Short Orders

My most recent food writing assignment, write 3 100-word paragraphs on a product, restaurant dish, and ingredient of my choosing. Is anyone shocked that gin, french fries, and bacon are heralded?

Spiritual Awakening

Gin is a wonderful spirit. If the desire to actually taste the alcohol in your beverage makes you avoid vodka in favor of something like gin, consider buying a bottle of Hendrick’s. Distilled in Scotland, Hendrick’s Gin is infused with a special blend of greenery including cucumber and rose petals, giving it very unique floral and vegetal notes. Instead of a lime wedge, garnish a Hendrick’s gin and tonic with thinly sliced cucumber. Try one of the unconventional recipes on the Hendrick’s website like the Blueberry Thyme, where the subtle floral flavors of the gin are heightened by the addition of more fruit and herbs. No matter the concoction, you will feel very, very classy.
Available at most liquor stores, www.hendricksgin.com.

Cheese Fries, Reborn

Instead of putting off the inevitable alcohol-induced decision to eat something deliciously deep-fried until evening’s end, make cheese fries an essential part of your night on the town. Head to Deep Ellum in Allston and order the Truffled Gorgonzola French Fries ($6). You will feel more sophisticated than the normal nacho cheese crowd as you indulge in perfectly salted, crisp fries nestled beneath a creamy, white truffle-infused, Gorgonzola sauce. Plenty for two to share, this starter is easy enough on the wallet to guiltlessly enjoy one or two of Deep Ellum’s classic cocktails or a couple beers from their rotating draft menu. Your taste buds and your wallet will not be disappointed.
Deep Ellum Bar, 477 Cambridge Street, Allston, 617-787-BEER, www.deepellum-boston.com.

Smoke It

Oh Bacon. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Your porky goodness adds a smoky surprise to stews, pep to pastas, and substance to breakfast. Minnesota-based Prairie Pride Farm provides the discerning pork fan with traditional hickory smoked (in a real smoker!) bacon. For an extra zing, order “The BEST Black Pepper Bacon you have ever had” ($10.95/ lb.). With no MSG and no nitrates, this bacon is easy to reconcile with your newest health kick if you can’t bear to be without the smokiness that gives such a unique flavor to whatever you deem worthy. You don’t need to be too adventurous, though. Just imagine what farmhouse bacon does to a BLT!
Prairie Pride Farm, 59597 185th St., Mankato, MN, 1-866-245-PORK, www.prairiepridemn.com