My Guiltorious Life is very good and getting better.

Peering out my office is always a very special Guilty Pleasure. I get to gaze upon the stupendously fun Thin Mint and watch the hardest working woman in the hospitality business hold court. She is amazing on so many levels I have stopped counting.
Sharing my professional and private life with the Belle of the Ball is pretty sweet. Guilt's legendary life is very good and getting better.

King Pastrami wins again

March Madness has a secret snackage tournament attached to the hardwood, great gametime sandwiches. After a wild weekend of overstuffed platters, King Pastrami Rules………………..

Has there ever been a more perfect cured meat than pastrami? With a Rumanian spice that could capture any army of hungry soldiers with just its’ hypnotic aroma, hand-cut pastrami with is the King of hot sandwiches. Yes, a hot lean corned beef sandwich is a royal delicacy and in some well-mannered circles, a French dip Roast Beef sandwich is a Prince’s delight.

However, for me, nothing is more perfect than hand-cut pastrami with spicy creole mustard, Fontina cheese on fresh Russian pumpernickel rye bread from the famed Eagle Bakery in Trenton NJ. You can never call this worthy heir to the throne of Sandwichville "lean." It’s just not possible!!! One bite and you have been crowned.

Doomed to Marvel.

I am possessed. It's true. Maybe the Papal College has me on their High-Caloric Watch List or maybe somehow I have avoided their considerable scrutiny. It does not matter, as my Guilt as been long established and well-documented.


I am doomed. Doomed I tell you. Not in a damnation sort of way, but in a "what's wrong with having goat cheese on everything" fashion. Isn't extra creamy a good thing?

I cannot go an hour without daydreaming about some decadent red coconut curry sauce or pining for an overflowing plate of Banana's Foster with Herrell's Brown Butter Ice Cream. It might be the best ice cream on the planet.

My legendary life is one constant quest for the Guiltorious goods that make us marvel in the moment like a finely aged-liqueur and a chocolate souffle. With my new Brandy sniffer in hand, a well-worn leather chair makes the perfect perch to watch Villanova stumble and fall.

I am doomed to Marvel. Doomed I tell you.

Absinthe

The heavenly "Green Fairies", the drink of choice for such notables as Vincent Van Gogh, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Oscar Wilde and Alfred Jarry as well as the beverage opposed by conservatives and prohibitionists until 2007 because of its association with the bohemian culture and its reputed psychoactive properties.

The lovers of "The Green Fairies" can date a version of Absinthe and its primary active ingredient back to 1550 BC. Although not popular until late 19th century this beverage of royalty and the arts community quickly became the rave of popular culture at the turn of the century.

This wonderful beverage has regained popularity and as of 2008 there are over 200 brands available. Provence Catering, in its drive to produce incredible beverages to match with foods begun match Absinthe with cocktail hour and dessert stations at its premium events. Absinthe is presented in a decorative glass over which an ornate silver spoon is placed that holds a sugar cube. Ice cold water is then dispensed from elegant glass and crystal fountains that dissolves the sugar cube & mixes with the Absinthe creating a lovely green hue. This green color coined the reputation of the "Green Fairies" or visions that occurred while drinking it.

One of the growing and most flavorful brands is produced here in Philadelphia from the Philadelphia Distilling Company. Philadelphia Distilling LLC is a premium spirits producer that creates Bluecoat American Dry Gin, Penn 1681 Rye Vodka & Vieux Carre' Absinthe.

So, take a walk on the wild side and see why Absinthe is growing in popularity. Let Provence Catering build Absinthe into your next event or pick up a bottle for yourself. I encourage you to try Vieux Carre' for its outstanding flavor and its local connection. I urge you to drink responsible and not find the same fate as a character in Emily Zola's novel when he wrote"Boche had known a joiner who had stripped stark naked in the rue Saint-Martin and did the polka-he was an Absinthe Drinker"

Philadelphia has gone Gratefully Guilty

OMG... A weekend with real sunshine, a fired-up grill and cheerful folk. Where am I?

It's been Aces back to back and the town has gone Guilty. The Change of Seasons celebration feels long overdue and Philadelphia has become self-indulgence central. Maybe it's the anticipation of watching the Phillies at The Bank or the thought of dining al Fresco without mittens.

As one of the Opulent Eight(more on this special status to come), I am a Guilty Provocator. With that VIP clout, I always have Primo seats to the party. If you have been looking for a reason to indulge, there's a bright light at the end of Winter's long tunnel.

With July's Further Show at The Mann calling, a change in the season is a definite reason to party. To borrow a line from one of my favorite Grateful Dead songs, Althea, "You know this space is getting hot."

I do not think I have ever seen the local landscape with more pent-up Guilty Dreams. If you have not already done so, open the door to Decadence this summer and welcome an old friend to a table filled with sweet temptation. That Sainted Savior is always at the top of my Guiltorious guest list.