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 Fake Stuff Is Actually The Good Stuff

One of the biggest complaint of any carnivore going vegan is "That fake soy meat tastes awful!" followed by "Yechh!".That may have been the case twenty five or thirty years ago.Not anymore.The fake stuff is really tasty and at times better than the real thing.Truly. One of the easiest paths into veganism is the veggie burger.It's becoming standard with even Burger King and Jake's Wayback Burgers selling them.They can be home made or store bought.Homemade ones may be tricky to create ,especially for the novice home chef.Most home made ones are usually made with black beans along with variety of spices like cumin and chile.Guy Fieri, the loud but skilled Food Channel Star, adds chick peas and rolled oAts to his.If this is too labor intensive then head to your local grocery store.Morningstar Farms has the best.Their varieties range from Asian veggie style which has water chestnuts and onions along with their take on a no meat turkey avocado burger.Morningstar Farm probably has the most extensive range of not just burgers but chicken patties and nuggets.All taste like the real deal.In fact if you present the nuggets with different sauces,from barbecue to homey mustard, no one, especially the kids would know the difference.Another tasty stand in are the chicken strips ,again, from Morning Star Farms.These are greate just sautéed in oil and margarine and flavored with garlic or lemon.You can also make a great curried chicken with them,and their flavor adds to the dish. One of my "fake" favorites is bacon.the ersatz stuff definitely tastes better than the real bacon plus it has a nicer crunch.I like the easiness of the Morningstar Brand kind. It just needs toe microwaved for two or three minutes on a paper towel.It's crispy and excellent with scrambled eggs.However for a real salty and almost identical taste, then try The Lightlife Smart Bacon.This calls for old fashioned frying in a hot pan.The strips require oil and are cooked in a big lump until cooking separates them into crispy, curly slices.It, too, has a nice crunch and is more reminiscent of Taylor ham.Vegan sausages can also pass for their meat filled cousins.Again SmartSausage is a favorite of mine.I love their Italian style with it's impact of added tomatoes and peppers?Cut the links into bite sized pieces ,add to any tomato sauce and you have a flavorful and healthy pasta sauce.Faux beef crumbles are another of my favorites.They are truly versatile and I've used them in everything from chile and tacos to sauces.They taste just like real chopped beef but without all the danger and fat. The fake stuff is actually the good stuff .Soy and bean meat substitutes are not only good for you but also tasty.The days of them being cringe worthy and yucky tasting are gone.Enjoy the ersatz stuff.It's just as flavorful and versatile as those real deals.

Faking It

This is season for collective church dinners and potluck parties. We all figure the other people worked just as hard on their casseroles and chilis as we did. Or did they? There may be a surprise on that groaning table - a store bought or premade dish.
That was the subject in yesterday’s New York Times article written by Jennufer Steinhauer in the De Gustibus section. Ms. Steinhauer descries those who bring already made dishes and sweets to everything from church dinners to class bake sales. After all if she could do it even with all her flops, then why can’t other parents? She also has harsh words fo those moms who doctor store bought goodies to look like the real homemade deal. It worked a decade ago when working mothers were encouraged to do so . It’s getting - pardon the pun - stale now.
There is also a rant about those who bring already made dishes to other gatherings. However even she admits that it brings deviation to centuries old recipes. Pot luck dinners date back to the 16th Century when people would stop by their host’s home bearing cooked meal. It was “the luck of the pot” whether they received something good or something so-so. The concept caught in in Colonial America, especially out West., when it was usually brought by a cowboy (perhaps where we get the chili tradition at get togethers?). Potluck dinners kept ethnic recipes within the group. It also kept up tradition. However with premade foods, different tastes and cultures are introduced, shattering old , fusty recipes. It could be a good thing for the next generation who are generally bored at potluck suppers..
　
Should we cheat on our baking and cooking during this holiday season? If you don’t; have the time do so. However be honest about it. People know when there’s lovin’ from the oven and when it’s a fake home bake.