Movie Review—The Big Short

by Peter J. O'Connell

The Big Short. Released: Dec. 2015. Runtime: 130 mins. Rated: R for pervasive language and some sexuality/nudity.

A “short” is an investment technique in which the investor makes money when his/her investment goes down in value rather than up. The Big Short, directed and co-written by Adam McKay, is a “dramedy,” loosely based on Michael Lewis' factual account in a book of the same name. The film deals with three different groups of investors who made money from the financial crisis that followed the bursting of the real estate bubble in 2007-2008.

The first of these is Scion Capital, a hedge fund managed by Michael Burry (brilliantly played by Christian Bale), a seriously eccentric quondam physician in California. Burry's office attire is shorts, bare feet and a cheap haircut, and he relaxes by frenziedly playing a drum set. He has, however, determined mathematically that the seemingly inevitably rising U.S. housing market is just a bubble that will burst in the near future. So he bets against that market.

Jared Vennett (Ryan Gosling, hard to recognize in the haircut and suit that the movie gives him) works for a big bank. He gets wind of what Burry is doing and decides to do likewise. A mix-up leads to his linking up with Mark Baum (Steve Carell) and some of Baum's colleagues. Baum works for a large investment house but is becoming seriously discontented with the ethics of the financial industry. Nevertheless, he and his group and Vennett start “shorting” after a tour of some of the bizarre goings-on in the real estate market around the country. 

The last group of “shorters” depicted in the movie is that of Charlie Geller (John Magaro) and Jamie Shipley (Finn Witrock), partners in a start-up company. They hear of what Vennett is doing and call on a laid-back retired banker (Brad Pitt) to help them do the same.

All three of these groups of shorters work on the premise that they will prosper because the greed, lack of foresight and cronyism of the big banks, investment houses and rating agencies will cause the broader economy to collapse. The fact that ordinary investors who trust these institutions will suffer doesn't sit well with Baum, but he shorts anyway. 

The film, with its one-liners and sight gags and quick and frequent cuts among different characters, time frames and locations, has an almost kaleidoscopic quality that well conveys the excitement of the years of the bubble's peak—and the shock (except to the shorters) of its bursting. To clarify some of the financial arcana and add to the somewhat surreal quality of the movie, McKay interjects several “explanatory episodes” using celebrities as themselves: Margot Robbie, the gorgeous blonde from 2013's The Wolf of Wall Street (another film about financial shenanigans) in a bubble bath; 20-something songbird Selena Gomez at a gambling table in Las Vegas with up-in-years Nobel laureate economist Richard Thaler; superchef Michael Bourdain in a kitchen.

Some of the explanatory episodes fail to explain much, however. Robbie's gorgeousness is a distraction from her explanation as is the age-disparate pairing of Gomez and Thaler. Bourdain's comparison of the securitization of subprime mortgages to a fresh-on-Friday fish dumped with other ingredients into a stew on Sunday works well, though. And when the Jared Vennett character builds a tower of blocks, with ones labeled “AAA” on the top and ones labeled “BBB” on the bottom and pulls out one of the BBBs, the point is well made. 

Though McKay with his talented cast touches cleverly on a lot of things, he doesn't touch on one key factor in the financial meltdown—the role of government. In the 1990s the government, responding to liberals and pressure groups, put the squeeze on banks to make loans to many folks hitherto not considered creditworthy. The banks resisted this strong-arming for a time, but eventually had to give in. Desirous of ridding themselves of dubious loans, they turned to investment houses to make up those financial “Sunday stews.” Any one “stew” was not necessarily harmful, but a slew of such “stews” over time eventually made the system sick. 

The Big Short describes itself as a “true story,” but it's not “the whole story.” We'll have to wait for Hollywood to tell that full story—but we probably shouldn't hold our breath while we wait.    

Movie Review—The Revenant

The Revenant

by Peter J. O'Connell

The Revenant. Released widely: Jan. 2016. Runtime: 156 mins. Rated: R for strong frontier combat and violence including gory images, a sexual assault, language and brief nudity.

