Scrapin' Up the Bits... Important and Not So

This may be my last post of the year. I know all tens of my readers will be terribly disappointed. And it's a digest, but an excellent one, I assure you. It's broken down into two categories. The first is...

Things that really matter

The first being, the food safety bill, which, somehow -- despite the fact that it does not involve giving very rich people more ways to pay less taxes and over the objection of some members of the sustainable/small farming community who, IMO, saw evil where there was none... well, at least not that much -- has passed both chambers of Congress and is headed to President Obama's desk.

Next, when people say money is the single-most corrupting influence in politics, this is what they're talking about:

the incoming Agriculture Commissioner [former congressman Rep. Adam Putnam] has been the benefactor of a significant amount of money from both the sugar and dairy lobby during the campaign – both of whom have a strong financial interest in keeping sugary drinks in schools. Despite Florida’s $500 contribution limit for both individuals and PACs, Putnam received at least $61,000 in campaign funds from sugar and dairy interests, including maxed-out contributions from Coca Cola’s lobbyist in Tallahassee Brian Ballard and a slew of maxed out contributions from the Sugar Barons of South Florida, the Fanjul family.

And what does the incoming Ag Commish think about efforts to ban soda in schools?

This is a topic your Board has discussed recently for possible policy recommendations. However, instead of looking at the entire nutrition intake of students, you have chosen to focus only on the nutrition content in beverages served in Florida schools. It is my belief that any nutrition improvement plan needs to be certain that students are receiving the best possible nutrition package, in concert with total wellness initiatives, to allow them to reach their optimum achievement potential. [...]

Of course, there is nothing to say that passing a soda ban now will stop Florida schools from developing a more comprehensive nutrition plan. But I doubt Rep. Putnam's benefactors would support that approach.


Also, if you take fish oil capsules and you care at all about the sustainability of the fish in the ocean, you  might want to think twice...


And, finally from the 'stuff that matters' file, Michael Pollan -- without whose writing a food safety bill would likely not have happened, IMO -- gets a bit of smackdown for tweeting about an essay somebody else wrote on the role of genetics (or lack thereof) in health and disease. It's a long story, and a somewhat complex one, so this is something to which  you have to devote some time.

Matters of Little Consequence

From the essential news of food safety and genetics to the trivial -- at least in these difficult times -- those of taste.

Beginning with:

Had lunch at Brgr in East Liberty yesterday (a break on a day off to take care of last-minute holiday preparation tasks). I got the kobe beef burger, wife got the "fire in the hole" burger.

Mine had arugula, pickled onions, blue cheese. Cooked to a perfect medium rare, tender, fatty without being too greasy, full of flavor. A great burger. Wife's had jalapenos, guac, pepperjack cheese, chipotle mayo. Pretty much a ditto of mine, but with more kick, perhaps a little less beefy flavor because of the toppings and that it was not kobe beef. Still a really good burger.

Didn't get one of the spiked shakes. Next time. Only nitpick: the fries. They were good. Nothing to write home about. IMO, one element that can always elevate an excellent burger experience are fries that go above and beyond what can be had elsewhere. Of course, I still ate a ton of them. They're fries, after all.

And, finally, the centerpiece of the food we'll be serving on Christmas eve will be (drum roll............) mini meatball banh mi and pistachio and mozzarella stuffed arancini. Never made the latter before (and only made full-size of the former), so wish me luck.

Hunters Are Awesome

This is just really, really cool.

Deer hunters in Pennsylvania are expected to donate about 100,000 pounds of venison to help meet the surging demand from the state's food banks.

Hunters will shoot about 300,000 deer during the two-week hunting season that began on November 29. Some of their haul will be given to Hunters Sharing the Harvest, a program run by the state's agriculture department.

Much of this meat -- high in protein, low in saturated fat -- will be ground for use in hamburgers in chili. And this year, more than ever, such donations are really needed.

Donations from major food manufacturers are the bank's main source of food, but the increased demand in recent years has forced it to buy more supplies at a cost of about $1.5 million this year, Hanna explained.

The state's estimated 750,000 first-day hunters can donate their deer to any of the 125 participating butchers. The state pays the butchers 85 cents per pound of venison processed.

 Some people could learn a thing or two from this.

Hunger in America? Bah-Humbug

Returning once again to politics and policy. This time: hunger in America. It's a serious concern and a growing problem, including in our own area:

Almost 100,000 more Pennsylvania households were receiving supplemental nutrition assistance, or food stamps, this October than last October, from 698,678 to 795,554, said Michael Race, spokesman for the state Department of Public Welfare.

