Big, airy pancakes come with maple syrup and slab bacon, which arrived crisp, as ordered ($5.95).

Most supermarkets carry slab bacon in addition to the commercial presliced kind, either at the butcher counter or prepackaged in the meat department.

Beyond the basic slab bacon, there's a world of variety.

The slab bacon for Cucharamama's bean soup is first marinated, for example, then roasted in the wood oven.

In the other recipes, suggested ingredients include smoked slab bacon as well as other fatty foods.

Add ginger and slab bacon, and simmer for an hour more or so.

Remove slab bacon, and serve jook in individual bowls.

Instead, go for the hearty country salad ($7) loaded with delicious duck confit, slab bacon, curly chicory and croutons.

Both are preferable to the slab bacon, which tends to toughen considerably on the steam table.

One special: sea scallops with smoked slab bacon in New England bread sauce, $18.