A “revenant” is one who returns after a long absence, particularly one believed to have died during the absence or been subject to an unknown fate. In The Revenant, directed and co-written by Alejandro G. Inarritu, the Mexican filmmaker who received an Oscar last year for Birdman, the title character is Hugh Glass (Leonardo Di Caprio), a frontiersman of the 1820s. The film is based on some actual events in the life of Glass, a real person. 

Glass is with a fur-trapping party in the mountain West during winter and is accompanied by his son (Forrest Goodluck), whom he had with an Indian woman, who was later killed in a raid by the U.S. military. When Indians attack them, the trappers lose most of their furs and have to abandon the river boat that they have been using and return by land to their fort. Shortly after they begin this long trek, Glass is mauled by a huge bear—a stunning sequence that lasts several minutes. 

The severely injured Glass is left behind with his son, supposedly to be cared for by grizzled trapper John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) and young Jim Bridger (Will Poulter). Fitzgerald's care consists of killing the son and burying Glass alive. Then Fitzgerald and Bridger head off for the fort. 

Amazingly, Glass is able to make his way out of the grave and set off in great pain and with great difficulty to seek revenge on Fitzgerald. Numerous vicissitudes follow as Glass staggers through a frozen world, one both beautiful and dangerous, like paintings of the Hudson River/Rocky Mountain School—if those paintings depicted their sublime scenes in winter rather than the other seasons, and showed blood on the snow. Along the way, Glass clashes with a party of French trappers and is both menaced and helped by assorted Indians. And he eats some mighty interesting foods, including hand-caught live fish and buffalo organs. 

Leonardo DiCaprio does some fine work as Glass, and the same is true of Tom Hardy as Fitzgerald. However, despite his beard, bloody body, frozen snot hanging out of his nose, etc., DiCaprio (even at age 41), still seems a bit too baby-faced to be completely convincing as a really tough guy. (That was also the case with his performance as Howard Hughes in 2004's The Aviator.) 

Overall, The Revenant is a powerful piece of work by Inarritu and his cast, though the survival and revenge main theme and the secondary theme of the plight of dispossessed American Indians are only shakily integrated.

“Footnotes” to the film: (1) Interestingly, the term “revenant” apparently first began to appear in print in the 1820s, the time of Hugh Glass' ordeal. (2) Hard as the ordeal of the movie's Glass is, the historical Glass had it even harder. DiCaprio's Glass makes his way either on foot or on horseback. The real Glass apparently crawled much of the 200 miles to “civilization.” And DiCaprio's Glass has his wounds treated by a helpful Indian. The real Glass had maggots eat his dead flesh.  

Movie Review—In the Heart of the Sea

In the Heart of the Sea

by Peter J. O'Connell

In the Heart of the Sea. Released: Dec. 2015. Runtime: 122 mins. Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of action and peril, brief startling violence, and thematic material. 

In the Heart of the Sea begins on a dark and stormy night in 1850 when novelist Herman Melville (Ben Whishaw) arrives in Nantucket to interview Tom Nickerson (Brendan Gleeson), the last survivor of the whaleship Essex incident in 1820 (an actual occurrence). Melville wants the full details of the sinking of the Essex by an attacking whale and of the events that followed, details that Nickerson has not hitherto revealed. Nickerson tells Melville, and his account becomes the film—interrupted from time to time by cuts back to the conversation between Nickerson and Melville.

The voyage of the Essex was marked by tension from the beginning. Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth) expected to be named captain, but the post went instead to George Pollard (Benjamin Walker), scion of a prominent family. As first mate, Chase shows much more skill than the captain in getting the ship through storms and in hunting whales. For his part, young Nickerson becomes immersed in the bloody business of whaling, including literally in a striking scene when he has to go inside the head of a whale and scoop oil out of it. 

Eventually, however, the Essex encounters a “demon whale,” one huge and mottled gray and white. The creature stoves in the hull of the Essex, forcing the crew to abandon ship and attempt to sail in small boats 1,200 miles across the Pacific to the mainland. The men have to contend with storms, starvation and even the eventual return of the “demon.” The horrific measures that the men have to take to survive remain untold publicly until Melville's interview with Nickerson.