In Allegheny County, the jump from last to this October was 17,000, for a total of 153,681.

Ken Regal, co-director of Just Harvest, a nonprofit that helps people enroll and tracks countywide numbers, said food stamp recipients in the county totaled 100,000 six years ago.

Based on comments from people seeking help to receive food stamps, he said, increasing numbers are new at being needy. Agencies that distribute food also saw demand jump this year with a marked increase in first-timers.

But, one conservative a@#hole asks, in looking at the most recent report from the USDA on food security in the United States, are these people really hungry?

The remaining one-third of food-insecure households, with 17.6 million people, experienced "very low food security" in 2009. According to the USDA, "very low food security" means that, at least once during the year, some members of the household reduced their intake because of a lack of funds to purchase food. Most of these households temporarily cut back the sizes of their meals. At the extreme, about 1.7 percent of all adults in the U.S. went at least one entire day without eating because of a lack of funds for food.

Fortunately, children are generally shielded from food cutbacks and food insecurity. Only one child in 75 went "hungry" for even a single day during 2009 because of a lack of food in the home. And only one child in 100 missed even a single meal during the entire year because of food shortfalls in the home.

I particularly like the quotes around "hungry" in that paragraph above. I mean, I guess it's not really that big a deal that some poor child didn't get dinner because his family has no money. I mean, that's life in the current incarnation of America: A@#holes like Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation will argue 'til Ronald Reagan emerges from the grave that rich people should have their taxes cut -- despite no evidence that it does diddly to create jobs or improve the economy, while at the same time only further growing the deficit -- but expanding school lunch programs to more kids, which does have a price tag, but only a small portion of the price of those tax cuts -- well, that's just downright socialism. Or, as he concludes later, just an excuse to expand the welfare state. Ah, such insightful commentary.

Then we have another rich white person, the generally loathsome Kate O'Beirne, who simply cannot understand that a parent isn't able to give his or her kids a decent breakfast. How can this be?

And if we’re going to ask more of ourselves, my question is what poor excuse for a parent can’t rustle up a bowl of cereal and a banana? I just don’t get why millions of school children qualify for school breakfasts unless we have a major wide spread problem with child neglect.

Yup. Many of these parents whose kids need a meal at school, they're purposefully making their kids hungry. Heck, I betcha they enjoy not being able to give their kids a decent meal.

Are there parents who game the system? Undoubtedly. Of course, that's just wrong. But those Wall Street bankers who did it, and in so doing nearly brought down the entire financial system, well, their just being overrun by excessive government regulation and being unfairly characterized as evil when they're just trying to make an excessive living doing nothing but gambling like a Texas Hold 'Em junkie on a last-ditch binge in Vegas.

I can think of some things other than coal I'd like to put in Ms. O' Beirne and Mr. Rector's stockings this year.

Oh, and donate to the food bank. They really need your help, this year more than ever.

Time to Participate in the Political Process

As odious as it can be -- and it gets worse every day -- some times you have to participate in the political process, beyond just voting.

This is one of those times.

The details are below, via the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. The action item: calling your elected officials.

Alert from NSAC:
Action Alert
December 8, 2010
Local and Regional Food at Risk
Call Your Representative

Food Safety Legislation passed by the Senate and to be considered by the House as early as this week is in trouble.  Big Ag is out in force, lobbying House members to ditch provisions that are friendly to small and midsize farms.  They know that if they can impose expensive and one-size-fits-all food safety rules, they can stop the growing local food movement in its tracks.  Lawmakers are dealing with significant misinformation and confusion and our hard won amendments may be lost.  We must send a loud and clear message about where we stand. 

Call Your Representative Today!

Urge them to pass the Senate Bill with the Tester-Hagen Amendment Intact

It's easy to call:  Go to Congress.org and type in your zip code.  Click on your Representative's name, and then on the contact tab for their phone number.  You can also call the Capitol Switchboard and ask to be directly connected to your Representative's office: 202-224-3121. 

The message is simple:   "I am a constituent of Representative ___________ and I am calling to ask him/her to pass the Senate version of the Food Safety Modernization Act (S.510) with the Tester-Hagen Amendment intact.  We need a food safety bill that cracks down on corporate bad actors without erecting new barriers to more local and regional food sourcing. Regulation that is scaled appropriately for small and mid-sized farms and processors is vital to economic recovery, public health, and nutritional wellbeing."

