Prowling for Syringes

I've been on the prowl for syringes. Now that I know how to make mozzarella, I'm obsessed with the idea of injecting a balsamic reduction in some cherry or grape tomatoes and encasing each tomato in a fresh mozzarella shell. I got the idea watching a video of this chef making mozzarella. I'm not so sure I love this guy but he does demonstrate forming the fresh mozzarella around tomatoes and olives. He served the little antipasti on spoons drizzled with balsamic, but it looked sloppy since the tomatoes are round and the liquid slides off.

Anyways, finding syringes in Manhattan is a bit trickier than I thought. I still don't have in hand the perfect ones, but it's not from lack of team effort. One friend lives near the hospital, and she hit up the Duane Reade near her apartment, since they have more medical supplies than the average drugstore. She came back with a bag of 10 insulin needles that can hold 1cc of liquid.

Another friend found a website that listed all the pharmacies that participate in New York's Expanded Syringe Access Demonstrate Program. I tried calling one place, but the phone number didn't work anymore. Then I chickened out because I couldn't imagine cajoling a pharmacist to sell my some biggish syringes. I could just imagine my queries: "Do you sell syringes?" "How about the syringe access program?" "Is it just one size of syringes?" "Do you have any that can inject a thick liquid?" "Can I buy them?" Yes, it turns out I have no balls and was unwilling to beg New York pharmacists for their free syringes and some related advice.

Then I hit up a third friend who is finishing up med school and asked if she knew of stores that sold syringes, or did the school provide them for her, or if she just swiped them from the hospital. It didn't occur to me that she might not ever need to "swipe" syringes, as she probably wouldn't have any need for syringes outside of whatever she's doing at the hospital. Anyways, she's located a syringe that might work. After joking about how it had some dried blood on it and freaking me out two sentences into her email, she assured me they were clean, so I should get my grubby hands on those soon, but perhaps not in time for a cocktail party this weekend.

I also conducted my own search and despite what I consider some mighty fine Google searching skills, it took my ages to find some syringes I could easily purchase in New York. I researched cooking stores, medical supply stores, craft stores, and then finally I think I found something at PetCo of all places. They are syringes to feed birds and small animals. Now I just need to find time to swing down and grab the suckers.

Soon I may be ready to sign up and participate in New York's needle access program too. First however, some mind-blowingly good home-made mozzarella and balsamic infused Greenmarket grape tomatoes better come out of this endeavor.