In America its difficult to refuse sugar, wherever you go, sugar confronts you, and especially in places where the weather is sunny. Go to a gas station, a grocery shop and counters are filled with junk. Almost ever souvenir shop is selling some form of candy and here salt water taffy is king.

This isn’t salty, it’s a European pipe, named “pipette” and one that takes me back to my childhood. I used to eat at Stubby’s, a cross between a food counter and convenience shop. The owner was Stubby, a grouchy chef who would throw you out if he wasn’t in the mood.

He had a few specialities that he prepared and the rich and poor would go there to eat. Yankle was his sidekick and he was at the cash, I used to get my sugar fix there. By the way, the pipette used to cost ten cents.

I’ll never forget, he said take it, referring to candy, “don’t worry I’ll charge you for it, and even when you don’t take it, I’ll charge you” – I can never forget his humour. Stubby’s disappeared after he got sick but he had the best eggs and soups on the planet.