancini w/ Garlic Bacon Aioli
• Robin Hoyt – Maple Bacon Daisies
• Matt O’Shea – BBQ Bacon Jam
• Guinevere Osborn & Phil Kern – Bacon Chocolate Chip Waffles w/ Chocolate Covered Bacon

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Um, Boston? You know how you totally rule and I love you?  Well, here’s an Awesome Time worthy of your greatness:   Boston Bacon Takedown. 20 Boston cooks, cooking the beastliest bacon dishes of all time.    You. Are.  So. Pumped.

Sunday June 19th 3PM at The Armory in Somerville, MA!!!

Email me to COMPETE, and also to get on my MAILING LIST, so you never miss another takedown!!!  My awesome sponsor can supply you with 15lbs of Hormel Black Label Bacon to play with!!! Bacon Ice Cream?  Wow.  Bacon Hash?  Mama Mia! Bacon Taffy? Ooopz!!! I’m violently crying from the happy!

For those of you that would like to come down and beast on all the various bacon perfections, TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE!

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I don’twant to leave.  Maybe I’ll miss my flight and stay here where the air is clean and the people brütalize  bacon with ABANDON.  Everyone was super sweet and nice, because why wouldn’t they be?  If I lived in paradise I’d be pretty relaxed all the time too.  Bacon Tortillas. Bacon Flan. Bacon Truffles.  My brain snapped.

The Good Foot was a super brilliant venue, with local psycho awesome art all over the walls. Huge thanks to them.  And thanks to my lovely sponsors, Hormel Black Label Bacon for supplying this stupendous venue with 300lbs of bacon. Jeezo man.

Thanks to my prize sponsors- Le Creuset, Wusthof, Anolon, Microplane and Edgeware– for creating huge stacks of the sickest prizes for these fine people…

More pics up at THE TAKEDOWN Facebook page!!!! Add yourself there and on my @chilitakedown tweeter tweets – and get on my mailing list(be sure to say you’re from Portland)!!!

Now here’s the part you’ve been waiting for – HERE ARE THE WINNERZ and a rundown of aaaaaalllll the bacon recipes.  Read and learn:

Overall winners, Sean O’Neill and friends, strode into the place in construction hats and gear and served Bacon-sketta- bacon bruschetta behind a “Bacon Workers” street sign. The team took home the first place trophy, a one year supply of Hormel® Black Label® bacon, cookware and more!

People’s Choice Awards:
1st: Nick Braddish, Sean O’Neill and  and Geoff
Hendersen-The Bacon Workers – Bacon-sketta
2nd: Clark Haass – Bacon Hash with Caramelized Onion & Kale
3rd: Lori Phelps – Chocolate Bacon Truffles

Judges Choice Awards:
1st: Brian Nguyen & Debbie Sung – Bacon-lava and Porky Profiterole
2nd: Team Tremenda (Amy & Lya) – Bacon Coffee Flan
3rd: Leon & Dani Anderson – Bacon Jalapeño Cornbread with Whipped Honey & Cardamom Butter

Full Contestant List & Recipes
Dave Wilson & the Beaver BBQ Team – “Fire in the Hole” Jalapeño Poppers with Bacon
Clark Haass – Bacon Hash with Caramelized Onion & Kale
Brett Stern – All-natural Blue Bacon
Luis Ponce de Leon – Spanish Tortilla
Brian Nguyen & Debbie Sung – Bacon-lava and Porky Profiterole
Kris McDowell – Chocolate Salty Balls
Alex & Mandy – Cajun Maple Bacon Sensations
Team Tremenda (Amy &Lya) – Bacon Coffee Flan
Shannon of Slice Brick Oven Pizza – Pig Marion Pie
Sean O’Neill – Bacon-sketta
Meat-a-palooza (Nathan) – Flying Pigs
Allison Jones – Bacon Pecan Pies
Steve Carder (The People’s Sandwich of Portland) – BLT-ish
Lance & Raena Mayhew – Bacon Bourbon Maple Pralines
Sty Wars! Chewbaccon and Ham Solo (Pechluck Laskey) – Bacon Rice Crispies

Karol Collymore – Butternut Squash Bacon Enchiladas with Tomatillo Salsa
Charlene Wesler – Bacon Oatmeal Cookies with Cherries and Almonds
Lori Phelps – Chocolate Bacon Truffles
Meat ala mode (Kristina) – Maple Bacon & Cheese Pie with Bacon Maple Milkshake
Leon & Dani Anderson – Bacon Jalapeño Cornbread with Whipped Honey & Cardamom Butter
Roey Thorpe -Bourbon Bacon Peach Crumble aka “Man Bait”

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Wowzers, Portland!!! The most important bacon party of all time is in town!!! May 22 at 3PM, The Bacon Takedown saunters into The Goodfoot in Portland, and humbly asks 20 local cooks to whip up their keenest, smartest baconest invention. Sign up now!!! As per always, the Takedown celebrates the skills of  local fooders who got the inclination to show off!!!