Background:
Read our latest report:  A Sustainable Agriculture Perspective on Food Safety.

What's in the Tester-Hagen Amendment?
(1)  The amendment clarifies existing law which says that farmers who direct market more than 50% of their product to the consumer at the farm or at a retail location off the farm such as a farm stand or farmer's market need not register with FDA.  This clarification is especially important for off-farm retail locations such as farmers markets.
 
(2)  It provides a size appropriate and less costly alternative to Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Plans (HACCP) for farmers who:

Direct market more than 50% of their products directly to consumers, stores or restaurants, and

Have gross sales (direct and non-direct combined) of less than $500,000, and

Sell to consumers, stores, or restaurants that are in-state or within 275 miles.  

Farmers who qualify must provide documentation that the farm is in compliance with state regulations. Documentation may include licenses, inspection reports, or other evidence that the farm is in compliance with State, local, county, or other applicable non-Federal food safety law.  The farm must also prominently and conspicuously display the name and address of farm/facility on its label.  For foods without a label then by poster, sign, or placard, at the point of purchase or, in the case of Internet sales, in an electronic notice, or in the case of sales to stores and restaurants, on the invoice.

If there are no state regulations or if the farmer prefers a different option, the farmer must provide FDA with documentation that potential hazards have been identified and that preventive controls have been implemented and are being monitored for effectiveness.  

(3)  It provides alternatives to the produce standards for farms that:

Direct market more than 50% of their products directly to consumers, stores or restaurants, and

Have gross sales (direct and non-direct combined) of less than $500,000, and

Sell to consumers, stores, or restaurants that are in-state or within 275 miles.  

The farm must prominently and conspicuously display the name and address of farm/facility on its label.  For foods without a label then by poster, sign, or placard, at the point of purchase or, in the case of Internet sales, in an electronic notice, or in the case of sales to stores and restaurants, on the invoice.

Also in the Senate Bill:

(1) An amendment sponsored by Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) to provide for a USDA-delivered competitive grants program for food safety training for farmers, small processors and wholesalers.  The training projects will prioritize small and mid-scale farms, beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers, and small food processors and wholesalers.  The grant program will be administered by USDA's National Institute for Food and Agriculture.

(2) An amendment sponsored by Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) to reduce unnecessary paperwork and excess regulation required under the preventative control plan and the produce standards sections of the bill.  FDA is instructed to provide flexibility for small processors including on-farm processing, to minimize the burden of compliance with regulations, and to minimize the number of different standards that apply to separate foods.  FDA will also be prohibited from requiring farms and other food facilities to hire consultants to write food safety plans.   The Bennet amendment applies to all small farms and processors, not just those who direct market within 400 miles of their farms.

(3) An amendment sponsored by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) for farms that engage in value-added processing or that co-mingle product from several farms  gives the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to either exempt farms engaged in low or no risk processing or co-mingling activities from new regulatory requirements or to modify particular regulatory requirements for such farming operations.

(4) An amendment championed by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) to strip the bill of wildlife-threatening enforcement against "animal encroachment" of farms is also in the manager's package.  It will require FDA to apply sound science to any requirements that might impact wildlife and wildlife habitat on farms.

(5) An amendment proposed by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) will not require small farmers to meet extensive traceability and recordkeeping  if they sell food directly to consumers or to grocery stores and allows labeling that preserves the identity of the farm to satisfy traceability requirements.    The amendment also prevents FDA from requiring any farm from needing to keep records beyond the first point of sale when the product leaves the farm, except in the case of farms that co-mingle product from multiple farms, in which case they must also keep records one step back as well as one step forward.

Quick, First-Bite Review: Salt of the Earth

The long-awaited and much-hyped Salt of the Earth -- well, long-awaited and much-hyped in certain circles of food-obsessed freaks like myself -- opened several months back. Since its opening, Salt has received some exceedingly glowing reviews from the official food media, and on the various nonofficial outlets, it's also been described (mostly) with adjectives that suggest the people really liked it.



I (joined by my wife and several other friends) finally managed to make it there on Saturday. And I have to say that it lived up to its billing. Everything I had, from the cocktails to the food, was excellent. I won't go into too much detail, but it included:

Drinks: My vodka cocktail (Boyd & Blair), and the sip or two of my friend's gin cocktail (Bluecoat) were really good, but I think the gin was better. Then there was the beer "cocktail," which blew away me and the two others in our group who also got it. Never has a chocolate stout been used in such genius fashion

Appetizers: Octopus (me) and salt cod (wife), both of which were delicious, the perfect size, and perfectly prepared. The octopus was ridiculously tender. Man was I glad it was still on the  menu.

