Peace Through Pork

This afternoon was dedicated to potato salad, hot German potato salad.  I love it, and could easily eat the entire bowlful myself.  For this reason, I only make it when I’m taking it somewhere else. It’s one of those delightful recipes  which begin “brown a pound of bacon.”  How can anything be bad which begins with a whole pound of bacon?

When the bacon perfume wafted from the kitchen to the rest of the house, #2 came wandering in looking for food and an audience.  He eyed the plate of meat, swiped a strip and then sat down to discuss politics and religion.

“#1 told me that Jewish people can’t eat bacon,” he began.

“That’s right.”

“She said that Muslims don’t eat it either.”

“Yup.”

“Is that why they fight all the time?”

I stopped for a moment and looked at him.  “Is bacon the reason they fight?”

“Yeah, you know.  They don’t like each other anyway, so neither one wants to go first, but you know that bacon smells good.  They’ve got to want to try it, but they don’t want to look weak.  Maybe they’re just angry that the other guy is holding out so long.”

I laughed at his 10 year old logic. “I think it’s more complicated than that.  It has to do with ethnicity and religion as well as deep-seated hatred.”

“So we should just pray for them?  We should pray for their conversion.  If they were all Catholic then they wouldn’t have to fight each other and they would get to go to Heaven.”

I assured him that he was correct, only God could fix the mess in the Middle East.

“I think we should still try the bacon, though.  Just think how happy they’d be to have something to go with their eggs and toast.  They could lay down their guns and pick up their forks.  Peace Through Pork.  Imagine that.”

Hot Potato Salad
      Ingredients:
    * 6 Potatoes;Med,Boiled In Skins
    * 1/2 lb Bacon; Slices
    * 1/2 c Onion; Chopped
    *  2 TBSP  Unbleached Flour
    * 2 t Sugar
    * 1 1/2 t Salt
    * 1/2 t Celery Seeds
    * 1/2 t Pepper
    * 3/4 c ;Water
    * 5 TBSP Vinegar

      Instructions:
 Peel potatoes and cut into small chunks.

  Brown bacon slowly in a frypan, then drain on paper towels.

Saute onion in bacon fat until golden brown. Blend in flour,sugar, salt, celery seeds, and pepper.

Cook over low heat, stirring until smooth and bubbly. Remove from
heat.

Stir in water and vinegar.

Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute.

Carefully stir in the potatoes and crumbled bacon bits. Remove from
heat, cover and let stand until ready to serve.  Better after a night in the refrigerator.