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Saturday, December 18, 2010

The Sweet & Dirty Martini

'Tis the season to attend a lot of parties. Parties with cocktails. Cocktails like this darling historical concoction. I love a man with a sense of humor.

Tall, dark, and handsome doesn't hurt either.

There's something just a little illicit about a martini, sexy. They're perfectly acceptable in mixed company, but just a couple. "One is too few, three is too many." It's the Goldilocks of well-made drinks. And they come in the prettiest of glasses. Formidable, instantly recognizable, deliciously mouthwatering. And always with gin. Tanqueray, Hendricks, Bombay Sapphire, take your pick. I like the green bottle, personally.

It's what my dad drinks. He's the one who taught me to enjoy gin.

Of course I've always liked my martinis a little different. And I've never met a bartender I could tell to make it "sweet and dirty" who knew right off the bat what I meant. It's okay. Not quite as funny as the look on their faces when you say you want a virgin martini. Who doesn't like an olive in an empty glass?

The sweet & dirty martini is my favorite. Tweak the classic gin/vermouth recipe a bit and you have my trademark cocktail. When perfectly mixed, the sweet vermouth and dirty olive brine wed perfectly with the gin, making a marvelous ménage à trois of flavors on your tongue. Like a good lover, making you want more.

This isn't your grandfather's cocktail. This is mine. You can get your own.

And of course, cocktail onions over olives.

The Sweet & Dirty Martini

6 parts gin
1 part sweet vermouth
Ice
Cocktail onions and brine

Fill a shaker with ice then add the gin and vermouth. Shake. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with 3 onions and a dash of brine. Drink.
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Don't forget the 2011 Calendar is on sale. They make great gifts!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Easy Breadcrumbs

Yes, breadcrumbs. I know, not hard. You take some dry bread and break it into little pieces. Yeah, that's about the extent of this pictorial.

Dry bread (can be dehydrated in the oven at 300 degrees for about 10 minutes)


+ food processor or spice grinder (for smaller quantities of crumbs)


= fine crumbs.


I make them in small quantities as the recipe calls for them, but you can make a large quantity. If there is no oil in the bread, the crumbs will keep on the shelf almost indefinitely. But if yours has butter or oil, store in the fridge (or even freezer).

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Don't forget the 2011 Calendar is on sale. They make great gifts!