Flaming ridiculous

Switching from one Georgia to another, life in America is fraught with danger, too - and not only because guns outnumber people. At the end of an indulgent meal at the Caf Mythology in Atlanta, I ordered a sambuca, the rather juvenile Italian liqueur that is traditionally lit before you drink it. The barman, however, refused to ignite it: "We can't get the liability insurance for serving flaming drinks," he explained.

A more suitable candidate for a health warning would perhaps have been my penultimate course: the Seven Layer Amaretto Mousse Cake .