Director Ron Howard's handling of the movie's scenes of whale hunting and storms is impressive and reminiscent of great 19th-century maritime paintings. The Nantucket scenes, however, have a somewhat odd, drab quality. The acting is less than striking. Chris Hemsworth is filmed like Errol Flynn or Tyrone power or some other hero from Hollywood's Golden Age but lacks their charisma. Benjamin Walker is bland. Whishaw and Gleeson are good, but the cuts to their conversation tend to deflate the excitement of the main story. And Howard's treatment of the whole second half of the tale, the ordeals of the men in the small boats, is rather indirect and lacks the intensity of the first half. 

The real Herman Melville never actually interviewed the real Tom Nickerson, but he did, as the movie puts it, “add some facts, and leave out others” from the story of the Essex in his great Moby-Dick (1851). In the Heart of the Sea is, we might say, a “great fish story,” but unlike Melville's novel, it is not a “whale of a tale.”

“Footnotes” to the film: (1) Moby Dick (1956) is a movie version of Melville's tale impressively directed by John Huston and starring an impressive cast of Gregory Peck, Richard Basehart, Leo Genn and Orson Welles. Although made in the era before computer-generated imagery (such as that used in Howard's Heart), the scenes of whale hunting and, especially, the climactic sequence of the sinking of the Pequod are both spectacular and realistic. (2) Some filmmaker, both intelligent and imaginative, should consider doing a biopic of Herman Melville, whose life encompassed adventure and fame, tragedy and obscurity.   

As I sit in heaven

As I sit in heaven

And watch you everyday

I try to let you know with signs

I never went away

I hear when you’re laughing

And watch you as you sleep

I even place my arms around you

To calm you as you weep

I see you wish these days away

Begging to have me home

So I try to send you signs

So you know you are not alone

Don’t feel guilty that you have

Life that was denied to me

Heaven is truly beautiful

Just wait and see

So live your life, laugh again

Enjoy yourself, be free

Then I know with every breath you

You’ll be taking one for me

---Author unknown

Who should get the shingles vaccine? If I've already had shingles, should I get the vaccine so I don't get shingles again?

The shingles vaccine (Zostavax) is recommended for adults age 60 and older, whether they've already had shingles or not. Although the vaccine is approved for people age 50 and older, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention isn't recommending it until you reach age 60.

The shingles vaccine is a live vaccine given as a single injection, usually in the upper arm. The most common side effects of the shingles vaccine are redness, pain, tenderness, swelling and itching at the injection site, and headaches.

Some people report a chickenpox-like rash after getting the shingles vaccine.

Although some people will develop shingles despite vaccination, the vaccine may reduce the severity and duration of it.

The shingles vaccine isn't recommended if you:

• Have ever had an allergic reaction to gelatin, the antibiotic neomycin or any other component of the shingles vaccine
• Have a weakened immune system due to HIV/AIDS or another disease that affects the immune system
• Are receiving immune system-suppressing drugs or treatments, such as steroids, adalimumab (Humira), infliximab (Remicade), etanercept (Enbrel), radiation or chemotherapy
• Have cancer that affects the bone marrow or lymphatic system, such as leukemia or lymphoma
• Are pregnant or trying to become pregnant

The cost of the shingles vaccine may not be covered by Medicare, Medicaid or insurance. Check your plan.

With 

James M. Steckelberg, M.D.

Oil is now cheaper than water

Modal Trigger

I don't think anyone could have predicted this a couple of years ago.

Oil prices have slid to their lowest level in more than a decade — so low that black gold now costs less than spring ­water.

At at $33.27 a barrel, oil now costs 79 cents a gallon.

By comparison, Shop-Rite on Thursday was selling three cases of 500-ml. bottles of Poland Spring water for $10.

That works out to roughly $1.05 a gallon.

Eating Healthy: Brussels Sprouts Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette

From the Bangor Daily News. Click here to read more.