The rest of y’all who don’t want to cook and compete, mark your calendars and COME ON DOWN, because, wow, for a measly $10, ENJOY A TASTING OF THE FINEST BACON CREATIONS THAT EVER WERE EVER!  TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE! You might see ice cream, muffins, tacos – I have no idea- but it will most definitely be a Portlandic spin on this meat candy…  And vote on your favorite, because there are very serious prizes at stake here:  amazingly serious cookware from Le Creuset, Anolon, Microplane, Wusthof, Oxo and Edgeware!!!

The Austin Bacon Takedown at SXSW was enlightening to our brains- because our brains did not think bacon could be reinvented and celebrated that many ways – and something tells me Portland might be more awesomer, even… we shall see…

See you very very soon!!!

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The best thing about Los Angeles is … ONLY EVERYTHING.  Guess what you guys? It was a FURIOUS BLAST of AMAZING FUN in the culinary epicenter of the UNIVERSE FOREVER. My heart…  is full.

pic by Sherman Lee

Thanks to DuoDishes for a supersweet wrap-up article…  Check out PICS at The Takedown on Facebook!!!!  And add yourselves!!! And check out photog Sherman Lee’s amazing shots of happiness HERE!!!!!

pic by Sherman Lee

The Bootleg Theater was the finest venue to host this particular avocado hatefest. And Avocados From Mexico was the dopest sponsor to make this event go SWIMMINGLY and also AWESOMELY. Each contestant got an ENTIRE CRATE of beautiful Hass Avos to marmalize each other with.  THANK YOU, DUDES!!! The whole staff there was super nice and ridiculously hard working.

pic by Sherman Lee

In unrelated newz, my first day in town was a STRESSER!!!  Listen to this! I went out for a nice taco dinner with some friends, said goodbye and got back into my car to drive home…  the car wouldn’t start.  Then the driving wheel locked. I went into the glove compartment and couldn’t find the manual, and I started swearing and freaking out, because it was getting pretty late and I had a lot to do the next day. That’s about the time the door opened and a cop leaned in and asked me what the fuck am I doing in his unmarked squad car? I almost swallowed my face.  In my defense, my rental looks EXACTLY like his unmarked squad car! I swear!  It’s a small miracle that my brains aren’t splattered all over Santa Monica. Instead, he let me go, saying he understood, mistakes happen and anyways “I don’t look the type”. WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN???

pic by Sherman Lee

Okay whatever anyway, check this out.   Everyone’s a winner at a Takedown, but here are the Actual Winners:

Judged Awards:
(Thanks to judges The Guerilla Gourmet and Eric Boardman)
1st- #8 Adam Angeles – Deep Fried Avocados
2nd- #10 Clara Polito-  Avocado Caliente cupcake
3rd- #3 Teresa Wu – Avocado Creamcheeze Cake w/ Minty Avocado Whipped Cream

People’s Choice:
1st- #2 Scott Gregory – Cowboy Bruschetta
2nd- #19 Mike Cohen – Avocado Ice Cream with Pomegranate Whipped Cream
3rd- #17 Casey Suchan and Brandon Ficara – Avolcano (habanero/jalapeno/serano vegan cheeze and avocado pastries)

AFTER THE JUMP, here’s all the Celebrity Avo Fighters in table order!!!! Continue reading →

Oh boy. Los Angeles I hope you can handle this and I think you can…  20 local cooks, 20 monumental Avocado recipes – TRY EACH ONE AND VOTE THE WINNER TO FAME AND FORTUNE!!! We all know you make The Best Guacamole.  What else can be done with this, the sexiest fruit in all the land?  (FACT! Avocados are a PROVEN aphrodisiac! FACT!)

April 10 2PM at The Bootleg Theater

2220 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90057
(213) 389-3856

EMAIL ME to compete with your finest Avocado invention!!! 2 SPOTS OPEN RIGHT NOW! I CAN GIVE YOU ALL THE AVOCADOS YOU’LL NEED FOR YOUR BRILLIANT RECIPE!!!

You’re fighting for mind-punching amounts of cookware from Anolon, Wusthof, Microplane and Daina Ceramics– AND $500 in CASH prizes!!!! Holy crapazoids!!!!

Want to come down and just stuff yourself brainless???? Tickets are a mere $10!!! Tickets available at The Bootleg Theater website! Eat everything! You’re judging the  winner and your vote MATTERS!!!!!!

Entrants- for awards there’s a People’s Choice catagory, and a Judged Catagory.  Our amazingly illustrious judges are Kat Odell (Eater.com) and Eric Boardman (Food Network, Hungry Historians) and The Guerilla Chef!!!!!

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Austin Bacon Takedowners are a bunch of weirdos, and clearly not to be trusted!!! They BROKE ALL THE ROOLZ.  Bacon Maki? Bacon Powerbars? Bacon Cheezecakes? What happened to traditional family values, you guys???? Sob!

A huge thank you to venue Emo’s,a  truly troo bastion of metal, and my awesome sponsor Hormel Black Label Bacon – for allowing this insane whirlwind tour kick off smartly at SXSW, where Austenites can set the bar WAY TOO HIGH.  What they gonna do in Chicago, Portland, San Francisco, and other such upcoming places when they see how Bacon do in TX???

Look at some brillo pics of the Takedown here on the Takedown FB page– (and like on it to follow the action this year)

And now, AFTER THE JUMP, check out this run down of winners and beautiful people! Continue reading →