Entrees: Duck breast (me) and pork loin (wife), broken record territory, but prepared perfectly, great flavors and textures, and perfect portion sizes.

Dessert: Only two options to choose from, and only one that is sweet, so went with the sweet: little squares of chocolate pudding, a scoop of coconut ice cream topped with some type of foam, a few roasted hazelnuts and this goji berry glaze smeared on the plate. Hit all the right notes. The chocolate and coconut really like each other. A great way to end the meal.

The space is very cool. The massive chalkboard wall with the menu is almost daunting, if not kind of hard to read, depending on your angle. I suspect I could sit at the bar along the open kitchen for 3-4 hours and not get bored in the least, particularly if I had a few of those beer cocktails.

Our group was large enough that we sat at one of the big reservation-only tables upstairs, which are isolated just enough for the group to be able to talk without feeling like we'd been banished to another place entirely.

The service was warm and the food came out at just the right clip.

Overall, a great experience, and I hope to make it back in the not-so-distant future. Well done, Salt of the Earth.

A Wish for the Season

Dear Thanksgiving Deities.... Oh how I wish I had time to make what reads like a delectable pie for Thanksgiving day. Perhaps for Christmas, then. Amen.

A Mini-Scrapin' Up...

A digest is the lazy blogger's way out. And I'm feeling waaaaayyyy lazy.

So, let's jump in with...A meat rating system in grocery stores? Yes, and Whole Foods will be the initial testing ground.

Developed by the Global Animal Partnership, a nonprofit group made up of farmers, scientists, retailers, sustainability experts and animal welfare advocates, the rating system aims to address growing consumer concerns over the way animals are raised for food. It could also, not coincidentally, boost sales for certified farmers and participating stores, likely to include another unidentified major national retailer and restaurant group in the coming year, according to the nonprofit.

 And the article even has some comic relief, courtesy of factory farm representatives:

"The GAP program is basically a 'free-range' program,'" said Richard Lobb spokesman for the National Chicken Council, which runs its own auditing program . "Only a few producers in the United States follow the free-range model. Most feel that the needs of the birds can be more efficiently met in a well-ventilated, enclosed structure that provides a good climate and protects the birds from the elements and from predators."

And if you're in the mood to get your food wonk on, then please, go to Grist and follow the debate about whether food safety legislation in the Senate will make things better or worse for small farms. It's dense and intense stuff.

And, finally, in case you missed it, China Millman reviews Salt of the Earth in the PG. And she likes it, she really likes it. Man I hope that octopus appetizer is still on the menu by the time I make it there!

Oh No!!

Seriously, I may be a "foochebag"! This is not good!

Best Recipe Ever!

Perhaps Mrs. Annoying Scratchy Voice presumed that the people making this "recipe" would be so altered that some sort of instructions would actually be required?

Please be sure to read the first comment (h/t to somebody on Twitter for bringing my attention to it.).

Baby Goats and Red Pepper Soup

The last day of CSA 2010 at Harvest Valley Farms. Could have taken a picture of my CSA crate, but these guys are cuter.

As for the red peppers, also courtesy of Harvest Valley Farms, the other night I made a really quick and delicious roasted red pepper soup. It's a stripped down version of a recipe from the Inn at Little Washington, a Washington, D.C. landmark. 

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

• Half an onion, diced
• 3 red peppers, roasted, seeded, and chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
•  tsp of fennel seeds
•  dash of crushed red pepper
• tsp of tomato paste
• 2 cups or more of vegetable stock

Saute the onion and garlic over medium heat in a medium pan until onion starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the fennel seed and crushed red pepper, stir 1 minute more. Add tomato paste, give a good stir for 30 seconds, and then add the stock. Bring up to a boil and then let it simmer for 5 minutes or so. Remove from heat, let it cool for 5 minutes, then puree until smooth in a blender

At this point, taste for salt and pepper, will likely need both. If you have some fresh basil, add a tablespoon when you add the fennel and red pepper. If you have some cream and want to make the soup a little more creamy and rich, add some after blending.

