Porkfest!
Words by Dalene Heck / Photography by Pete Heck
Turkey and Jordan, you know we love you.
We also love your food, and are both still dreaming of Turkish mantı and the many different ways Jordan made us fall in love with the chick pea. We had to employ some serious willpower to stop ourselves from licking a few plates clean while we visited.
But unfortunately, we were still left wanting. There was one important thing missing. One delectable and mouth-watering meat that we painfully went without for the over three months while we toured Muslim countries.
We missed you, little piggy!
We craved bacon in our pasta, chops served with apple sauce, and even just a good ol’ fashioned hot dog.
And I’m not kidding – several times during our stay in Turkey, we had to turn off the TV when watching No Reservations, as Anthony Bourdain’s current exploits were just too porktastic.
From Jordan we flew into Rome with one day layover before heading to Malta. We made plans to hook up with our friends Katrina and Dario, with one insistent plea:
Please, please! We need pork!
They delivered, and then some.
First up, a home cooked Italian meal, starring Dario’s mom as chef, with a couple varieties of pork products on the menu.
Prosciutto on a bed of ricotta, cream cheese and in a sweet pastry shell.
Savory pork sausages roasted with potatoes.
The following day, they took us to Ariccia, a compact and beautiful town, known for its porchetta.
A moist, fatty, boneless pork roast. Melt-in-your-mouth-goodness.
We didn’t stop there.
My absolute favorite Italian dish – carbonara – with bacon (of course).
So, that was a start. We have a lot of ground to make up.
I think I am salivating…mmm, I loves me some pork!
Meanwhile, on the other side of the ocean, they’ve taken things too far and put bacon on the ice cream sundaes now. Loving the last picture though. Bacon Carbonara just might be the world’s most perfect food.
I saw your photo of the bacon on a sundae, was that Burger King? Agreed, not a big fan of the bacon and desserts. Had a bacon shake in NYC and was not a big fan.
Bacon is the only reason I’m not a vegetarian.
haha, I’m pretty sure that’s the case with a few people.
Yes, me too!!!
Wow, that’s a beautiful picture of Mamma cooking. She’ll be so excited to see this!
I really loved that photo of Mamma as well. The light was so beautiful coming through that curtain. You asked about how I got this shot, I’ll send you a DM on the settings I used.
Warm fuzzy feelings. I was thinking of sushi for lunch but now I am in conflict!
I’m missing sushi a lot… Funny story, yesterday minutes before this post went live, a friend of ours here in Slovenia took us out and we had a massive plate of pork products. He had no idea that we were releasing this post. It was perfect timing 🙂
Man, just go to Germany. They are the land of he pig and the potato! I was there for 3 weeks last year and declaredI’d be happy if I never saw another piece of pork again in my life. Bacon doesn’t count though. (:
We are heading into Austria and Germany in a couple weeks, so I imagine we will get our pork fix. I don’t think I could ever declare that, and yes, bacon doesn’t count. I think it deserves its own food category.
This all looks pork-a-licious! I think pork is my favorite me and can understand why you’d miss it so much.
Thanks Debbie! It’s my favorite too, but not only to eat, but to cook with. So many things you can do with it.
Well, I know what I am having for breakfast tomorrow!
rhymes with Shmakin? 😉
I don’t like pork by principle, but Italy had me converted, and seeing your photos reminds me why.
Pork isn’t my favorite meat, but I’m not sure I’d like going 3 months without being able to have any. And your pictures are making me hungry!
You know what…it’s not my favorite meat either. But I never realized how much I do like it until I couldn’t have it!
Porkfest! You could end up with some confused searchers with a title like that 😉 On a more related note – man I love bacon. Three months without would be a chore!
It was very, very tough. At our first hotel after Jordan, there was bacon in the breakfast buffet. We went a little crazy.
The food photos are gorgeous! That pastry with ricotta, cream cheese and prosciutto looks delicious! I’ll have to try making something similar… Perhaps with the addition of fresh figs too… hmmm…
Oooh, that would be good!
Your food photos are so good I now want carbonara for breakfast!
Haha, I would carbonara at every meal if I could!
I was actually worried for you two. SO glad you got your pork mojo back! And thanks a lot, now the salad I had planned for lunch is just not at all appetizing.
Hopefully there will be bacon at the dinner I attend tonight…
Love it! There is no such thing as too much pork. Except for maybe bacon in martinis. Otherwise, pork it up.
We’ve had a bacon milkshake and have to say that it wasn’t that great. So there is such a thing as too much pork.
At first I was thinking I’d actually be ok without pork, but I forgot about prosciutto. Now I would like to eat one of everything in this post, please.
I have to admit I love pork, maybe more then I should. So I totally understand you. Great photos. I log off now and get me some pork.
And now I am craving some pork. Thank goodness I have proscuitto in the fridge and it pairs nicely with melon!
LOVE that combo. Now I want some too.
Wow! That is a hell of a meal!
Oh baby…YES it was!
I like salami and pepperoni and the occasional piece of bacon, but that is where it ends with pork and me. Living in Germany I kind of get tired of it. Turkey was such a nice place because there was none of it.
When/Where are you guys coming to Germany?
Oh yes – Dario’s mom cooks up quite a feast! I went to his place in March – so much fun!
“When bacon grows on trees I’ll become a vegetarian”.
Ha ha – that is awesome! 🙂