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PHOTOSBYNANCYLINDAHL—CONTRIBUTED Elena Wrightson's "Best Ever" mac and cheese uses several varieties of cheese, and yes, bacon. Killer bacon! Everything is relative, including World Health Organization pronouncements ByNancyLindahl Bacon is bad — bad to the bone according to the World Health Organization. Sarah Bosely, health ed- itor for the U.K. Guardian writes, "Bacon, ham and sausages rank alongside cigarettes as a major cause of cancer, the World Health Organization has said, plac- ing cured and processed meats in the same category as asbestos, alcohol, arsenic and tobacco." The report from the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer said there was enough evidence to rank processed meats as group 1 carcinogens because of a causal link with bowel can- cer. The IARC's experts con- cluded that each 50-gram (1.8-ounce) portion of pro- cessed meat eaten daily in- creased the risk of colorec- tal cancer by 18 percent. But we all suspected that. Deep inside we knew bacon is just too good to be good for you. However, before you de- cide to commit suicide by bacon, a lovely way to go, know that the risk is rel- ative. In the same Guard- ian article, Prof Tim Key, Cancer Research U.K.'s ep- idemiologist at the Univer- sity of Oxford, said: "Can- cer Research U.K. sup- ports IARC's decision that there's strong enough evi- dence to classify processed meat as a cause of cancer, and red meat as a proba- ble cause of cancer. "This decision doesn't mean you need to stop eating any red and processed meat. But if you eat lots of it you may want to think about cut- ting down. You could try having fish for your din- ner rather than sausages, or choosing to have a bean salad for lunch over a BLT." The statement from the IARC, published as an ar- ticle in the journal Lan- cet Oncology, substantially toughens the line, especially against processed meat. But while cancer scientists are concerned about the risks of eating too much meat, some nutritionists maintain that the extra risk is rela- tively small and that meat has other benefits. "The evidence has now gotten to be enough so you can say with some defin- itiveness [that bacon can cause cancer]," says Colum- bia University oncologist and cancer epidemiologist Alfred Neugut, M.D., Ph.D. "But the actual risk is trivial. If bacon disap- peared from America's kitchens, you wouldn't no- tice a difference in colon cancer rates." "And you probably aren't even eating enough bacon to begin with." Are you chowing down on five strips of bacon ev- ery day? Because that's the amount that the WHO says raises your colon cancer risk by 18 percent. Which means that if you're the kind of person who has a couple strips of bacon once or twice a week at brunch or in a BLT, your risk for get- ting colon cancer is a lot lower. "I wouldn't say you should eat 10 tons of bacon at every meal. But if you enjoy it in moderation, it's fine," says Neugut. I don't know about you, but I'm kind of hungry for bacon — just a little bit. And here's just the recipe for a rainy Sunday supper, using the smallest amount of ba- con: Elena's best mac and cheese for grown-ups. FiscaliniBandage- Wrapped Cheddar, Old Quebec Vintage Cheddar and Parmigiano Reggiano Mac & Cheese "My Best Ever" by Elena Wrightson: "In my job as a cheese monger, I have access to many of the best cheeses in the world, Parmigiano Reggiano, of course, be- ing the best. But Mac & Cheese calls for a melt- ier type, something that can get ooey gooey, melty cheesy. I've used Gruyere, Fontina, Emmenthal, and cheddars, lots of different cheddars, and lots of dif- ferent combinations. The Fiscalini Farmstead Vin- tage Bandage Wrapped Cheddar in this recipe has won the Gold Medal four years running at the World Cheese Awards in the U.K., and in 2012, was named one of the top 16 cheeses in the world. Yes, it's that good. I've learned a lot and have now put together what I think is the best" –Elena. Ingredients: 4slices thick cut bacon 1pound Mezzi Rigatoni 4Tablespoons unsalted butter 4cloves fresh garlic, minced 2teaspoons fresh rose- mary, minced 2teaspoons fresh thyme, minced 2Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped 1teaspoon paprika Pinch of chili flakes 5Tablespoons flour 3cups half & half ¼ pound Fiscalini Bandage- Wrapped Cheddar, shred- ded ¼ pound Old Quebec Vin- tage Cheddar, shredded 1/8 pound Parmigiano Reggiano, shredded, plus enough to sprinkle on top Salt an pepper to taste Italian breadcrumbs Instructions: Adjust the racks in your oven so that your dish is baking in the middle, and preheat to 350degrees. Cook the bacon until just crisp, drain on paper towels and let cool. Set aside. Meanwhile, cook the pasta about three minutes less than the package instruc- tions. Drain and set aside. Chop the bacon into little pieces, (for once, this dish isn't about the bacon, it's the cheeses), and set aside. Heat a medium sized sauce- pan, (I use my 3-quart sauc- ier for this dish), and add the butter. When it is melted and bubbly add the garlic and cook for a minute, until fragrant, do not let it burn. Stir in the rosemary, thyme, basil, paprika and chili flakes, and cook for another minute or two. Whisk in the flour and make a roux. Cook it until the flour no longer has the raw flour taste. While still whisking, slowly add the half & half. Whisk until it is smooth and lump free. Stirring occasionally, let the sauce cook until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cheeses. When they are completely incorporated, add in the cooked pasta and stir until the pasta is completely coated. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour the mixture into a large enough baking dish, (for this one I used my lasagne baker, but I also like to use a lovely deep dish pie pan I have), and sprinkle the top with the extra Parmigiano and breadcrumbs. Bake for 20-25minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the cheeses are bubbly. Remove from oven when done and allow to rest/cool for 10minutes. This was great with a winter green salad of ro- maine, avocado and royals of Texas pink grapefruit. The citrus complemented the rich cheesiness of the mac and cheese. ——— There's also a sniff of bacon in this Only Very Slightly Carcinogenic Lin- guine that goes together quickly for a weeknight dinner: Linguine with Clams, Bacon, and Tomato Clams and bacon form a delectable union enhanced by wine-flavored tomato sauce. Ingredients: 1/4 pound sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips 3cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup dry white wine 11/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree (one 16-ounce can) 1cup bottled clam juice 3/4 pound chopped clams, drained (about 11/2 cups 0r 263/4 ounce cans) 1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley 3/4 teaspoon salt, more if needed 1/4 teaspoon dried red- pepper flakes 3/4 pound linguine Instructions: In a large stainless-steel frying pan, cook the strips of bacon over moderate heat until almost crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon. Pour off all but 2tablespoons of the fat from the pan. Reduce the heat to mod- erately low. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the wine. Stir in the bacon, tomatoes, and clam juice and bring to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, for 10minutes. Add the clams, parsley, salt, and red-pepper flakes and simmer for 30seconds longer. Do not cook the clams too long or they will toughen. Taste the sauce and add more salt if needed. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the lin- guine until just done, about 12minutes. Return the pasta to the hot pot. Add the sauce and let sit 2to 3 minutes so that the pasta absorbs some of the liquid. Serve with a green salad and warm bread with an herb — garlic butter spread. Live on the edge — eat a little bacon and love it. Happy Thanksgiving prep — it's the best holiday! SWEET BASIL AND THE BEE Not all bacon is created equal. 365-7194or365-4322 OPEN 7 DAYS 6am-10pm 8080 AIRPORT ROAD Your full service: Meat Department, Deli & Groceries www.kentsmeats.com On-site HARVESTING CUTTING & CRYOVACING Peking Chinese Restaurant DineIn,CarryOut&Lounge 860MainStreet 530-527-0523 10%Off yourticketwiththisad. Limit 1 coupon per ticket/table. No other discounts apply. Alcohol, taxes or gratuity are not included. 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