Fast Food Abomination of the Week

My system for selecting awardees of this prestigious designation is extremely complicated. To sum it up for the lay person, though, it can be most simply described thusly:

I see commercial for fast food product

+

Estimation of caloric load


+

Extent of face contortion caused by considering extent of likely GI disruption that would follow from ingestion of said product

If the sum of this equation is enough to induce long-standing mental disturbance, then it's fairly obvious that I've got a winner.

Which brings me to this week's winner: Dunkin Donuts' Pancake Sausage Bites, or maybe it's Sausage Pancake Bites. The name alone I think says it all. And I don't recall, but I have to assume there's some syrup-like product for dipping of the Sausage/Pancake or Pancake/Sausage bites. [Insert shudder here]

On the eve of an election that has been filled with so much stomach-turning behavior by alleged adults (both those running for office and their supporters), the introduction of this product seems strangely appropriate. Bravo, Dunkin' Donuts. Bravo.

A Few Hours, Five Minutes

If you've got a few hours to kill and like to cook, you might want to (and I hope to) watch the Harvard lecture series on the science of cooking.

On the other hand, if you like somewhat brooding, but always interesting songs, then take 5 minutes to watch the alternative "video" -- if that's what you want to call it -- of "Terrible Love," a good tune from The National's most recent album.

Policy Matters... As In, It's Important

As a run-of-the-mill citizen who cares about the food I eat and with some understanding of and interest in the policies that affect how and what I eat, the Farm Bill has always struck me as this massively important piece of legislation that gets almost no attention outside of the world of those who actively support sustainable farming and those, like many members of Congress, who take pleasure in giving billions in subsidies to huge agribusinesses so they can grow more corn and soybeans and sugarbeets and the like.

For some reason the Farm Bill is only revisited every 5 years, and the sustainable/small farm community fights its little heart out and gets little scraps of improvement here and there, while the supposed true believers in the free-market system and protectors of the mythical "family farm" in Congress continue to prop up the agri-giants who, one would think, don't need the help. "How are we going to ensure Americans can afford to buy food?" they argue. "They're not all East Coast liberal elites who can afford to pay $8 for organic chard!"

Translated into non-politician-ease: "How can we ensure we continue to get big donations from ADM and Monsanto if we don't waste billions in tax payer dollars to ensure Americans can get cases of Orange Crush and Coke for the same price as 4 or 5 apples?"

In any case, the Farm Bill will be rearing its head once again in the next Congress. And some folks want to stop, or at least drastically slow down, the cycle of the overwrought influence of the big boys and their deep pockets on this important piece of legislation. You can read a little about it on Simple, Good, and Tasty, and then you can stay tuned to the effort through Facebook (even for a reluctant FB user like me, this seems like an apt use of this particular form of social media).

Good luck, and may the $8 organic chard be with you.

Pork. Meatballs. Banh Mi.

I may have pimped this before, but it's worth pimping again. This being a recipe for pork meatball banh mi, those delightful Vietnamese sandwiches -- a term that really doesn't do them justice, but neither do "hoagie" or "sub," the connotations of which just can't live up to the glory that is a proper banh mi -- about which I regularly dream and always lust.

This recipe needs no doctoring. But, if you wish, you could easily substitute mint for the basil, which I believe I did when I made these some months ago (taking the extras last night out of the freezer for an amazing weeknight dinner), and could probably use a little less garlic, which I believe I also did.

A fresh, crusty, French-style baguette is very important, as is the fresh cilantro. The labor is well worth the effort.

Story... Updated

My recent shot at fiction has been greatly improved, thanks to a good friend, and editor extraordinaire, Grant Martin. Of particular note, he caught a terribly egregious and embarrassing error with regard to some musical history cited in the story. See, all of those hours spent listening to music have their value!

So,  yes, now you have to read the whole thing over again.... Don't make me beg!

Some good eats

Made two pretty tasty items this weekend.

First, on Saturday, roasted some hot dogs over a fire and topped them with some quick-pickled cabbage, which included:

• About 2 cups finely shredded cabbage
• Half cup of shredded carrot
• 1 thinly sliced red jalapeno
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• good pinch of salt
• tablespoon of sugar
• Diced avocado

Whisked the last 3 ingredients together 'til sugar was dissolved. Combined the first 3 ingredients together, tossed them with the vinegar mixture, let it sit, covered, in the fridge for about an hour. Topped the hot dogs with a nice portion of the cabbage mixture and some diced avocado.

Next, on Sunday, a sweet potato soup to eat with a roasted chicken from Green Circle Farm.

