Yes, there is a God...

… and I have sinned. Penance was sought and paid.

You might notice that the previous entry was posted at 4:10AM Pacific, a tad early even for this early riser. The truth is I had not gone to sleep, but not by design. I was in bed, blearily watching Headline News somewhere around midnight but could not fall asleep. Someting was brewing in my stomach. Somewhere around three it struck — nausea, dizziness, heartburn to beat the band. I have had acid reflux but this was child’s play. I was about to blow my dinner all over the bed. I had to stand up. My wife stared at me in alarm, but we both knew what had struck: “Organic pork belly!”

I know it doesn’t sound appetizing, but it is the specialité de la maison of a new and quite trendy Italian restaurant hereabouts at which we had just eaten with some friends. No, I’m not going to name it, because it wasn’t their fault. I should have known better than to order pork belly after I had white truffles on scrambled eggs and toast (fantastic–and the price of a medium-sized car!), sloshed down with numerous glasses of merlot and chianti (at least we had the sense to order by the carafe). I didn’t neglect dessert either–torta di nonna accompanied by several flavors of sorbet (Concord grape, Meyer lemon) not to mention a Ricotta fritter something with sour cherry sauce.

And that pork belly– only about 97% fat, but crispy and delicious, served on a bed of Tuscan beans. They made it on a woodfire grill, the most authentic, I am told, in our city. Now I am paying for it.

Lord, I have sinned. I promise not to do it again… until tonight.