We were clearing up the house after taking down all the Christmas decorations and we came across this mysterious bottle. Okay okay… I say “mysterious” but actually, as soon as I saw it I knew exactly what it was. Sometime in the last few years mum made some limoncello with vodka and lemon rind then left it to season. Obviously we forgot about it and … Continue reading Mums Limoncello from the Last Milennium
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
I was picking up some supplies in the supermarket when this gin caught my eye. Bombay London Dry Gin: more muted in appearance than its bright blue Sapphire sister, it has a simple, almost stringently-coloured branding. I am not a fan of floral or overly botanical gins in my martini so I though that this one with only 8 botanicals (to Sapphire’s 10) might provide … Continue reading A Bombay Martini
This is a very tasty variation on a classic. It’s just a normal dirty martini but with an extra sour-silken touch of citrus. I’ve mentioned previously that Fragata kindly sent me a box of goodies to try out. I usually eat their olives stuffed with anchovies but now I’m trying out their olives stuffed with lemon. While I still prefer to eat their … Continue reading A Dirty Martini with lemon olives
A relatively pleasant martini was let down by bad service and poor value for money. It wouldn’t take much to perfect their martini but some of the fundamentally poor elements of the restaurant will be more difficult to rectify. Nestled under a railway arch in Borough Market, I had high hopes for this Levantine restaurant. However, the service wasn’t particularly attentive, the portions … Continue reading Bar Arabica, Borough Market, 2/5
I have been working on this concept for a long time. It’s not a true martini, but it aims to serve a similar purpose, especially for those in Sri Lanka, perhaps without access to gin or vermouth. I resisted pressure to name it the Tamil Tiger Martini (it’s fiery, complex and deadly) as this would feel wholly inappropriate after Sri Lanka’s bitter internal tragedy. … Continue reading The Sri Lankan Arrack Martini – the Serendipitini
Here is some more food to go with your martini. I like to use things that are simple to make (or that you can make in advance), easy to eat (preferably with one hand) and either carbohydrate or protein based, especially on the savoury side of things. There are loads of potential categories from you to choose from. Let’s start with some simple pretzels. They are … Continue reading Even More Martini Snacks
A London variation on the classic Mexican drink. As I’ve said before, I don’t always drink martinis. I also like beer and lager, to name but a few alternatives. I recently wrote about the Mexican drink Micheladas and here I’ve come up with another variation. In its most simple terms, a Michelada contains beer/lager, the juice of a lime, a dash of Worcestershire sauce and a … Continue reading A Spicy Umami Michelada
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
I will keep this post short. I ordered what I thought were 4 limes from tesco online. When it arrived I realised I had, in fact, ordered 4 BAGS of limes. Keen not to let it go to waste, I have so far used them in the following: Ceviche Smoothies Gin and tonics However I have now also tried using them in a martini, … Continue reading A classic martini with lime
The Martini Socialist 