“Bacon is like Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs."

Anthony Bourdain stalked around the stage, sipping every once in a while from his beer bottle and describing why he couldn't respect the vegetarian lifestyle. Hey, he said, I don't care what you do in the privacy of your own home. But when you travel the world, it's not right--in fact, it's an insult!--to forgo eating the delicacies of the country you're visiting.

 

If you're in Spain, he said, you eat ham. If you're in Argentina, you eat beef. If you're in Vietnam, you eat, um, the local cuisine.

 

His opinion is pretty much what you'd expect from a guy who recently released a book titled Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook.

 

Later in the talk, he took questions from the audience -- a couple thousand people in suburban Atlanta. One unfortunate lady had a real problem she needed Bourdain to solve, and she told the woeful tale of her seven-year-old, who had taken a vow of vegetarianism.

 

"How can I get him to come back around?" asked the lady.

 

Bourdain paused a beat.

 

Then he said, "Bacon."

 

And the place went wild.

 

Because bacon, without getting too much into hyperbole, is the food of the gods. I've written elsewhere on Man of the House about omelets and how they're the conduit to all your hopes and dreams. It's no accident that bacon comes on the side.

 

Bacon, though, is no sidekick. If omelets weren't so damn delicious, bacon could have the starring role on my breakfast plate. And versatility? My lord, don't get me started. Bacon is awesome on a baked potato, in a salad, on top of a cheeseburger and wrapped around a scallop (or, for that matter, a pork chop). Bacon makes you a better lover (My research on this is not yet complete) and it makes you a better man.

 

As my friend Carl says, "Bacon is like Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs. He's only in the movie for like 10 minutes, but he's all you remember."           

more at:

http://manofthehouse.com/food/eat-healthy/why-vegetarians-should-eat-bacon