I had to fly last minute from London to Glasgow. I was in Gatwick South terminal on a Saturday night. I had come through security but I hadn’t had dinner or a much needed martini. So off I went in search of something to quench my thirst. The expensive caviar bar downstairs in the south terminal sadly doesn’t do martinis, although it has some exquisite … Continue reading The London Bar at Gatwick Airport
It’s been a while since my last post so I thought I would put up a brief update on my nice weekend. We had the first properly warm weather of the year. It was warm enough to light the garden fire pit and have a martini outside before dinner. It’s so nice to get outside again. I took this picture because I thought the lower … Continue reading Spring weekend
On the day that one of the worst things ever associated with the Hebrides is inaugurated as president of the United States of America, I thought I would highlight one of the loveliest things to arise from this part of the world. Harris Gin is so easy for me to blog about. Introduced to me by my generous cousin from Stornoway, it’s exceptional in many … Continue reading A Harris Gin Martini
Thank you to everyone who came to our martini pop up bar at the end of October. We held it in ‘the Gallery’ on the Main Street of Tobermory, Isle of Mull. At the end of the tourist season I hoped that it was a chance for locals to relax and try something different. It was also a bit of a send off for us … Continue reading Our Second Pop Up Martini Bar
These sound fancy but they were quite easy to put together and can be made in advance, so they’re easy to serve if you’re having a party. Get about one scallop per guest (or two if you want to make it a more substantial dish than just a canapé). I love scallops. My dad was a scallop diver so they’ve never been far away from … Continue reading Chilled scallop canapés with smoked paprika, seaweed-butter and lime
Just another selection of recent martinis… A dirty one. A clean one. Both dirty and clean – photograph courtesy of Dr. Kirsty. Watching the sun set. Seeing the moon rise. Feeling the summer fade. Watching seasons come and go in general. I guess one thing about a martini is taking the time to pause and enjoy things. They are the most ‘zen’ of drinks and I … Continue reading Some more martinis
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
Several months ago, my auntie suggested that we hold a popup martini bar in our family restaurant. The venue is the Gallery, on the Main Street of Tobermory on the Isle of Mull (a beautiful and friendly Hebridean Island in Argyll, western Scotland). We thought about the idea for a while but it remained firmly in the land of fantasy for quite some time. Then, … Continue reading The Popup Martini Bar
I’ve previously mentioned my liking for seaweed so I thought I would make my own to go with a martini. After a fairly long walk on the Isle of Mull, I was looking around the beach for something edible to forage. The tide was fairly high but there were several rockpools containing thick gutweed, as above. This dark-green, grass-like seaweed lives in upper tidal areas, … Continue reading A Martini with Homemade Roasted Seaweed
Our family is probably not alone in this matter: we adore crisps but recognise that they are evil. To my American readers – I’m referring to what you call ‘chips’ or ‘potato chips’. I could make some cliche comment about how you have abused our language but your people did invent the martini so I have to pay at least some deference to … Continue reading A Martini with Nori Seaweed