In my most prolific year gardening (by which I really mean the only year that my efforts were mostly successful), when the cucumber vines yielded so many petite pickling cukes that we ate them for a full year and tomatoes plants sagged with the weight of fruit, stalks of Brussels sprouts rose from one of my raised beds with petite little balls protruding from their sturdy expanse.

 I was so excited for my homegrown sprouts, watching with excitement as the stalks grew, sometimes a little askew. New to gardening, and excited that anything was growing in my little raised beds at all, I waited, and waited, and waited some more … but those little balls never matured into the robust Brussels sprouts I hoped for. The warmth of summer gave way to a brisk fall and then the cold of winter. All the time, I hoped that if I waited just a little longer, they’d grow a little more. But of course they didn’t. Once the weather turned cold, growth ceased altogether.

Finally, I cut the stalks, removed the itty bitty Brussels sprouts and ate them — probably roasted or sauteed. All those months of growing yielded maybe a half portion of sprouts, so I mixed them with some from the bulk bin of a local grocery store.

That year, I discovered that my favorite vegetable (yes, that’s Brussels sprouts) is a big commitment to grow. They take months to mature, and each stalk only produces a generous handful — or a few — of sprouts. Of course, some of this was undoubtedly due to my own inexperience with gardening. Perhaps if I’d known more about soil pH levels or proper growing procedures, my sprouts would have been more impressive. But whatever caused my sprouts to grow to such small proportions, I decided that this is one veggie I am happy to leave tot he expert growers. For this, I say a big thank you to all the farmers who dutifully grow them, because I do adore Brussels sprouts so.

(How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.)

Why am I talking about Brussels sprouts today? Because they are in season right now. And that means it’s time to enjoy them in as many different ways as you can.

In this Brussels sprouts recipe, fresh shredded Brussels sprouts (slice them thinly with a knife or use the slicing attachment for your food processor) are mixed with sweet clementine segments, tangy dried cranberries and meaty pecans before being tossed with a tangy shallot vinaigrette.

This is a salad built for winter.

Do you love Brussels sprouts? What’s your favorite way to enjoy them?

Print

Brussels Sprouts Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette

Serves: 6

 

Ingredients

• 3 cups shredded fresh Brussels sprouts
• 2 clementines, segmented and halved
• ⅓ cup dried cranberries
• ⅓ cup chopped pecans
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp vinegar
• ½ tsp dijon mustard
• 1-2 dashes hot sauce
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, add the Brussels sprouts, clementines, dried cranberries and pecans.
2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the finely chopped shallot, extra virgin olive oil, vinegar and mustard. Whisk in the hot sauce, salt and pepper. Taste, and adjust seasonings as desired. Pour over the Brussels sprouts and toss to combine.
3. Enjoy immediately, or chill until ready to serve.

 

 Recommend this article

 

 

 

14

About Sarah Walker Caron

Sarah Walker Caron is senior features editor for the Bangor Daily News, and resident cook. Her recipes have appeared in the BDN, Betty Crocker publications, Glamour.com and more.

How well will new rules on health care cost transparency work?

Lisa Freeman recently tried an experiment: Before having a medical diagnostic test, she tried to figure out what it would cost.

“It took no less than five phone calls, and I still never got to the end of the thing,” said Freeman, executive director of the Connecticut Center for Patient Safety.

A major state law passed last year aims to change that, with a host of transparency provisions that begin rolling out this month. They’re aimed at making it easier for patients to learn the cost of their medical care ahead of time, including any charges they might face if they seek care outside their insurer's network.

So how will it work in practice? A study on a similar law in Massachusetts wasn’t encouraging, according to its authors. They found that a year after transparency provisions took effect, it still took an average of two to four business days and numerous phone calls to learn the price of an MRI.

Hospital officials in Connecticut say they’re working to ensure they comply with the new law, but say meeting some of its requirements is more complicated than it might sound.

