Cured-Pork lovers, this one’s for you. The first-ever NY BaconFest, in Hudson, NY, takes place tomorrow at the beautiful Henry Hudson Waterfront Park upstate. Breathe it in — and eat it up — as vendors sell packaged goods, crafts and, of course, fresh food inspired by, and infused with, that great American meat. Check out these highlights from the hog-wild gathering.
$8 in advance, $10 at the gate; two-hour trip via Amtrak to Hudson; the fest is at Water Street, within walking distance of the train; baconfestny.com
PANCAKE & BACON WHOOPIE PIES
Heidi Flynn, of Worldling’s Pleasure in Watervliet, NY, had her teenage daughter, Milani, create a treat for the fest. Her concoction: a buttermilk-based cookie with a cream center made from local maple syrup and bacon crumbles ($2.50). “She’s always innovating,” says Flynn.
BACON WRAPPED IN SAUSAGE WRAPPED IN BACON
Barbecue caterer “Arkansas” Tom Hogan of Tillson, NY, serves the Razorback Roll-Up, and it’s not for the faint of heart. A pound of bacon is crisped, turned into bits and mixed with green peppers and cream cheese, which is wrapped into 2 pounds of sausage, which is wrapped into a woven mat of another pound of bacon. “It’s about 4 pounds of deliciousness,” says Hogan. But no one’s expecting you to eat all that — you buy a piece on a sandwich or eat it by the slice ($5).
BACON SOAP
Three days a week, Lee Lewis sells her homemade soap and candle products from a shed at her home in Greenville, NY. Her brand, Ladybug Soap, branches out this weekend with new bacon-inspired scents, such as a bar three-pack that includes bacon maple, bacon apple and straight-up “bacon bacon” ($8). “They smell like bacon up front,” says Lewis. “But when you wash, you do get very clean, and there’s just a hint [of the aroma left].”
BACON BABY TOYS
Blogger and craftsmaker Michelle Ridgeway, whose company Three Little Crafty Birds is named for her and her daughters, has fashioned a slew of baby toys from recycled material made to look like cartoon bacon ($10 each). “I always use recycled materials,” says Ridgeway. “[Some] are made from a baby blanket and sweaters.”
CHOCOLATE & BACON OREOS
Chocolate-covered bacon is almost passé, but Lawrence Rosenberg and his company, Bacon Bites, takes the trend to a whole new level with chocolate-covered bacon Oreos, also available with peanut butter ($7 for three). “It’s crazy, I can’t make enough of them,” says Rosenberg.
BACON RICE KRISPIES TREATS
Libby Thomas, of 333 Cafe in Delmar, NY, chose to start with Rice Krispies treats ($2 a chunk). Why? Growing up, her mother never made them and, like most of us deprived of something we want, she craves them all the more. Adding bacon was a no-brainer, “It’s salty and sweet,” says Thomas.
MAPLE & BACON GELATO
The fresh gelato from family-run Lazy Crazy Acres Farm in Arkville, NY, now comes in Pig Candy, a combination of maple gelato and candied bacon from a local, small-batch barbecue joint, Cha Cha Hut ($4 for single scoop in a hand-rolled pizzelle cone). “You just don’t taste real maple [like this] unless you make an effort to get it from the Catskills or Vermont,” says Karen Fairbairn, who owns and runs the business with her husband, Jake Fairbairn.