Spices and Salmonella, Hallowe’en, Bowling.

A report on GMA Thursday morning sent me to Google. It appears there is a risk of getting salmonella from imported spices many of which come from India and Mexico. India says it is working on changing farming practises to eliminate the risks, but the changes described in the report don’t seem enough; bearing in mind the source of many of these spices, grown by poor farmers, the farming changes may not be insufficient. A lot of spices are cooked before being eaten which helps eliminate the risks, but many people, including my husband, use lots of pepper at the table and that can be a source of risk. Also, dried spices can be contaminated for years sitting on our kitchen shelves, the contamination doesn’t go away. I don’t know what kind of testing is done in Canada, but from the article, it doesn’t seem enough is being done in the States.

I hope you all enjoyed your ghoulies and ghosties and things that go bump in the night. Here it was raining pretty hard most of the day so I think that put off a lot of trick or treaters. The women who were manning the table downstairs Had had very few visitors although I saw lots of adults tucking in. Matt went to the liquor store and the grocery store and they had a few people dressed up. At the bowling alley they had some challenged kids bowling for a while and several of them were dressed up.

Talking of bowling, Matt bowled up a storm when it didn’t particularly matter. I didn’t do too badly, but nothing like he did. As an added bit of fun we were all playing Snakes and Ladders and out of the three games (a quarter a time) Matt won once and then I won the second time. So we made a big profit, at least $4 I think. The friend who’s arm I had been twisting to come to the Travel League with us did join us, I was so pleased. I think she enjoyed herself. The alley we went to in New Hamburg is actually quite small, they only have about 8 lanes, but its a nice little house. Of course we got our doughnuts.

It’s a bit late for a Hallowe’en cocktail, but this also has ties to bowling so what could be more suitable for me. I haven’t posted a cocktail in a while either.

The Hirshfield

Contributed by Cocktails 2008

Makes 1 drink

Pin-Up Bowl • St. Louis
This bar and bowling alley partners serious, classically prepared cocktails with fun, light-hearted drinks like this homage to Leo Hirshfield, creator of the Tootsie Roll, one of America's first penny candies.

© Wendell T. Webber

Hallowe’en Cocktails
Vodka

1. 1 orange wedge
2. Unsweetened cocoa powder
3. Ice
4. 2 ounces chocolate vodka
5. 1/2 ounce vanilla vodka
6. 1/2 ounce dark crème de cacao
7. 1/4 ounce Grand Marnier
8. 1 orange twist

1. Moisten half of the outer rim of a martini glass with the orange wedge and coat lightly with cocoa powder. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all of the remaining ingredients except the twist and shake well. Strain into the prepared martini glass and garnish with the orange twist.

Have a great day