ARIELLE LEVIN BECKER / CTMIRROR.ORG

Dr. Rocco Orlando

“We’re certainly committed to transparency. We don’t want folks to be surprised,” said Dr. Rocco Orlando, chief medical officer at Hartford HealthCare, which includes five hospitals. “Where we struggle is the complexity of the actual implementation.”

A top official with the state’s medical society, meanwhile, warned that for the first six months, there could be problems with the accuracy of information physicians provide because they won’t necessarily know the details of a patient’s insurance network until insurers meet new information requirements that begin in July.

“It’s going to be imperfect at first,” said Matthew Katz, executive vice president and CEO of the Connecticut State Medical Society.

And legislators already have received requests to revisit the law.

Freeman says having information about care cost and options is key for patients to become more involved in their care. She's waiting to see how the provisions are implemented, but even if it’s not perfect, she said, the measure puts the state on the right path.

“You have to start somewhere,” she said.

What changes when

The changes are part of a larger health care law that drew significant controversy, particularly over new requirements on changes in hospital ownership. The transparency provisions themselves prompted little opposition; those who weighed inpraised their aim, although some questioned which groups were best situated to provide the information and how to ensure it was useful to patients, rather than simply more paperwork they would probably ignore.

The first big transparency provisions in took effect Jan. 1:

• Health care providers must determine if patients who schedule nonemergency care are uninsured or if the provider is outside the patient’s insurance network. If so, the provider must tell the patient in writing how much will be charged. For patients whose insurer doesn’t include the provider in its network, the notice must indicate that the care will probably be subject to out-of-network rates. Click here to continue reading.

Cold Weather Pet Safety

You’re probably already aware of the risks posed by warm weather and leaving pets in hot cars, but did you know that cold weather also poses serious threats to your pets’ health? 

 

Here are some tips to keep your pets safe during cold weather:

 

Winter wellness: Has your pet had his/her preventive care exam (wellness exam) yet?  Cold weather may worsen some medical conditions such as arthritis. Your pet should be examined by a veterinarian at least once a year, and it’s as good a time as any to get him/her checked out to make sure (s)he is ready and as healthy as possible for cold weather. 

 

Know the limits:  Just like people, pets’ cold tolerance can vary from pet to pet based on their coat, body fat stores, activity level, and health. Be aware of your pet’s tolerance for cold weather, and adjust accordingly. You will probably need to shorten your dog’s walks in very cold weather to protect you both from weather-associated health risks. Arthritic and elderly pets may have more difficulty walking on snow and ice and may be more prone to slipping and falling. Long-haired or thick-coated dogs tend to be more cold-tolerant, but are still at risk in cold weather. Short-haired pets feel the cold faster because they have less protection, and short-legged pets may become cold faster because their bellies and bodies are more likely to come into contact with snow-covered ground. Pets with diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, or hormonal imbalances (such as Cushing’s disease) may have a harder time regulating their body temperature, and may be more susceptible to problems from temperature extremes. The same goes for very young and very old pets. If you need help determining your pet’s temperature limits, consult your veterinarian. 

 

Provide choices: Just like you, pets prefer comfortable sleeping places and may change their location based on their need for more or less warmth. Give them some safe options to allow them to vary their sleeping place to adjust to their needs. 

 

Stay inside. Cats and dogs should be kept inside during cold weather. It’s a common belief that dogs and cats are resistant than people to cold weather because of their fur, but it’s untrue. Like people, cats and dogs are susceptible to frostbite and hypothermia and should be kept inside. Longer-haired and thick-coated dog breeds, such as huskies and other dogs bred for colder climates, are more tolerant of cold weather; but no pet should be left outside for long periods of time in below-freezing weather. 

 

Make some noise: A warm vehicle engine can be an appealing heat source for outdoor and feral cats, but it’s deadly. Check underneath your car, bang on the hood, and honk the horn before starting the engine to encourage feline hitchhikers to abandon their roost under the hood. 

 

Check the paws: Check your dog’s paws frequently for signs of cold-weather injury or damage, such as cracked paw pads or bleeding. During a walk, a sudden lameness may be due to an injury or may be due to ice accumulation between his/her toes. You may be able to reduce the chance of iceball accumulation by clipping the hair between your dog’s toes. 

