Fusion Food: Seaweed Butter for Martini Canapés

I recently enjoyed a discovery taster menu at the beautiful Michelin-starred Greenhouse restaurant in London’s Mayfair area. I didn’t have any martinis as I didn’t want to spoil my palette before the dining extravaganza but the setting was beautiful, the food utterly inspiring and the service convivial and professional; in-depth but relaxed. What a treat! It certainly set my martini-obsessed brain into overload thinking of … Continue reading Fusion Food: Seaweed Butter for Martini Canapés

More martini snacks and canapes

I’m just going to leave this here…    What could be easier than olives and cheese-stuffed peppers that you picked up at the shops on the way home? I particularly like the colour contrast of these two. Oh and the taste. You can’t go wrong with the lemony-buttery taste of Nocellara olive flesh, while the soft creamy cheese paired very indulgently with the sweet piccante … Continue reading More martini snacks and canapes

More Izakaya dishes

As I’ve previously mentioned, I love Izakaya culture.    So here are some more izakaya-inspired dishes to accompany a martini.    This is very simple: grill sweet potato in oil with a sprinkling of salt until ready. I was drinking a martini when I made this so I can’t remember how long it was in the oven for. 20 minutes? Who knows. There’s a reason … Continue reading More Izakaya dishes

A Martini at Yumi, Soho, 4/5

I don’t want to recommend this restaurant. It’s lovely, tasty, friendly and authentic: the perfect Izakaya in a London setting. But when I visited, it was rather quiet. And I loved it. Located in the heart of London’s theatre district, I expected it to be mobbed on a Saturday evening, but there were no other diners when we arrived. We had the undivided attention of … Continue reading A Martini at Yumi, Soho, 4/5

Martini Izakaya Dishes

An Izakaya is essentially a type of Japanese pub that specialises in food to accompany drinks. It’s basically my favourite type of drinks setting. I love the post-work, instantly friendly and relaxed atmosphere, completely free of pretension. Comparable to Spanish tapas or Turkish meze, the Izakaya-way is healthier than simply guzzling down a bucket of booze before staggering off for some fish and chips or … Continue reading Martini Izakaya Dishes

Egyptian Duqqah to accompany a martini

This is a simple snack item consisting of ground nuts, herbs and spices served with bread and some good quality oil. I’ve always been drawn to Egypt, old and new. It’s such a fascinating country with both grand and tumultuous history and I am delighted to include it in my blog with a contribution to the martini world. I wanted to write about duqqah, which … Continue reading Egyptian Duqqah to accompany a martini

Salmon tartare canapés

Olives are the nibble most closely associated with martinis but I always think that seafood is one of the best matches. It’s fresh, cold and goes well with citrus, just like a good martini. Consuming seafood also brings its own element of danger (food poisoning? Mercury?), much like the danger associated with drinking a strong martini. So here is a simple and easy recipe for … Continue reading Salmon tartare canapés

Mini blini

 Here is a highly tasty and versatile nibble from Russia; a country with a huge amount of expertise when it comes to drinking and tradition.    While I would normally encourage making things at home, I saw some miniature blini for sale in the supermarket and decided just to buy them for a martini accompaniment. Otherwise, I have seen several good recipes online. I found this … Continue reading Mini blini

Sri Lankan bites

When I was based in Sri Lanka, a country where they know how to work hard and drink harder, it was almost essential that alcohol was served with food. The Sinhalese actually use the word ‘bites’ to describe this. It was during my time in this fascinating, beautiful but complex country that the importance of serving tasty nibbles with your drink was strongly instilled in … Continue reading Sri Lankan bites