The Feast Before The Fast

It's less than an hour before my annual Yom Kippur fast begins at sundown. And how does the Vamp fuel up before the fast?

You've seen the picture above. I know what you're thinking. But, no, I did not partake of the Zeppoles, Sausage & Peppers Heroes, Calzones, Pizza and Funnel Cakes at the San Gennaro Festival. I walked past all of that heartburn-inducing fare and went for the kind of Italian food that wouldn't require industrial-strength Tums.

I went to Lupa.

And considering that my upcoming fast is meant to cleanse and allow me to atone for a full year of sins, I figured why not sin away? I went for pure vice: a few glasses of fragrant Goldmuskateller wine and a bowl of Bucatini all'Amatriciana, the sauce decadently graced with decidedly un-Kosher chunks of smoked pork cheeks known as Guanciale.

Can't wait to atone, so I can have a clean plate - and start all over again!