Fat Girl B.L.T.

Anybody who knows me at all knows that any knowledge I have rattling around upstairs is purely due to being raised in part by my grandparents. When it came to food, my Grandpa taught me to appreciate the beauty of a good stack of pancakes with tons of butter and preferably, a solid selection of "real syrups" to choose from--maple, boysenberry, blueberry, apricot--you get my drift. My Grandma taught me to appreciate the beauty of fresh foods prepared simply--the things that she and Grandpa could grow in their garden, trees and bushes. My sisters and brother spent a lot of quality time pilfering the raspberries, and snatching pickles from the basement whenever possible. Seriously, those pickles were insane and I can still taste them. Together, my Grandpa and Grandma raised us right during the time they had. They taught us to savor life--not making ourselves go without, but not being a glutton either. Moderation was the ticket.  How does this connect with a sandwich called the Fat Girl? Sometimes only the richest, most insanely perfect, tomato, cheese and bacon packed meal will do. I appreciated every single bite of this beauty. Even the parts that ran to my elbows. The moderation part comes in when you only each one at a time, and probably, only one per week...

Fat Girl B.L.T.

Ingredients per person/sandwich

3 slices thick-cut, pepper bacon

2 slices fresh, thickly sliced heirloom tomatoes

2 slices double-cream brie

1/4 C of shredded iceberg lettuce

1 T fresh basil, cut into thin strips

1 thick slice Hawaiian round bread, cut in half

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 T mayonnaise

Salt and pepper 

Place the bacon on a baking sheet. 

Place into a cold oven. Turn heat up to 350. Check the bacon in 7 minutes. Turn each slice over and rotate the pan. Cook for another 7 minutes or until the pieces are crispy. Remove from the heat and place on a paper towel.

Slice the tomatoes, lettuce, basil and cheese.

Toast the bread as dark as you can stand it without burning. The toasting is important as it will help the bread attempt to stand up to all the juices in the tomato. (Really, this bread does not stand up to the juices at all, but it's really, really good. If don't want your bread to essentially fall apart while tasting delicious, you'll probably want to opt for a traditional baguette with lots of crust.) Spread the mayo on each slice, add the tomato and season with salt and pepper and vinegar. Sprinkle with the basil and lettuce. Top with bacon, then the cheese and the remaining piece of toast.

Disclaimer: This is NOT a neat meal and you will most definitely have crumbs all over your face and hands. You will likely experience tectonic shifting of tomatoes and lettuce, and you will certainly have tomato juice running down your arms. That said, it is really, really delicious. Happy lunching!