1.   Smoked streaky bacon can be used instead of the chops.

2.   If using bacon, remove pan from heat, drain bacon on paper towel and wipe pan of grease.

3.   Instead of five slices of bacon for breakfast, use bacon as a condiment to lend flavor to another dish.

4.   Many, including Ripert, are using bacon in fish dishes, relying on it to add a smoky dimension.

5.   Scott Giambastiani, executive chef of Viognier in San Mateo, also uses bacon in his rustic recipe, but veers away from the pack by using dried porcini.

6.   Some chefs are using bacon the way Andrew Chase, the chef at Monkey Bar, does in his potato cake, to strike a handsomely bold chord.