The Fujian Martini – made with Lapsang Souchong

This is a really easy martini to make. You infuse gin or vodka with Lapsang Souchong tea and use this to create a martini in the same way as a classic. This is another of the “mar-tea-nis” (martinis made with gin/vodka infused with tea) and is my joint favourite alongside an Earl Grey Martini. It’s also pretty simple to put together. Lapsang Souchong is my … Continue reading The Fujian Martini – made with Lapsang Souchong

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

Bamboo Charcoal Peanuts

I think I’ve previously mentioned my interest in black-coloured food, prompted by the 1989 Peter Greenaway film “The cook, the thief, his wife and her lover” in which the chef declares that he charges double the price for black-coloured items on the menu because they resemble death. To eat death is therefore to cheat death, thus giving the diner an additional sense of pleasure and … Continue reading Bamboo Charcoal Peanuts

Use longer toothpicks to maximise your garnishes

My brother commented that normal toothpicks were too short for my martini glasses. He is a very practical former Royal Marine and a keen perfectionist so I took his comments onboard and spent some time trying to think of an alternative. The other day I found some slightly longer mini bamboo skewers in an Asian supermarket and thought they would do the trick. Here is … Continue reading Use longer toothpicks to maximise your garnishes