Heatwave!

Thought I'd share this while I recover with a refreshingly cold glass of Pepi Sauvignon Blanc (only $9.99 a bottle... great for a hot Wednesday evening!).

I was almost cooked "sous vide" tonight on my way home from work!

Myself and a train car full of Brooklynites were all but vacuum-sealed in our express (read: long time between stops) subway car when we realized the blessed AC was being substituted by full-blast heat. This was made more torturous by the subsequent breakdown on the Manhattan Bridge.

As we were suspended in our heat-sealed compartment over the roiling East River, I imagined how much this tough-skinned group of New Yorkers currently had in common with the tough cuts of meat that get cryogenically sealed before being submerged in gently boiling water.

Sous vide is a controversial process that yields the most succulent, tender end-product at the potential expense of the diner's health (at least according to its detractors). Was this some sort of cosmic cooking experiment… heat-sealing a group of Monday-weary New Yorkers and holding them in an external moist heat until they softened to tender bits of humanity?

Though the transformation may be desirable, it remains a bit more dangerous than the cooking technique. Nonetheless, I question whether the health department will be as concerned with "sous vide" subway riders as it is with banning sous vide cuisine.