A few weeks ago, G and I attended the book release party for Beyond Bacon, the new cookbook by our friends Matt and Stacy from Paleo Parents. We were visiting G’s parents in Ocean City, Maryland, and after arranging for the boys to stay with their grandparents, we drove across the Chesapeake Bay into Virginia. Our destination was Red Apron Butchery, where the authors were celebrating the book release.
Red Apron is one of the most remarkable butcher shops I’ve seen, full of high-quality pastured meats and thoughtfully curated products. The shop’s atmosphere was meat-focused and lively, with pastured pork highlighted throughout the evening.
G and I enjoyed wandering the space and sampling offerings. We spotted playful album-cover recreations and tried the “Original Sin” hard cider. (A small aside: my mom once edited a photo to remove a beer I was holding, because she thought it looked improper — mom, if you’re reading this, don’t worry, it was just cider!)
There was a long line of people eager to congratulate Matt and Stacy. When it was our turn, I had a chance to pose with them. Stacy glowed with excitement and Matt, fit and proud, impressed everyone with both his energy and their accomplishment. The couple rightly looked thrilled to share their book with friends and supporters.
After getting our copy signed, we dug into the food. Appetizers included tallow fries, head cheese paired with heirloom carrots, and numerous desserts made from recipes in Beyond Bacon, many prepared using pastured lard. The food was rich, well made, and a delightful showcase for the book’s approach to traditional ingredients.
Throughout the evening we caught up with other well-known Paleo bloggers and friends, including George from Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations, Russ from The Domestic Man, and Sarah from The Paleo Mom. We also spent time with Heather and Brent of Virginia is for Hunter Gatherers and Aimee Buxton of Aimee Buxton Photography at the after-party at Stacy and Matt’s home. We were disappointed to miss Hayley and Bill from The Food Lovers Kitchen — we thought they might stop by later and unfortunately missed meeting them that night — but hopefully we’ll connect another time.
The drive from Maryland was absolutely worth it. On the return trip we had time for some antiquing, which turned out to be more fun than I expected. G discovered some retro glassware he liked, and I found beautiful mid-1800s blue plates that will be perfect for food photography. The scenic drive and a relaxed day out made the trip feel like a mini getaway.
If you’d like to read my review of Beyond Bacon, I have a full write-up on my site. The book includes inventive recipes that celebrate traditional fats and pastured ingredients while offering creative and approachable dishes.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing in our evening celebrating a great cookbook and great company.
Note: Crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge made me nervous — the open railings let you see down to the water, and it was my first time driving across that span. A few days later there was a news report about a serious crash on the bridge, which was alarming to hear and added context to my earlier anxiety. Thankfully the person involved survived.
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