• 4-5 cups of peeled, chopped (2-inch chunks) sweet potatoes
• 1 leek (white and some light green) thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• Chicken or vegetable stock, 4 cups
• 1 teaspoon Garam masala
• Cayenne pepper, small pinch

Add a swirl or two of olive oil in a pan (big enough to hold the liquid!), add leeks and garlic and cook until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add the stock and potatoes to the leeks, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

When potatoes are starting to feel very tender, remove from heat, let cool for about 5 minutes, and in batches, blend until smooth. Return to pot, add Garam masala, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste.

This is quite good, but maybe a touch too sweet. Could add some cream, I suppose, but I think that next time I'll add a little minced ginger to the leeks and garlic. Think that sort of floral element might offer better balance and fewer calories! Nevertheless, it's a good, easy soup.

Scrapin' Up the Bits...

I love the "digest" thing. Whoever came up with this little blogging feature is a genius. This one will be down and dirty.

Let's start with a well-done article from AOL News on test for different, potentially dangerous strains of E. coli in meat. Who even know AOL was still around? I recommend taking the time to read this.

Even wonder about school lunches in France? Well, me neither, but why is the fact that they take them a bit more seriously than we do here in the good ol' U.S. of A not surprising?

Some doctors putting their time and efforts where their guidance and recommendations should be when it comes to good health and diet/nutrition. How refreshing!

If you don't know and you happen to be in the general downtown vicinity on most days, Pittsburgh now has a food truck that's offering all sorts of goodies. It's called... The Goodie Truck! Franktuary , home of the famed locavore dog, experimented with the food truck idea recently. Hopefully it will catch on in the city.

Speaking of local food, China Millman raves about Spoon, which recently opened in the former home of the Red Room. Looks like we have a location for the next time the wife and I feel like ponying up for a sitter.

Finally, a really interesting article about farm work and who (illegal immigrants or plain ol' Americans) is, and isn't, doing it.

Finally!

That is, my favorite Italian side, AS Roma, finally gets a win under the belt this season, against the hated Inter Milan. The appropriate announcer jubilation follows...

We're No. 1, We're No. 1!!

In terms of our country's (ever-increasing) girth, that is:

The United States is the fattest nation among 33 countries with advanced economies, according to a report out today from an international think tank.

 

Two-thirds of people in this country are overweight or obese; about a third of adults — more than 72 million — are obese, which is roughly 30 pounds over a healthy weight.

If, like me, you're spatially-relations challenged, this may take a few seconds to wrap your head around, but it illustrates the alarming obesity trend/epidemic nicely.

An (Actual) Short Story

I've been working on this -- in bits and pieces -- for months. Not the best way to write a short story, but you do what you can when you can, you know? I'm not a fiction writer. Some might argue I'm not much of a nonfiction writer!

It's sort of a spoof of myself, at least my habits in the kitchen, and it borrows a good bit -- tiny details here and there -- from my own life. It's got some bad words in it, which are also not, uh, uncommon in my real life.

It definitely could use the wisdom of a good editor. But I don't think it's too bad. Honest comments and criticisms are welcome.

UPDATE: Thanks to some wisdom-laced edits and suggestions from a friend, the story was updated on October 14.

Dinner for Six

Daniel dashed down his favorite glass, tarnished, bordering on foggy, the remnants of an “L” floating in the middle of an engraved diamond along one side. Slightly less than half filled at this point, the glass—given to him by his grandmother not long after his grandfather had died—contained equal parts Campari and gin, with a welcome dose of sweet vermouth. The ice, at this point, resembled tic-tacs, and the squished lime wedge— his lone divergence from a traditional Negroni, which typically calls for an orange slice—lay comfortably at the bottom.

Despite its resemblance to a fruity beach drink, he would protest without any prompting, it was still an honest pour.

At the moment, though, it was not the integrity of his alcoholic beverage that occupied his thoughts. Rather, it was that the blood rolling from his left index finger had an eerily similar shade of orange/red as his drink. Despite the considerable pain pumping from his finger, in strange synchronicity with the old school Public Enemy droning from the stereo,

I judge everyone, one by the one, Look! Here come the judge. Watch it here he come now…

Daniel was taking extreme caution not to let on that anything other than dicing and stirring (and head bopping and crooked-hand gyrating) was going on in the kitchen. 

He was not in the mental state to tolerate one of Julianna’s “how many times…” speeches.

Read more »