Reheated

Apparently, on a personal level, I use the word Ptomaine too much. Gadoozkery be damned, I like the word. In fairness, it is archaic, from wisegeek -

Ptomaine poisoning is an outdated term for food poisoning. It arises from the concept that ptomaines, small broken-down proteins in food, were the culprits behind people getting sick from food. We now know that ptomaine poisoning is actually poisoning by foods that have become infected with several types of bacteria. Food left out, for example chicken salad can readily develop bacteria.

According to the Center for Disease Control, 5,000 US residents die of foodborne illness each year, ptomaine is not an official cause of mortality.

And speaking of Maine...

The Onion has a very important R – rated message from a lobster. Warning - excessive swearing, threats of violence and genitalia is referred to in the vulgar form. If that isn’t enough to get you to link, it is very funny.

In more serious life aquatic news Salon discusses the concept of sustainable seafood.

Kentucky Derby Day is Saturday – Sure there is a horserace, but the event seems more like Carnival, Kentucky Style. The official drink of Churchill Downs is the mint julep. The Washington Post has a nice feature on the bourbon based mixed drink; here. Chow has a slightly different take here (with recipe). At the Downs itself – a ton of mint, 8000 liters of Early Times and 160,000 pounds of Ice will be used to make 120,000 mint juleps over a two-day period Friday and Saturday. In turn, this leads directly to 23,704 hair of the dog Bloody Marys being ordered at Louisville area Bruncheries and the airport bar Sunday Morning.

Speaking of bad decisions, Monday is Cinco De Mayo but there will no Saucyman related entry. A celebration commemorating the defeat of French Forces at the Battle of Puebla in 1862 (5 years before the war ended). The day has evolved/devolved into a bit of a pukefest based on Nachoes/nachos and Blended Margaritas. That isn't being snobby either, there is a time and a place for both, with orange being my all time favorite color, the pigmentation of the cheese/queso falls somewhere between admirable and inspirational on my value wheel. Instead - I know, I know, I know it is popular to dismiss the French as Cheese/Fromage Eating Surrender Monkeys but without sounding reactionary or that when I have to order soup, I order Freedom Onion Soup - I'm just sayin' if the world was to throw a party every time the French lost a military engagement, the social calendar would fill up quickly.

Alternatively, the fifth of May will feature our first interview here at Saucyman - Professor Charlie Bamforth author of Grape vs. Grain, was kind enough to answer a few questions and on Monday there will finally and decisively be an answer to which is superior - wine or beer. Or possibly just an interview.