A Glass Of The Fake Thing

 A good glass of bourbon on a January 's day is a comforting thing. It warms the soul and settles into chilled bones. Yet that shot may not be as genuine as you think. Surprisingly quality alcohol is the latest victims of fakery.

Clay Risem who write obituaries for the Times (!!!!) shared his knowledge of bourbon with his article on expensive fakes in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Mr Risen isn't stretching out here. He is the author of Bourbon: The Story of Kentucky Whiskey (Ten Speed Press 2021).He is also a whiskey expert who is following the trend for pricey bourbons. It seems that both bourbon lover and neophyte are wanting the extremely expensive brands,It's an international problem  where sellers can find gullible customers on social media. A Swiss luxury hotel duped a Chinese tourist out of a grand for a bottle of fake bourbon.Luxury bourbon is in such high demand right now after years of being ignored. domestic sales of super premium american whiskey , selling for more than fifty dollars - nearly doubled between the years 2016- 2020. Four millions cases were sold.at the higher end  of the price range bottles selling for $500 or more are in such high demand that they've created long lines at liquor stores. A robust secondary market has now been created with secret trading through private social media groups. This is illegal but it still goes on, as with any counterfeit industry.It's big in Britain where counterfeiting is rampant 

How can you tell if you've bought a fake bottle?It could come without the required shrink wrap that encircles the cap. Yet  these too can be copied too, making it hard to tell what's real and what's not. Also bottles may look used. One brand, Pappy Van winkle seems to have a surefire way to discourage copying. Each of their bottles comes with a unique identification code. One aficionado, Los Angeles resident and producer of the American Pie franchise Adam Herz who is also an expert in spotting counterfeit bottles was able to read the number of an empty bottle that he found on EBay. He then visited on of the many  countless bourbon fan pages on Facebook. He  then saw the once empty bottle refilled and resealed selling for thousands of dollars.It bothered him that empty whiskey bottles were selling briskly on line. This also comes in handy when sellers are offering aged bourbon from the 1800's. Have the bottle checked to see if the glass is modern. Also check the corks too.. Another caveat  - don't trust any pushy sellers you meet on line.It  means they want the money and to get rid of their stock.

Yes it's luxurious to buy a thousand dollar bottle of good bourbon. Just make sure it's also the real thing. There are too many fakes out there. Don't waste good money on something that proves to be false.

The Gurdwara And Help

The Sikhs have been coming to the rescue for centuries with their practice of feeding those in needs. It has never been more so with the pandemic and protesting.It's part of their religion. It's also part of their great contribution to this time.

Regular contributor Priya Krishna, author of the Indian cookbook, Indian-ish, wrote about this peace loving religion in yesterday's New York Times Food section. The Sikhs follow the teachings of Guru Nanek, a Fifteenth Century teacher who believed in a practical life of truthfulness, fidelity, self control and purity.An essential part of Sikhism is langar, the practice of preparing and serving a free meal to promote the Sikh tenet of seva or selfless service.Anyone, can visit the gurdwara and participate in langar. You don''t need to follow the religion. Their doors are open to everyone. The biggest one, in Amritsar, India serves more than 100,000 people a day. Since Covid 19's arrival, all religious ceremonies have stopped yet the gurdwara has been open non-stop. The Sikh Center in Queens Village, New York, right outside Manhattan, is now feeding protesters . Last week volunteers served five hundred portions of matar paneer, a creamy coconut milk and tomato stew along with rice and rajima, another creamy comforting dish of red beans stewed with tomatoes. There was also dessert, kheer, a sweetened rice pudding.

There are eighty gurdwaras  all over the US.  They too have been stepping up , feeding those who need it. The Gurdwara Sahib of Fremont, California set up a grocery delivery service just after suspending religious services in March. There's also a meal drive through pick up service too. Cooks wear gloves and masks and the kitchen is big enough for workers to stand six feet apart from each other. As with other gurdwaras, the menus change daily and are always vegetarian, in respect to the Sikhs being vegetarian. The sect is also heading to the protests to feed the protesters, although they, themselves, have been the targets of prejudice and suspicion. In Los Angeles, they handed out seven hundred containers of pasta with a garlic and onion laden tomato sauce and five hundred bottles of water. They even set up a tent in Pan Pacific Park,in the western part of the city. In Norwich, Connecticut , two hundred bottles were handed out to protesters along with rajima. According to Gurjiv Kaur of the LA temple and a graduating senior at the University of California "Langar ,at its' core is a revolution - against inequality and the caste system". She and Kirin Singh asked volunteers to prepare meals to take to the protesters. The Sikhs stand peacefully with all who protest for a fairer world and better treatment from authorities.

The Sikhs have become  heroes of what's going on. They provide food and support to those who need it.  It is their langar which is now a part of our lives.

Your Hurricane Help Kit

We are in the most horrific hurricane season in recent history. First Harvey, now Irma and on her heels, Jose. Preparations have to be made and that includes a hurricane help kit stocked with the essentials to survive. These will help if you're staying in a shelter or even in your car.

One of the most important ingredients in any hurricane help kit is water.Get it before it becomes scarce, There are price gougers throughout Florida that are charging seventy dollars a bottle (and there is a special hell for these monsters). Get both large size and the nip size . The first can be also be used for mixing powdered ingredients like formula and soups. The nips can be used for the kids and animal companions. Remember to save some for brushing teeth and washing if you have to.Luckily milk can also be brought along in the form of boxes and drink boxes. Take along some chocolate flavored ones for the little ones as a treat.Most shelters do have coffee and tea however if you can't make it to one, then pack a jar or two of instant  coffee as well as your favorite teabags. Keep plastic bowls for the animals as well as for soup along with paper cups for hot beverages only. Soda and juice can be drunk out of bottles and cans.

Pack  up food essential too. Make sure that your cats and dogs also have their foods as well as medications packed. Dry food would be the easiest to stow. The bags are usually waterproof and it's easier to dispense than wet.Bring either a big sack or two smaller sacks. If you can fit it into your trunk , add a few cans of wet food. Some shelters will have both , however they may not have the ones your animal companion likes. As for the humans, protein bars are a good choice.They're easy to pack and easy to eat. They can be used as breakfast in a pinch or as a snack. Canned fruit is another must. It too can be used either for a quick nosh, dessert or even breakfast.Pack a small hibachi or camping grill if you can. Use twigs or broken branches if you can't bring along charcoal, and make sure you have plenty of matches.Another must have are metal plates to heat up food and with this it means canned chili or chicken a la king. Meat might be iffy to cook along with being scarce. Think grilled tomatoes with olive oil or even peppers and zucchini, If you do crave meat , think tuna in a can or preserved meat such as ham.

Be safe but also be hydrated and fed during this crazy season of monster hurricanes. Have enough water and packable food to survive for days and weeks to come. Be a force of nature to deal with these vile and destructable forces of nature.