 

Play dress-up: If your dog has a short coat or seems bothered by the cold weather, consider a sweater or dog coat. Have several on hand, so you can use a dry sweater or coat each time your dog goes outside. Wet sweaters or coats can actually make your dog colder. Some pet owners also use booties to protect their dog’s feet; if you choose to use them, make sure they fit properly. 

 

Wipe down: During walks, your dog’s feet, legs and belly may pick up deicers, antifreeze, or other chemicals that could be toxic. When you get back inside, wipe down (or wash) your pet’s feet, legs and belly to remove these chemicals and reduce the risk that your dog will be poisoned after (s)he licks them off of his/her feet or fur. Consider using pet-safe deicers on your property to protect your pets and the others in your neighborhood. 

 

Collar and chip: Many pets become lost in winter because snow and ice can hide recognizable scents that might normally help your pet find his/her way back home. Make sure your pet has a well-fitting collar with up-to-date identification and contact information. A microchip is a more permanent means of identification, but it’s critical that you keep the registration up to date. 

 

Stay home: Hot cars are a known threat to pets, but cold cars also pose significant risk to your pet’s health. You’re already familiar with how a car can rapidly cool down in cold weather; it becomes like a refrigerator, and can rapidly chill your pet. Pets that are young, old, ill, or thin are particularly susceptible to cold environments and should never be left in cold cars. Limit car travel to only that which is necessary, and don’t leave your pet unattended in the vehicle. 

 

Prevent poisoning: Clean up any antifreeze spills quickly, as even small amounts of antifreeze can be deadly. Make sure your pets don’t have access to medication bottles, household chemicals, potentially toxic foods such as onions, xylitol (a sugar substitute) and chocolate.

 

Protect family: Odds are your pet will be spending more time inside during the winter, so it’s a good time to make sure your house is properly pet-proofed. Use space heaters with caution around pets, because they can burn or they can be knocked over, potentially starting a fire. Check your furnace before the cold weather sets in to make sure it’s working efficiently, and install carbon monoxide detectors to keep your entire family safe from harm. If you have a pet bird, make sure its cage is away from drafts. 

 

Avoid ice: When walking your dog, stay away from frozen ponds, lakes and other water. You don’t know if the ice will support your dog’s weight, and if your dog breaks through the ice it could be deadly. And if this happens and you instinctively try to save your dog, both of your lives could be in jeopardy. 

 

Provide shelter: We don’t recommend keeping any pet outside for long periods of time, but if you are unable to keep your dog inside during cold weather, provide him/her with a warm, solid shelter against wind. Make sure that they have unlimited access to fresh, non-frozen water (by changing the water frequently or using a pet-safe, heated water bowl). The floor of the shelter should be off of the ground (to minimize heat loss into the ground) and the bedding should be thick, dry and changed regularly to provide a warm, dry environment. The door to the shelter should be positioned away from prevailing winds. Space heaters and heat lamps should be avoided because of the risk of burns or fire. Heated pet mats should also be used with caution because they are still capable of causing burns. 

 

Recognize problems: If your pet is whining, shivering, seems anxious, slows down or stops moving, seems weak, or starts looking for warm places to burrow, get them back inside quickly because they are showing signs of hypothermia. Frostbite is harder to detect, and may not be fully recognized until a few days after the damage is done. If you suspect your pet has hypothermia or frostbite, consult your veterinarian immediately. 

 

Be prepared: Cold weather also brings the risks of severe winter weather, blizzards and power outages. Prepare a disaster/emergency kit, and include your pet in your plans. Have enough food, water and medicine (including any prescription medications as well as heartworm and flea/tick preventives) on hand to get through at least 5 days. 

 

Feed well: Keep your pet at a healthy weight throughout the winter. Some pet owners feel that a little extra weight gives their pet some extra protection from cold, but the health risks associated with that extra weight don’t make it worth doing. Watch your pet’s body condition and keep them in the healthy range. Outdoor pets will require more calories in the winter to generate enough body heat and energy to keep them warm – talk to your veterinarian about your pet’s nutritional needs during cold weather.

