Over My Limit But Under Control

I have never been drunk a day in my life. I’ve been pleasantly buzzed and a little bit tipsy on several occasions but never drunk. I am happy that I can continue to make that claim but it was a near thing, and at a work related event no less.

Last night, the law librarians association of which I am a member held its annual meeting at a wonderful locale (river view, park vistas). Very nice! As a committee co-chair, I had responsibilities to fulfill beyond the usual socializing/networking. But I didn’t allow myself to think about them when I grabbed my first glass of red wine off the tray of a passing server as soon as I arrived and proceeded to smash a cream-filled appetizer into my jacket. Or when I spilled my nearly empty second glass on my hand and on the floor a mere minute before I saw my co-chair walking to the front of the room and realized that our names had just been called. That’s right, we were expected to speak to a room filled with close to 200 of our peers and I was a mess! But thankfully, I didn’t realize it at the time. I just knew that I was ready for anything and that whatever was coming out of my mouth seemed to make sense to the crowd I was facing despite the jumble in my head. I'm sure that we could have improved on execution but it looks like we got effort covered.

There is something to be said about the power of alcohol. I can give a good speech if I really know my topic and practice ahead of time but knowing that doesn’t make me like doing it any more. While last night’s audience was much larger than any other that I’ve faced in the past, the speech was also the shortest that I’ve ever been expected to give. Basically, I didn’t have to memorize anything- just make sure I mention a few things. But after a couple glasses of wine, the warmth in my tummy was spreading all over and it all seemed like it would be a piece of cake. I was buzzed. And with my third glass, lots of giggling, flirting, and declarations about having had too much to drink, I realized that I was moving towards tipsy. One more and I would have been drunk but the sensible part of my brain refrained and got me on my way home. Nobody wants to see a drunken me, least of all me!

Wine 101: The Choice Between Sharing and Savoring

Over the past few years, I’ve been steadily developing an appreciation for wines, particularly red wine. When I go out to eat, I eschew ordering beers and wells drinks in favor of wine or some fruity concoction. Even better if sangria is on the menu! Now I’m not a big drinker by any stretch of the imagination but it only seemed logical that I should start purchasing bottles of wine to keep at home for days when I felt like imbibing. Of course, I didn’t want to randomly buy bottles that would go to waste because I found that I didn’t like them after I bought them. That’s why plum wine was the perfect place to start developing my palate on my wine journey. I usually order it when I go to an Asian restaurant and it’s cheap!

One day while I was eating at a Thai restaurant downtown, I noticed the label on the bottle of plum wine that the server was using to refill our glasses. It was Kinsen Plum Wine. We obviously enjoyed it so after the meal my dinner companion and I walked over to the nearest liquor store to see if we could find it. We didn’t then but when I accompanied my brother to a liquor warehouse a couple weeks later, there it was. For $6.99 (we paid $6.00 per glass)! I had to get it. But as with a lot of things, after I took it home it just wasn’t the same as I had remembered it in the restaurant. Still, I finished the bottle but made a note not to buy that particular brand again.

On my first trip back to the liquor warehouse since buying my first bottle of plum wine, I was again ready to start the process of becoming a wine connoisseur. This time I would forget all ideas about plum and sparkling wines and go straight for the red. The choices were overwhelming so how could I choose? The simplest way seemed to be to ask for a recommendation which I got from one of the employees. I told him what I was looking for— red, sweet but not too sweet— and he lead me to Rashi Claret. When I questioned his reasoning behind his choice, his answer “they pay us a lot of money to know about these things” was enough for me. He really seemed to know his liquor.

Once I’d taken my wine home, I resisted the temptation to sample it immediately and waited a day before opening. I peeled away the wrapping around the opening only to find that it was corked. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t be able to savor it the way wanted (at least, not for the month I had planned on) because I had no way to close in the essence. And a search of the web revealed that not only is there no real effective way to preserve my wine but that I only had a window of a few days in which to drink it before the flavor started to change until it eventually turned into vinegar. Discouraging news but this also reminded me that wine is meant to be shared, not hoarded. I'll remember that for next time.

If Bourdain or Zimmern Will Eat It, I Probably Won’t

I spent a fun evening relaxing with friends the other day. The conversation was good, the ambiance amenable and the food…questionable. The fact that I couldn’t read the name over the door of the restaurant (it’s written with Japanese character) should have been a hint that the menu would be beyond anything that I’m used to. I admit to being a bit of a coward when it comes to trying food that can be described as “interesting”. In my opinion, bull testicles, frogs, and eel are not compatible with the human digestive system (the finished, cooked products doesn’t look so bad-- see link below-- but still not buying it). Quail is borderline safe but still iffy. Anyway, there they all were on the menu. They weren’t an option for my dinner choice but squid seemed safe enough and I gave in gracefully to K. I mean, I grew up eating curried (and sometimes raw) octopus (which I like) and that’s practically the same as a squid. So you’d think barbecue squid would be to my liking. Not so much. A little too much bite and I can just imagine that the squid still had a little kick left it in when it was plated. My gag reflex didn’t kick in and I can’t say that it was the worst thing that I have ever eaten but it’s almost guaranteed that I won’t be trying it again.

So what did I get? I went way beyond safe by ordering vegetable dumplings and fried chicken. I’ll make more of an effort to venture beyond my comfort zone next time because I’m finding that everything goes down smoother with a glass of wine.


Takeaways/To Do:
Learn to eat with chopsticks
Give sushi a second try
Find recipe for sangria

Just for fun: Testicles cooking preparation video