Chocolate-Covered Bacon

Anybody care for a piece of chocolate-covered bacon?

Savoury treat for lead-lined stomachs only... chocolate covered bacon

And if you thought mixing dulce de leche with cheese was exotic, then head straight to Marini's in downtown Santa Cruz.

The American restaurant has married two of the world's most delicious ingredients and given us the unusual combination of chocolate-covered bacon.

Their recipe uses hickory smoked bacon, cooking it in the oven until crispy and golden, before smothering it in their special brand of chocolate.
And for those who like to take the sweet n savoury mixture one step further, you can always sample chocolate-covered bacon mixed in with maple syrup ice-cream at Marini's itself.

It's called the 'vegan's nightmare' and its not difficult to see why.

Born in Italy, founder, Victor Marini brought his family to Santa Cruz in 1905 and opened the Palace Barbershop on Cooper Street across from the old Santa Cruz Court House.

He also had a barbershop in the old Casa del Rey Hotel near the Boardwalk.

One spring day in 1915, Victor accepted a customer's offer and bought his popcorn stand at the Boardwalk.

Joseph Marini Sr. started working for his father at the age of 10 in 1920.

Following his father's death in 1938, Joe Sr. and his wife Josephine were instrumental in building up the business.

The family soon expanded the operation and started making salt water taffy, caramel corn, and candy apples.

In the years to follow, the business was passed on to Joe Sr.’s sons, Joseph Jr. and Joel, and their wives Carol and Kathy.

Today, Joseph Marini III continues the tradition of making fine candies.

Check the clip:Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-1319353/Chocolate-covered-bacon-hits-shops.html#ixzz126RO0D9b

Gross: Sewer Fat

How is this for GROSS? Accumulated sewer fat--SICK!

Enough fat to fill nine double-decker buses is being removed from sewers under London's Leicester Square.

A team of 'flushers' equipped with full breathing apparatus has been drafted in with shovels to dig out an estimated 1,000 tonnes of clogged up fat.

'Sewer abuse': The build-up of fat is the result of people washing material other than water down their drains, such as cooking oil.

Powerful jets are also being employed to break the stinking mass down. The task to shift the disgusting matter could easily make the shortlist for Britain's worst jobs, but workers set about it with professionalism today.

The operation, which began in the early hours of this morning, is claimed to be the largest-ever sewer clean-up of its kind.

The build-up is the result of years of 'sewer abuse' - when anything other than water, human waste and toilet paper is put down drains - according to Thames Water.

Danny Brackley, the water company's sewer flusher, said: 'We're used to getting our hands dirty, but nothing on this scale.'We couldn't even access the sewer as it was blocked by a four-foot wall of solid fat.'

The clean-up is expected to last a couple of weeks.

Thames Water spends £12 million a year clearing around 55,000 sewer blockages across London and the Thames Valley.

To read the Daily Mail story, click the blog post title or copy and paste this: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1294333/Is-worst-job-Britain-Workers-sent-blocked-sewer-remove-1-000-TONNES-putrid-fat.html#ixzz0tcDvbDma