Grateful for Grapefruit

From the Bangor Daily News. Click here to go to their web site

When I was a kid, all grapefruit was white and wicked sour. There may have been pink ones, but I don’t remember seeing any at our house back in the ‘50s. I didn’t think I liked grapefruit that much but dutifully ate it when it was served. So the brilliant pink and sweet grapefruit we see in the market today seems like such a treat.

Citrus has to be an exception to my preference to eating locally. I have a great store of local apples in the cellar, canned peaches, and frozen strawberries, rhubarb, and blueberries, but I hanker for citrus in winter, and a big bag of pink grapefruit is a treasure. Unlike an apple, though, which you can just bite into, or a Clementine that you can zip the skin from, grapefruit have big, tough peels to battle before you get to the good stuff. Under some circumstances, laziness wins out and I grab the easy-to-eat fruit first. Here are three things to do with it, two don’t require peeling, and the third is a do-it-ahead to make it easy for when you are in a hurry.

Squeeze grapefruit and drink it. With gin or vodka. It’s pretty, pink, and called a Greyhound. Six ounces of grapefruit juice, which is just about one whole, medium sized grapefruit; two and a half ounces of gin or vodka, garnish with a piece of the peel. If it is still too sour to your taste, add a dribble of simple sugar. Ice cube or not, as you wish. No ice for me this week. Raise a toast to vitamin C.

Cut a grapefruit in half, top with light brown sugar, or jelly or jam, and broil it. Even though I have grapefruit spoons with serrated ends on them, I like to section the fruit nicely, cutting on both sides of the sections, besides running a knife around the inside of the peel, too, and when feeling very fancy, I cut out the core as well. A dollop of your favorite jam or jelly on the top will bubble and spread a little under the broiler, and the heat softens the fruit a little. It looks dressy enough to serve warm as a dessert for supper.

Eat peeled, sectioned grapefruit mixed with oranges. And apples, dried cranberries, raisins, cashews, what have you. My friend Ben Yardley in Yarmouth sections up grapefruit and oranges on the weekend and puts a jar full in the fridge for busy working weekday mornings. Then he can just spoon out some and eat it with other fruits, yogurt or just plain, with or without cereal or any other additions. It is a do-it-yourself convenience food and I found this particular dodge makes it a lot more likely I will eat it.

Print

Greyhound Cocktail

Serves: Makes two drinks.

 

Ingredients

• 6 ounces of grapefruit juice
• 2 ½ ounces of gin
• Simple syrup to taste

Instructions

1. Squeeze one grapefruit, measure and strain the grapefruit juice.
2. Add the gin or vodka.
3. Stir, taste, and add simple syrup if desired to taste.
4. Divide into two cocktail glasses over ice cubes and garnish with a strip of grapefruit peel.

 About Sandy Oliver

Sandy Oliver Sandy is a freelance food writer with the column Taste Buds appearing weekly since 2006 in the Bangor Daily News, and regular columns in Maine Boats, Homes, and Harbors magazine and The Working Waterfront. Besides freelance food writing, she is a pioneering food historian beginning her work in 1971 at Mystic Seaport Museum, where she developed a fireplace cooking program in an 1830s house. After moving to Maine in 1988, Sandy wrote, Saltwater Foodways: New Englanders and Their Foods at Sea and Ashore in the 19th Century published in 1995. She is the author of The Food of Colonial and Federal America published in fall of 2005, and Giving Thanks: Thanksgiving History and Recipes from Pilgrims to Pumpkin Pie which she co-authored with Kathleen Curtin. She often speaks to historical organizations and food professional groups around the country, organizes historical dinners, and conducts classes and workshops in food history and in sustainable gardening and cooking. Sandy lives on Islesboro, an island in Penobscot where she gardens, preserves, cooks and teaches sustainable lifeways.  View all posts by Sandy Oliver →