When I first heard the concept of bacon jam, I thought it might be an odd fusion of flavour and texture, but I was excited to try it nonetheless.  I was not prepared for how delicious it would be and how often I would need to make it.  This bacon jam is hearty with bits of bacon but spreadable like jam.  It tastes deliciously smoky with an amazing undercurrent of sweetness.  Even your home will smell like sweet bacon.  🙂  Although it takes 2 hours to make, it is incredibly easy to make.  This would make the perfect hostess gift, holiday present, care package addition, or pot luck item.

Over the holidays, I served this to my family and Ed for breakfast with toasted english muffins, fried eggs, and tomato wedges.  My dad, like I, was surprised at how much he liked it.  Ed and my sister were fighting for the last of it and I received requests to make more very soon.

I eat this on baguette slices (ie. crostini) or right out of the jar with a spoon.  Some more creative uses for bacon jam include: putting it on burgers, sandwiches, or grilled cheese; serving it on toast with a fried egg; using it as a base for vinaigrette or adding it to salads; adding it to baked brie or camembert;  or using it in a brussel sprouts dish (ideas came from this website).  Please post your ideas in a comment here!

Note that many bacon jam recipes have a bit of heat to them.  I prefer to leave this out, but you could add hot peppers or any hot sauce that you like.  Add this to the pot at the same time as the rest of the ingredients.

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My entire extended family loves canned sockeye salmon and has been eating it for decades.  But I never appreciated it until a few years ago when my sister mixed it with cream cheese.  The ratio of salmon to cream cheese is important to achieve the perfect balance of fish and creaminess.  I like adding just enough cream cheese to soften the fishiness without masking its unique flavour.  In my opinion, if you can easily make out the taste of cream cheese, you’ve added too much.  Sockeye salmon is very flavourful so I like to keep the ingredients simple and fresh, and I don’t add salt.  If you’re tired of tuna salad (recipe here), give this a try.  It’s great in sandwiches or served as a spread for crackers.

Note: If you’ve never used canned sockeye salmon before, don’t be alarmed if you see fish skin and bones.  The bones are soft enough that they are edible (and they’re actually good for you).

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I love the addition of pickled red onions to smoked salmon. They are very easy to make and can be used as a condiment for all sorts of things.  What I love about this recipe is the balance of sweet and sour.  You don’t really notice the sweetness of the onions until you pair them with lemon juice on a smoked salmon crostini, for example.  Then you get a really nice, crisp, and refreshing surprise.

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