Sensitivity

I always thought things were supposed to dull over time. That we become inured to the things around us. Perhaps not just things...

But I've been finding that I seem to have become more sensitive to things. The other day I went to Roller Derby, and the people sitting next to me were smokers. I've always been sensitive to cigarette smoke, but it's getting ridiculous. Between matches, the people behind me left and were replaced with a whole row of smokers. By the time the second bout was over, I had to flee because I was getting an asthma attack from the smoke that lingered on them.

I've also noticed that I can sometimes smell my neighbors cooking from inside of my condo. The scent has to travel through two closed doors, across a hallway, and however far it is from their kitchen to their door.

It isn't just my sense of smell. I doubt if my hearing has actually gotten any better, but sounds, even subtle sounds pick at my attention. It amazes me when I can hear someone else's music on the subway, over the noise of the train and the music from my own earbuds.

Then there are people...

Mint Juleps and the Kentucky Derby

Today was the Kentucky Derby and in celebration (perhaps it would be more correct to say that the Derby inspired...) I made mint juleps and had some friends over. I had never had a mint julep before, let alone made one, so there was a learning curve involved.

The first thing I learned is that crushed ice is much better than regular ice. Nearly everyone commented that the further through the drink they got, the better the julep became. At first I thought it was a matter of mixing the drink, but later I became convinced it was the ice melting and mixing with the other ingredients, mellowing and accenting the flavors.

The big question on my mind was whether to bruise the mint or not. Really the jury is still out for the most part. I used infused simple syrup, rather than plain syrup. The infused syrup had nearly two days to absorb the essential oils from the mint leaves (both the bruised and unbruised). So the difference in flavor was relatively slight. Then there is the matter of the mint leaves turning black when they are crushed... Since I spooned the syrup in, I didn't need to spoon in the leaves, so there were no bits of black leaf in the drinks.

Of course, I also added leaves to the glasses. Here I believe there could have been a difference. If I had used a non-infused syrup, and unbruised leaf would not release much flavor in the course of drinking. But a good deal of the taste actually comes from the smell, so again it likely wouldn't make a big difference.

So, in conclusion, I would go with unbruised mint leaves more for the aesthetic values than the flavor, given the almost unnoticeable difference in the later.

As for the Derby... I don't know if it was the most exciting two minutes in sports, but it was definitely fun to watch. It was a very muddy track, and during the rather extensive pre-race coverage they showed the mud zambonie a number of times. I was pulling for "Hold me Back" but he was held back and didn't finish in the money.

The winner, "Mine That Bird" sparked much debate... Is the "Mine" the explosive type or the underground mineral deposit type, or simply the possessive form? Are we digging for birds? Taking birds into coal mines? Whatever the case may be, congratulations.