"Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die"

It's not often that you hear the whole proverb, "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die"--usually just the first half. In fact, the bible verse it is based on (Ecclesiastes VIII 15) doesn't even include the word die. I had a short-lived baking career that was sparked by a recipe for Victorian Funeral Cakes sent to me by my best friend's Mom, Dorothy Sutton. They are delicious, and I made dozens before it became a bad idea for a person with no balance to be leaning into a hot oven (not to mention that baking is now much too labor-intensive). When my friend and colleague Ellen asked me what kind of cake I wanted for my birthday last year, I consulted the copy of Death Warmed Over that Dorothy had kindly supplied me with and chose the Ancient Egyptian Chocolate Cake. It is good and very spicy, with cinnamon, cloves, and coffee in addition to semi-sweet chocolate. But by far the funnest funereal food (actually a Halloween treat) that I've eaten is a bloody finger! But I've never been to the body parts bakery in Thailand...