Vodka in matzo balls: Don't knock it til you try it

I'm in the middle of a Jewish soul-food blitz right now. This week I made a big batch of matzo balls fortified with a full two tablespoons of Popov vodka in the batter. They have a nice "kick'' that your run-of-the-mill ordinary matzo balls don't have -- a bit of a sting at the top of your mouth when you bite them --- but I'm concerned they aren't Kosher for Passover. (I know there are strict restrictions on certain grains and legumes during Passover, though it's also true that vodka is made out of all kinds of different things. Perhaps there is a matzo-flour-based vodka that's out there somewhere on the market.) Anyhow, I'm wondering if anyone else has tried this concoction. I got it straight out of the New York Times Passover Cookbook. In case you're curious, it also involves a cup and a hald of matzo meal, four to five farm-fresh eggs, a tablespoon or so of cooking oil, a tablespoon and a half of chicken broth, salt to taste and the aforementioned tablespoon and a half of vodka. Boil in broth for 45 minutes. I strongly recommend cooking them in canned chicken soup for that time and then transferring them into a big vat of Zabar's Homemade Chicken Soup.

Here's the Today Show Link

Click here to watch my interview about the male biological clock.

Nationally televised smooch and soundbite on the Today Show

I was, briefly, on national television this morning, (the Today Show) kissing my wife, and talking briefly about male menopause. I was on for about seven seconds.

They had me remove my glasses for the interview and the smooch because the Klieg lights were reflecting off the lenses. It was fun to take part in this. I hope I am on television again.

Cactuseaters on the Today Show

I am on the Today Show, Tuesday morning (Seriously!) at some point between 730 and 8 a.m., talking, with two other dudes, about male menopause and other issues, including male fertility, etcetera. They taped the segment today. Among other things, they had me talking about aging, talking about my Dad, and at one point I smooched my wife in front of a zillion potential TV-land viewers.

On Tuesday morning I will watch myself and find out how I look on TV. They didn't give me any make-up (unlike a cable access program in Santa Cruz, where they put so much pancake make-up on me that I looked like Gray Davis.) It was pretty casual and fun, and I got to check out the Big Room where Al Roker and Matt Lauer hang out. Also, they had me use the same throat-microphone that George Clooney used last week.

Even rats hate rats

The other day I was getting take-out from my very favorite Italian place near here, Max's Soha, when I heard a scream and a squeak. I looked down and saw that four rats were getting into it, having an all-out brawl, right on the street corner near a stairwell, just flogging each other with their tails, clawing, fisticuffs all around, fur flying, literally. It went on for a very long time and they finally scattered in all directions. I guess even rats can't stand rats, which is sad when you think about it. I spend so much time being disgusted by putrid, fat, stinking rats that I forget they are sentient mammals, with self-esteem issues and concerns like everybody else. You'd think rats would be united with an 'us against the world' attitude toward us humans, but being vermin has taken its toll on their self-image. Their response is to brawl in the streets.

Rat prints in the snow

I saw a bunch of cute, mysterious footprints in the snow near my apartment yesterday -- and i was shocked and disturbed when I saw that the footprints led straight into a rat trap! I swear, they were as big as rabbit prints.